'A big beast' - seven leading trainers to watch at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival

We're now under seven weeks away from the 2021 Cheltenham Festival and there are a host of top-class races still to be run in Britain and Ireland. But which hotshots will be represented on the big stage in March? Nick Pulford, editor of the Racing Post Cheltenham Festival Guide, provides a rundown of the leading trainers to note at the festival.

Willie Mullins

The 14-time Irish champion trainer has exceeded five winners at five of the past six festivals (he dipped slightly to four in 2019) and leads the all-time list with 72 winners, four ahead of Nicky Henderson.

His big hope this year is Al Boum Photo, who bids for a Cheltenham Gold Cup hat-trick, but he has a host of other leading chances with the likes of Chacun Pour Soi (Champion Chase), Min (Ryanair Chase), Appreciate It (Supreme Novices' Hurdle), Monkfish (Festival Novices' Chase) and Billaway (Hunters' Chase).

Concertista: the Willie Mullins-trained ace has a big chance in this year's Mares' HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

He is always the one to beat in races restricted to mares, having won nine out of 13 in the Mares' Hurdle (Concertista holds big claims this year) and all five runnings of the mares' novice hurdle, and is strong in the Champion Bumper, where nine of his ten winners were five-year-olds (Brandy Love fits the bill).

One to watch: every Mullins favourite has obliged in the mares' novice hurdle (three times) and Gauloise heads the early ante-post market.

Nicky Henderson

The master of Seven Barrows was top British trainer again last year with four winners. He had the same tally in 2019 (and in 2013) but four has been his upper limit since his magnificent seven of 2012.

Quality matters as much as quantity for Henderson, who has had at least two Grade 1 winners at each of the last five festivals including Epatante (Champion Hurdle), Shishkin (Supreme Novices' Hurdle) and Champ (RSA Novices' Chase) last year.

That trio are set to be among his usual host of big-race contenders, with Epatante (Champion Hurdle) and Shishkin (Arkle Chase) two of his strongest chances. Champ will be joined in the Gold Cup by Santini, last year's runner-up, while Altior will bid to restore his high reputation after missing last year's festival.

One to watch: Henderson has won the Coral Cup three times in the past seven years, including the last two, and last Saturday's Ascot winner Craigneiche is a possible.

Gordon Elliott

Elliott has become one of the big beasts of the festival, with 24 winners at the past four festivals quickly advancing his total to 32, and he is set to have one of the biggest bankers this year with the unbeaten Envoi Allen in the Marsh Novices' Chase.

He will be strong across the board again – other possible favourites include Zanahiyr (Triumph Hurdle), Sir Gerhard (Champion Bumper) and novice chaser Galvin (National Hunt Chase) – but is particularly noted for stayers. Ten of his 14 chase wins have come at distances in excess of 3m and the majority of his successes over hurdles have been over 2m4f-plus.

Zanahiyr: ante-post favourite for the Triumph and a likely candidate for Gordon ElliottCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Over the years it has been profitable to back Elliott's runners in races where he had only one representative. Last year he had three winners from 12 runners in that scenario at odds of 12-1, 4-1 and 9-1.

One to watch: Elliott has a notably good record with juvenile hurdlers and, with Zanahiyr heading the Triumph market, Duffle Coat could get the nod for the Boodles Handicap Hurdle.

Paul Nicholls

The 11-time British champion has enjoyed a resurgence at Grade 1 level at the past two festivals, with the 2019 victories of Frodon and Topofthegame followed last year by Politologue in the Queen Mother Champion Chase (his only winner at the 2020 festival).

He still lacks the festival firepower possessed by his big Irish rivals, although he will have several leading chances with the likes of Politologue and top novice hurdler Bravemansgame, while no winner would be greeted as warmly as Frodon if he could add the Gold Cup to his King George VI Chase triumph under Bryony Frost.

School's out! Tom Scudamore's daughter issues Cheltenham plea to Boris Johnson

Nicholls also does well with young, unexposed horses in handicaps and has won the County Hurdle and Grand Annual Chase (both around 2m1f) four times apiece.

One to watch: Fast Buck is on the right sort of mark for the Grand Annual but will need to bounce back from falling at Doncaster last time.

Henry de Bromhead

After the big four of Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson, Gordon Elliott and Paul Nicholls, De Bromhead is the next-best trainer over the past four festivals with six winners. He has had at least one at each of those festivals and his total is now up to nine, with the quality of his string evident in the fact that seven of those wins have been in Grade 1 contests.

Honeysuckle and Put The Kettle On, last year's winners, are set to return and De Bromhead is poised for a strong challenge in the Gold Cup with Minella Indo and A Plus Tard (the latter could be diverted to the Ryanair Chase).

One to watch: Bob Olinger should line up as a leading fancy in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and De Bromhead has a notably strong record with festival Grade 1 runners sent off 10-1 or lower since 2010 (23% win, 73% in the first three).

Dan Skelton

Paul Nicholls' former assistant is likely to be the next arrival in the festival big league, especially with the emphasis now much more on quality than quantity at his high-performing Warwickshire yard.

Nube Negra: smart Kempton winner could represent Dan Skelton in the Champion ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

He missed out at last year's festival but had his first Grade 1 winner with Roksana in the 2019 Mares' Hurdle and has several live chances at the top level this time, spearheaded by Nube Negra (Champion Chase), Allmankind (Arkle Chase), Roksana (Stayers'/Mares' Hurdle), Shan Blue (Marsh Novices' Chase) and novice hurdlers Third Time Lucki and My Drogo (Supreme/Ballymore Novices' Hurdle).

One to watch: three of Skelton's four festival wins have been in the County Handicap Hurdle, which is clearly a race he targets. Cadzand looks a prime candidate this year.

Kim Bailey

After First Flow's victory in the Clarence House Chase on Saturday – Bailey's first Grade 1 win since Master Oats' Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1995 – the Gloucestershire trainer could be an important player at the festival.

First Flow is a live each-way chance for the Champion Chase and Bailey has another good shout in the Ryanair Chase with Imperial Aura, impressive winner of the novice handicap chase at last year's festival.

First Flow: Ascot star a live each-way contender for Kim Bailey in the Champion ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

With course winner Happygolucky (National Hunt Chase) and Vinndication (Ultima Handicap Chase) also in the reckoning, Bailey has several shots against the big guns.

One to watch: Imperial Aura has never been out of the first three in completed runs and has form figures of 221 at Cheltenham.

More on the 2021 Cheltenham Festival:

RFO ante-post: Envoi Allen is not that special – so back this 33-1 shot instead

'Royale Pagaille will be suited by Cheltenham and ticks the boxes for Gold Cup'

Shishkin and Envoi Allen star in Cheltenham Festival novice chase entries

Dual winner Al Boum Photo and Santini among 41 Cheltenham Gold Cup entries

Gold Cup contender Champ a surprise inclusion among 51 Stayers' Hurdle entries

Sign up to our Cheltenham countdown emails and be the first to read our experts' opinions every week between now and the festival. Get advice on the leading trainers to follow, key form lines to analyse and a breakdown of the week's feature races, and much more. Don't miss out, sign up now!