The top trainers from the 2025 Cheltenham Festival

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival once again showcased the best of National Hunt racing, with some of the most renowned trainers competing for top honours. As punters looked to bet on horse racing, familiar names dominated the winners’ enclosure, while a few surprise performances added extra drama to the week. Here’s a look at the standout trainers from this year’s Festival.

Willie Mullins – The Cheltenham maestro

Winning his 12th Leading Trainer award and seventh title in a row by a country mile, Willie Mullins reaffirmed his dominance at the Festival with an astonishing 10 winners across the week. This equalled his own record from 2022 and left his rivals trailing in his wake.

Some of Mullins’ most impressive victories came courtesy of Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase, and the astonishing 100/1 outsider Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle.

Poniros’ shock victory set Mullins on course to win all of the first four races on the final day. However, his Gold Cup dream was dashed when Galopin Des Champs’ bid for a historic hat-trick ended in disappointment.

In addition to his 10 winners, Mullins recorded two runners-up and six third-place finishers, further emphasising his Festival dominance.

Gavin Cromwell – A career-defining Gold Cup triumph

Another Irish trainer who enjoyed a memorable week was Gavin Cromwell. Well-known for his past Stayers’ Hurdle successes with Flooring Porter, Cromwell took his career to new heights with Gold Cup glory.

His charge, Inothewayurthinkin, was supplemented for £25,000 just days before the showpiece race and duly delivered an emphatic victory for owner JP McManus.

Cromwell also celebrated victory in the Cross Country Chase with Stumptown, further adding to his growing reputation.

Despite securing only two wins, his team’s consistency was remarkable, with five second-place finishes and four third-place runners.

Nicky Henderson – A step forward but mixed fortunes

Veteran trainer Nicky Henderson endured a forgettable 2024 Festival, but this year saw a more promising return.

While he didn’t hit the heights of previous years, he did secure two victories with Jango Baie in the Arkle and Doddiethegreat in the Pertemps Final.

However, the week was still a mixed bag for the Seven Barrows maestro, as Constitution Hill and Jonbon failed to deliver in the Champion Hurdle and Queen Mother Champion Chase, respectively.

Despite those disappointments, Henderson’s runners accumulated four second-place finishes, showing that he remains a force to be reckoned with at Cheltenham.

Henry de Bromhead – Blackmore partnership delivers again

Henry de Bromhead has become synonymous with Festival success, and this year was no different. Teaming up with star jockey Rachael Blackmore, the pair struck on St. Patrick’s Thursday, providing two of the most exciting victories of the week.

Firstly, Air Of Entitlement, a 16/1 outsider, stormed to victory in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, before Bob Olinger stunned the defending champion Teahupoo in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

De Bromhead also enjoyed a consistent week, with two runners-up and four third-place finishers, ensuring he left Cheltenham with a further enhanced reputation.

Gordon Elliott – A frustrating week ends on a high

Gordon Elliott arrived at Cheltenham with a strong team capable of challenging Mullins’ dominance, but things did not go according to plan.

Time and again, his runners came close, with 10 horses placing before Wodhooh finally broke his duck in the final race of the week, the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle.

For Elliott, it was a week of near-misses, but his resilience and training prowess were still on display. With better luck next time, he could mount a stronger challenge in 2026.

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John Day

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