Terrified bookies fear Willie Mullins clean sweep on day one of Cheltenham Festival as they predict a ‘mauling’

BOOKIES are praying 'anyone but Willie Mullins' as the Cheltenham Festival markets revealed the trainer has six of the seven favourites on day one.

And in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap, the race where he doesn't have the favourite, he has second-fav Batman Girac.

It means terrified bookies are fearing a Mullins 'mauling' next Tuesday.

Already there has been an 'avalanche of cash' for the day one treble of Ballyburn, State Man and Lossiemouth.

They are evens, 1-3 and 1-2 favourites for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Champion Hurdle and Mares' Hurdle respectively.

However, it now looks like Ballyburn will head to the 2m5f Gallagher Novices' Hurdle on Wednesday.

Not to worry though, because Mullins trains 7-2 second-fav Mystical Power and 4-1 third-fav Tullyhill for the Supreme too.

The Closutton trainer has frightening strength in depth in his squad.

In the Supreme he will saddle nine of the 15 runners if all stand their ground for Sunday's declarations.

And it doesn't look so good for bookies on day two either.

Mullins trains six of the seven current favourites there as well.

Minella Indo is the only outlier in the Cross Country while Gordon Elliott's Jalon D'Oudairies is joint-fav with Jasmin De Vaux in the Champion Bumper.

Mullins' grip on day one was tightened by JP McManus' purchase of Meetingofthewaters, 4-1 favourite for the Ultima.

Coral's David Stevens said: "Willie Mullins is currently responsible for six of the seven ante-post favourites for Tuesday's races.

"And he has the second favourite for the Boodles.

"Even if Ballyburn runs in Wednesday's Gallagher Novices' Hurdle rather than the Supreme, Mullins can instead rely on Mystical Power and Tullyhill in the opener.

"To say we fear a Mullins mauling on Tuesday is an understatement.

"All his leading hopes are sure to be incredibly well-backed in singles and multiples, to the point we'll just be hoping anyone but Willie gets on the scoresheet."

Willie's favourites

Day one

Supreme
Evs Ballyburn

Arkle
10-3 Il Etait Temps

Ultima
4-1 Meetingofthewaters

Champion Hurdle
1-3 State Man

Mares' Hurdle
1-2 Lossiemouth

National Hunt Chase
7-4 Embassy Gardens

Day two

Gallagher Novices' Hurdle
8-13 Ballyburn

Brown Advisory
5-6 Fact To File

Coral Cup
6-1 Sa Majeste

Champion Chase
4-9 El Fabiolo

Grand Annual
5-1 Saint Roi

Champion Bumper
6-1 Jasmin De Vaux

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