Arguably the greatest mare that Willie Mullins has ever had acquired is this nine-year-old, having joined the Irish trainer back in 2016.
Benie Des Dieux is a favourite to many punters but she also has given plenty of the racing world one of the worst days in there betting careers.
However, this season at Cheltenham she can put that right having just improved and improved throughout her time in Ireland now being one of the most feared horses in the sport.
Having been a fairly useful horse in France she has jumped into a new league since her move over to Ireland. She started life under Mullins at Limerick just before the turn of the year in a Beginners Chase where she was effortlessly brilliant.
Rich Ricci has been known during his owning tenor to acquire some unbelievable talents and after that first run, he knew he had scooped up another one.
Strangely she went to Carlisle next, which is somewhere Mullins does not normally take his horses, but he entered her in a Listed Mares Chase where again she bolted up.
She had one final start over fences that season in another Listed Mares Chase at Naas this time and it was the same outcome. What her trainer did with her next was a shock to most as she was taken to the Cheltenham festival, not having a run over hurdles all season and she was entered into the Grade One Mares Hurdle.
All the talk was about Apple’s Jade in the lead up to the contest, but the young pretender jumped over the last and stayed on stoutly up the hill to land her first British black type contest.
She saw out that season in style when landing her second Grade One under Mullins in the Annie Power Mares Hurdle, extending her unbeaten run under the trainer to five races.
Mullins knew how much of a talented he had required and kept her very fresh in her next season with her being seen for the first time at the Cheltenham festival where the trainer and jockey Ruby Walsh announced she was there best chance of a winner all week.
Punters laid into her at a short price and nearly everyone at the festival and watching at home had backed her and coming into the final hurdle in clear isolation everyone was counting their money.
However, in one of the worst betting days in the sport Benie Des Dieux jumped the shadow of the last flight and tumbled to the floor to leave Prestbury Park in utter shock.
Fortunately for connections she was perfectly fine after the fall and Mullins wanted to see her back in the winner’s enclosure as soon as possible.
So, he sent her to the Punchestown festival again for the second season running, in the same contest she won the year before and she got back to her best landing the event with complete ease.
Mullins was not done with her for the season yet and sent her back over to France for the French Champion Hurdle She was also upped to three miles for the first time in her career for the Grade One Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil and she saw off all challengers to impressively take the spoils.
Benie Des Dieux is a horse of a lifetime and with rumours she was going straight to Cheltenham again this season punters were apprehensive again.
However, the Cheltenham hall of fame handler sent her to Gowran Park last week in the Grade Two Galmoy Hurdle and in a strong fielded event she bolted up by 21 lengths proven how good she is at three miles once again.
The decision for her trainer and connections now is whether to go back to the Mares Hurdle at the festival seeking revenge or enter her in the Stayers Hurdle where it could be the race of the festival with her going up against Paisley Park.
Either way, whatever race she enters at the festival over hurdles we believe she wins.