Cheltenham festival: Golden Ace claims shock Champion Hurdle – as it happened

Time to sign off; I’ll leave you with Sean Ingle’s view from Cheltenham on day one. Thanks for joining me, and see you again tomorrow.

1.20 Kopek Des Bordes (P Townend, W Mullins) 4-6F
2.00 Jango Baie (N de Boinville, N Henderson) 5-1
2.40 Myretown (PW Wadge, L Russell) 13-2F
3.20 Lossiemouth (P Townend, W Mullins) 4-6F
4.00 Golden Ace (Lorcan Williams, J Scott) 25-1
4.40 Puturhandstogether (MP Walsh, JP O’Brien) 17-2
5.20 National Hunt Chase (Ben Jones, R Curtis) 7-2 JtF

“Amazing, I felt like I was watching in slow motion … he really deserves it,” says Pembrokeshire trainer Rebecca Curtis, who secures a win for Wales after England, Scotland and Ireland all enjoyed success earlier.

Cheltenham 5.20
1 Haiti Couleurs (Ben Jones) 7-2 Jt Fav
2 Rock My Way (Brendan Powell) 16-1
3 Will Do (J W Kennedy) 12-1
4 Resplendent Grey (S Bowen) 10-1
18 ran
Also: 7-2 Jt Fav Transmission

National Hunt Handicap Chase Haiti Couleurs still leading, Rock My Way and Now is the Hour coming through – but falling at the second last, and bringing down Duffle Coat as Haiti Couleurs streaks away to win. Rock My Way is second, but Hasthing was another late faller. Full result to come …

National Hunt Handicap Chase A slight gap opening between the front three – Haiti Couleurs, Jupiter Allen and Rock My Way – with Transmission in midfield and Kyntara falling back …

National Hunt Handicap Chase The pack still tightly bunched with Klarc Kent, Duffle Coat and Kyntara among those well placed behind the leading duo – and Captain Cody has fallen.

National Hunt Handicap Chase The multi-coloured silks of Haiti Couleurs lead the wayfrom Jupiter Allen, with Rock My Way in third. Outside Caesar Rock stumbles on the seventh …

National Hunt Handicap Chase: They’re off in the day’s final race …

5.20 National Hunt Handicap Chase odds

Odds via Oddschecker:
Haiti Couleurs 4/1
Transmission 4/1
Now Is The Hour 15/2
Resplendent Grey 17/2
Gericault Roque 10/1
Will Do 14/1
Hasthing 14/1
Captain Cody 16/1
Kyntara 18/1
Rock My Way 20/1
Bar 22/1 – 18 Runners

Market mover via Oddspedia:
Sony Bill (25/1 into 8/1)
Quantock Hills ( 25/1 into 14/1)

Get ready for day two, with Greg Wood’s racing tips:

1 Puturhandstogether (M P Walsh) 17-2
2 Robbies Rock (C Stone-Walsh) 50-1
3 Liam Swagger (Sam Twiston-Davies) 12-1
4 Hot Fuss (David Bass) 17-2
22 ran
Also: 11-4 Fav Stencil

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Mark Walsh canters away on Puturhandstogether to win the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle by a distance … there was a big pack still in the chase for places, but Robbies Rock gets second at 50-1, ahead of Liam Swagger and Hot Fuss in a musical top four.

4.40 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle Kool One has fallen, while Puturhandstogether is moving through the field and closing on Hot Fuss …

4.40 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle They’re off in the penultimate race of the day, with Hot Fuss, Stencil and Solar Drive making the early running …

That race was also a big win for the bookies – one expert on ITV reckons more than £10m was bet on the three favourites, with none even earning a place.

It’s now been confirmed by the BHA that State Man, Constitution Hill and both jockeys are all okay. Willie Mullins is putting a brave face on things, congratulating Golden Ace and her team. The trainer opted to switch Lossiemouth to the Mares’ Hurdle, only for State Man to fall and another mare to win in the feature race.

Nicky Henderson says the fall is “cruel” after Constitution Hill missed last year – “a lot of heartache to get back here, but we’ve got to pick it up and carry on.” Henderson adds that Constitution Hill’s next target will be the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

After that drama, still two more races to go, and it’s only day one …

Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle
Odds via Oddschecker:
Stencil 10/3
Puturhandstogether 8/1
Beyond Your Dreams 8/1
Sony Bill 9/1
Hot Fuss 10/1
Total Look 11/1
Liam Swagger 12/1
Murcia 16/1
Quantock Hills 16/1
Holy See 25/1
Bar 25/1

Market movers via Oddspedia:
Transmission (5/1 into 3/1)
Resplendent Glory (12/1 into 15/2)

Jeremy Scott is a very popular winner in the Cheltenham circle. “As Del Boy says, ‘who dares wins’, Rodney,” he says of the late decision to throw Golden Ace into the Champion Hurdle. “I’m not sure this isn’t a dream! As long as the other two horses are OK … I mean, it’s just magic. We’re so lucky to have her, she’s given me some of the most memorable days of my life.”

The winning owner, Ian Gosden, bought Golden Ace for £12,000. “We were looking at different options, and I thought she wasn’t anything special, but there didn’t seem much wrong with her either.” And after switching from the Mares’ Hurdle, she’s a Champion Hurdle winner and Jeremy Scott’s first Grade One success since 2021.

Wow. That was a chaotic race, and Lorcan Williams is the unexpected winner on Golden Ace. He says he hopes Constitution Hill, State Man and both jockeys are fine – and they do seem to be, thankfully. “When Constitution Hill went down, I thought ‘bloody hell, we might stay on for second.’ Then, it’s unlucky for Willie Mullins, but it just opened up for us to win.” The best day of his life? “By far.”

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Cheltenham 4.00
1 Golden Ace (Lorcan Williams) 25-1
2 Burdett Road (Sam Twiston-Davies) 66-1
3 Winter Fog (B Hayes) 150-1
7 ran
Also: 1-2 Fav Constitution Hill, 5-2 Brighterdaysahead 4th

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4.00 Champion Hurdle We can’t rule out State Man, though, and he pulls clear at the last … but with the race at his mercy, he falls at the last! Brighterdaysahead has to move aside, and suddenly Golden Ace is away and clear. It’s a shock victory for the 25-1 shot!

Constitution Hill falls in the Champion Hurdle: The favourite never really settled and now he has fallen! Both rider and horse appear to be up and OK, but it now looks like Brighterdaysahead’s race to lose …

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4.00 Champion Hurdle: Behind Constitution Hill in third sit State Man and Golden Ace with Winter Fog near the back and not really delivering on pace-making duties …

They’re off in the Champion Hurdle! King of Kingsfield, expected to be a pacemaker, is appropriately in front of stablemate Brighterdaysahead. Constitution Hill a touch keen in third, and Burdett Road veers off-course over an early fence …

So, the day’s feature race is almost upon us. Will Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten Constitution Hill regain his 2023 Champion Hurdle crown after missing last year? Could State Man retain the title for Willie Mullins? Or will Brighterdaysahead bring it home for Gordon Elliott? We’re about to find out …

4.00 Champion Hurdle – odds update

Odds via Oddschecker:
Constitution Hill 8/11
Brighterdaysahead 15/8
State Man 11/1
Golden Ace 40/1
Burdett Road 70/1
King Of Kingsfield 250/1
Winter Fog 250/1

Market mover via Oddspedia:
State Man (12/1 into 8/1)

On ITV, Ed Chamberlin mentions that the attendance today is just over 55,000 – down 5,000 on last year. As Greg Wood reports, Cheltenham is taking the hit this year in an effort to bounce back in 2026.

“First time in my life I’ve ever been early,” says Willie Mullins after Lossiemouth wins the 3.20, rather than the 4pm Champion Hurdle. “Maybe I’m disappointed she’s not in the Champion Hurdle, but we have State Man there, and we’re here to get winners – we’ve done the right thing for [owner] Rich Ricci.”

Cheltenham 3.20
1 Lossiemouth (P Townend) 4-6 Fav
2 Jade De Grugy (D E Mullins) 5-1
3 Take No Chances (Harry Skelton) 22-1
10 ran
Also: 33-1 Jetara 4th
Non Runner: 1

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3.20 Mares’ Hurdle Approaching the last, Lossiemouth sidles up to Jade De Grugy, slips past, hops over the final fence and cruises clear. A very comfortable win for the now three-time festival winner, with Jade De Grugy second and Take No Chances in third for the Skeltons.

3.20 Mares’ Hurdle Still moving at a gentle pace, but Lossiemouth is closing on stablemate Jade De Grugy and July Flower is moving up on the outside …

3.20 Mares’ Hurdle Jade De Grugy leads Lossiemouth, with Jetara still third ahead of Joyeuse as they pass the halfway mark, with five to go …

They’re off in the Mares’ Hurdle: Lossiemouth is the big favourite after Willie Mullins opted to run her in this race, rather than the Champion Hurdle. Another Mullins horse, Jade De Grugy, is the early leader with Jetara also well-placed.

3.20 Mares’ Hurdle latest odds

Odds via Oddschecker:
Lossiemouth 4/5
Jade De Grugy 6/1
July Flower 17/2
Joyeuse 12/1
Take No Chances 25/1
Dysart Enos 33/1
Jetara 40/1
Gala Marceau 50/1
Queen’s Gamble 66/1

Market mover via Oddspedia:
Take No Chances (33/1 into 20/1)

5d ago10.58 EDT

Greg Wood

5.20 NATIONAL HUNT CHALLENGE CUP NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE, 3M 5F 201YD

Day one concludes with the revamped National Hunt Chase, run as a handicap from this year and professional jockeys replacing amateurs for the first time. The effect on the field size has been dramatic and immediate – 18 runners due to go to post versus an average of 10 over the last five years – and the betting is wide-open, with Haiti Couleurs, a winner at the December meeting here, vying for favouritism with Transmission, the mount of Patrick Mullins – a four-time winner of the race in the past attempting to maintain the amateur tradition, the runner-up in the same race. Others to attract money so far today include Resplendent Grey (Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen) and Will Do (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy), but I’ll be looking to Gavin Cromwell’s Now Is The Hour for a getting-out bet, given the trainer’s exceptional record at this meeting.

SELECTION: NOW IS THE HOUR.

Patrick Wadge on his first-ever Cheltenham winner. “His jumping hasn’t always been the best, don’t know what happened there but I just let him do his thing … it’s a dream come true!”

It’s a win for trainer Lucinda Russell and Scotland, and Wadge ended up on Myretown after Derek Fox opted to ride Whistle Stop Tour. “I wasn’t sure whether to run him,” Russell reveals.

Cheltenham 2.40
1 Myretown (P W Wadge) 13-2 Fav
2 The Changing Man (Brendan Powell) 7-1
3 Malina Girl (K M Donoghue) 14-1
4 Happygolucky (J J Burke) 28-1

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2.40 Ultima Handicap Chase Henry’s Friend and Malina Girl are threatening, but Myretown still leads with The Changing Man following … but nobody is catching Patrick Wadge on Myretown!

2.40 Ultima Handicap Chase Myretown, Frero Banbou, The Changing Man, Katate Dori and Happygolucky all in the leading group with three to jump …

2.40 Ultima Handicap Chase Katate Dori is also well placed now with nine fences to go – make that eight as one will be skipped. Whistle Stop Tour and Sequestered losing touch at the back.

2.40 Ultima Handicap Chase Richmond Lake and The Changing Man join the leading duo as the pack bunches up somewhat with 12 fences to go …

2.40 Ultima Handicap Chase They get away eventually but outsider Guard Your Dreams is unseated at the first fence. Myretown leads Frero Banbou, with Zanahiyr the second to fall.

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