The Rich Ricci-owned German-bred ran out a highly impressive eight-length winner of the blue riband of chasing at Prestbury Park this afternoon.

It was another Grade 1 success this week for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins.

Incredibly the jockey and trainer won the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday with Lossiemouth – also for owner Rich Ricci – the Champion Chase with Il Etait Temps on Wednesday, and then the week’s main feature, the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

History for Townend and Mullins

It makes Townend the winningmost jockey and Mullins the joint-winningmost trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Townend now has five victories on his CV following wins with Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and now Gaelic Warrior (2026).

Mullins join Tom Dreaper with five sucesses, namely, Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and Gaelic Warrior (2026).

Mullins delighted

“It was just extraordinary,” Mullins admitted. “I’m just delighted for the Riccis, I think they are the first owners to have won the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup in the same season (they are actually the second after Dorothy Paget). I’m delighted for Paul Townend, who gave him such a great ride. He was so cool on him. Could you imagine what was going through his head going to the last fence? I know what was going through mine! We’ve had so many last fence mishaps around here. It’s fantastic and the way he did it was just spectacular.

Gaelic Warrior looked the winner for most of today’s three miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards race. When he cruised into the lead two fences from home, his and Townend’s only dangers look in front of them – the last two fences.

Both were taken with aplomb and the eight-year-old son of Maxios bounded up the Cheltenham hill to record an eight-length victory over Jango Baie (11/4 joint-favourite) – the Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville horse.

Last season’s Gold Cup winner, Inothewayurthinkin (11/1), was positioned last for most of the race under jockey Mark Walsh. His jumping throughout wasn’t fluent during the race, though he stayed on for third place in the J.P. McManus colours, two lengths behind the runner-up.

Gold Cup wins get “better and better” for Townend

Lisgoold, Co Cork-born Paul Townend said of his fifth Cheltenham Gold Cup victory:

“It’s the Gold Cup. I always say they just get better and better. Oh my God, I’m speechless! We were dealt a big blow with Galopin Des Champs coming out, I was lucky enough for this lad to come along. Patrick was convinced that he was the horse for the race. He’s done a lot of work with this horse from the last day, it’s a huge team effort, I was just the fortunate one to be on his back today.”

A sad postscript to the race was the death of Envoi Allen. The 12-year-old collapsed after the Gold Cup and the former Ryanair Chase winner sadly died.

We are so very sorry to announce that Envoi Allen has sadly passed away

The 10-time G1 winner was a three-time Cheltenham Festival hero.

Our thoughts go out to connections pic.twitter.com/s4FAIuNP4s

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2026

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Competing in the race for the third year in succession – having won last year and finished runner-up to Limerick Lace in 2024 – the J.P. McManus-owned nine-year-old daughter of Doctor Dino gave her trainer Willie Mullins a fourth winner in the last six editions of the race.

The French-bred chestnut was never seriously challenged over the extended two and a half mile race as she ran out an easy length-and-three-quarters winner for jockey Mark Walsh over another Irish-trained runner, Only By Night (11/1) from the Gavin Cromwell yard.

Panic Attack (11/4) came home third for Dan and Harry Skelton – nine-and-a-half lengths behind the Keith Donoghue-ridden runner-up.

Commenting on the first dual winner of the Mares’ Chase, her winning rider, Mark Walsh, stated:

“She never missed a beat today. She jumped brilliantly. She jumped her way upsides when jumping the last ditch – it was too early for me, but I didn’t want to disappoint her. When Tom Cannon’s mare missed the fourth last, I landed in front. I was able to fill her up everywhere. She winged the third last and then into the straight, I just sat on her – she’s a fair mare.”

When asked if Dinoblue’s win was a career best performance from her, Walsh said:

“Yes, I think so. That’s proper good ground. This mare has won on heavy ground, but she loves fast ground and that ground today is ideal for her – good fast ground.”

The win of Dinoblue was a fifth successive success in the race for Limerick owner J.P. McManus, and the victory continues the excellent record of French-breds – they have now won 19 of the 34 races run at the Festival exclusively for mares.

Dinoblue completed a double for trainer Willie Mullins who won the earlier JCB Triumph Hurdle with Apolon De Charnie.

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Poniros was 100/1 in 2025, but Apolon De Charnie was half that price (50/1) this afternoon, as Mullins teamed up with his son, Patrick, in the opening race on the Boodles Gold Cup Day card.

The winner travelled strongly into second position before the final flight of hurdles and was soon ridden clear by Mullins Jnr to run out a one-and-a-half length victor over the Skelton’s Maestro Conti (5/1).

Minella Study (7/1) from the Adam Nichol yard and ridden by Ryan Mania was a further short-head back in third.

Earlier this morning a bet of £20,000 each-way was placed on the eventual third-placer.

Reacting to the win, trainer Willie Mullins stated:

“Every time I looked at him on the TV, I could see him going well. He was going well all the time, while my other ones were meeting with trouble… Proactif was coming with a run, Mon Creuset was coming with a run, I thought, ‘We have chances here’, coming to the second last. But Patrick managed to get his head through.”

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His task was made easier pre-race with the new that Fact To File was withdrawn due to concerns about the ground. With Gordon Elliott’s Croke Park also a non-runner the field was reduced to seven for the two-and-a-half mile contest.

JPR One (18/1), in the hands of Brendan Powell, set the pace for the majority of the race but would eventually fade to fourth place.

Jonbon (2/1 favourite), in the same ownership of J.P. McManus as the earlier withdrawn Fact To File, looked set to claim another Grade 1 victory.

Darragh O’Keeffe and Heart Wood in behind him look comfortable, and then O’Keeffe asked the Henry de Bromhead-prepared eight-year-old for his effort, Jonbon could not respond.

The French-bred son of Choeur du Nord jumped the final two fences with precision and ran out an easy 10-length winner.

Jonbon retained his career record of never finishing outside the top-two on the racecourse when taking the runner-up spot in the hands of Nico de Boinville.

Banbridge (3/1), trained by Joseph O’Brien, was third, two lengths behind the Nicky Henderson-trained 10-year-old Jonbon.

It was a first Cheltenham Festival winner this year for Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead, who said:

“It was brilliant, Darragh [O’Keeffe, winning jockey] was brilliant on him. He jumped amazing, it’s just lovely to get it. Delighted. He ran a blinder last year and we probably rode him to sort of be placed last year, whereas this year we said that we would go out and give it a real go. They went some gallop, to my eye. He just winged fences. Darragh was brilliant on him. It was just one of those dream runs.”

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Running at the Festival for the fifth time, the 11-year-old led home an Irish-trained trifecta with Ballyburn (11/2) and last year’s winner, Bob Olinger (13/2) taking second and third places.

Home By The Lee, trained by Joseph O’Brien for Cork owner Seán O’Driscoll, had finished best-placed third in the 2024 renewal of the stayers’ championship.

With the eventual fourth-placed finished, the Dan Skelton-handled Kabral Du Mathan (4/1/) cruising in behind the eventual winner coming to the last, the latter found absolutely nothing in the closing stages and faded to finish fourth.

Ballyburn, who had raced with a very low head carriage in last place for most of the race, tried to come up the stands’ side rail but didn’t find any room. His rider, Paul Townend, then had to manoeuvre out and possibly lost some momentum in the process.

The Ronny Bartlett-owned Beeches Stud-bred son of Flemensfirth took the runner-up position one-and-a-quarter lengths behind the winner.

“He was a summer bumper horse originally so he bounced off it today.”

JJ Slevin on 11-Y-O Home By The Lee’s remarkable @paddypower Stayers’ Hurdle triumph pic.twitter.com/utCG85bXrR

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 12, 2026

The 2025 winner, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Bob Olinger, now an 11-year-old like the winner, Home By The Lee, was third in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe, a further length-and-a-half in arrears of Ballyburn.

Seán O’Driscoll, the owner-breeder of Home By The Lee, said:

“We came here with confidence, but the odds were stacked against us in that he’s 11 years of age, it was his fifth attempt at the race, I don’t think any horse has won it after running in it five times – the moral of the story is that there’s always a first time!”

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Last year’s Martin Pipe winner over course and distance stepped up in grade to win the Grade 1 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the expense of 2025 runner-up Jade De Grugy (2/1) and Paul Townend.

“She’s the horse of a lifetime. She gets me out of trouble all the time.”@gelliott_racing on the scoresheet at the 2026 Festival & a really honest interview about the week so far pic.twitter.com/nzUTRisnNG

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 12, 2026

Prominent throughout the 2 mile 4 furlong and 56 yards contest, the six-year-old daughter of Le Havre took command approaching the final flight of hurdles.

For a moment, it looked as though the Willie Mullins-trained Jade De Grugy might pose a serious challenge, but it was not to be, as The Sundowners Partnership-owned mare held the runner-up off by a comfortable length.

Paul Nolan’s Feet Of A Dancer (8/1), under Seán O’Keeffe, was third, a further five lengths back, and ensured an Irish trifecta in the first Grade 1 contest of St Patrick’s Thursday.

Relieved winning trainer Gordon Elliott admitted:

“I don’t think I was ever quite in the wilderness – it’s hard to get winners here and we just weren’t bouncing, but we’re on the board now. The race worked out great; Jack gave her a peach [of a ride]. She idled a bit halfway up the straight but picked up again – she’s something else. It’s hard to know just how good she is, because to be fair to her she doesn’t do anything fancy at home, but we’re lucky to have her.”

It was a 16th success in 19 editions of the race for Irish handlers following victories for Quevega (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), Glen’s Melody (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016), Apple’s Jade (2017), Benie Des Dieux (2018), Honeysuckle (2020 & 2023), Black Tears (2021) and Lossiemouth (2024 and 2025).

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There are three Grade 1 races down for decision this afternoon: the Ryanair Chase, the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.

Ireland will have very strong hopes of landing all of the Grade 1s today.

Fact To File aims to second Ryanair Chase win

The Ryanair Chase, in its 20th year of sponsorship from the Irish airline, will see Fact To File bid for back-to-back successes in the event.

Last year’s victor is among five Irish-trained runners in the nine-horse contest. Fact To File was highly impressive in winning the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown last month, and tomorrow’s Gold Cup was seriously considered as his Festival target.

Jonbon, who has finished second three times at this meeting and who runs in the same J.P. McManus ownership as Fact To File, and Banbridge, may give the favourite most to do but the Mark Walsh-ridden market leader should add a sixth Grade 1 victory to his CV.

Teahupoo v Bob Olinger for Stayers’ Hurdle?

Teahupoo, winner of the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival bids for a second win in the Grade 1 contest, with six Irish-handled runners in the race.

This will be the son of Masked Marvel’s fourth appearance in the race, having won it, as well as finishing second and third respectively on his previous runs here.

Last year’s victor, Bob Olinger, now 11-year-old, is unbeaten at the Gloucestershire track – which includes three Festival wins – and should give the Gordon Elliott-trained Teahupoo most to do. A concern for backers of the favourite is that Elliott is yet to register a winner this week.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Home By The Lee will run in the stayers’ for a fifth time this afternoon, with his best result coming when third to Teahupoo in 2024.

A highly popular winner would be the former American Grand National winner, Hewick, handled by John ‘Shark’ Hanlon, as he aims to add this Grade 1 to his 2023 King George win at Kempton.

2025 runner-up Jade De Grugy bids for Mares’ Hurdle upgrade

The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle is the third race at the highest level on Thursday’s card.

This is a race Willie Mullins has dominated over the years and will be represented by Jade De Grugy, runner-up to Lossiemouth in this race last season.

With Lossiemouth out of the picture now following her success in the Unibet Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the French-bred Jade De Grugy, the mount of Paul Townend, may give Scottish owner Kenny Alexander a second win this week.

Wodhooh, trained by Gordon Elliott and the mount of Jack Kennedy, has only tasted defeat once over hurdles. She won the Martin Pipe over course and distance at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and has won at both Ascot and Leopardstown this season.

Five of the seven runners in the race are trained in Ireland.

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Keane and Noel Meade teamed up to win the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper – the final race on a seven-race programme – with The Mourne Rambler (15/2).

Owned by the Pollys, the five-year-old son of Well Chosen, raced to a two-and-three-quarter length success, on Keane’s first Cheltenham Festival ride.

Classic winning rider Champion Flat jockey Champion Bumper winner

Colin Keane guides The Mourne Rambler to victory in the @weatherbysltd Champion Bumper @tuvastables pic.twitter.com/X5HPjNlzz3

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 11, 2026

English-trained horses filled the places as Mets Ta Ceinture (14/1) for Dan and Harry Skelton finished in the runner-up spot. Long time race leader, Bass Hunter (8/1), was a short-head further back in third place for Chris and Freddie Gordon.

Colin Keane emulates Jamie Spencer as a Champion Flat rider to win the @weatherbysltd Champion Bumper pic.twitter.com/sJSQzwUyZq

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 11, 2026

Keane emulates his fellow Irishman Jamie Spencer as a flat jockey to win the Cheltenham bumper.

Reacting to his win, the 31-year-old multiple Group 1-winning rider admitted:

“Turning for home I thought, if we got a bit of room [we could win] – the one thing he was going to do was stay, and he had a bit of pace. I though he’d be in the three then.

“The crowds are a different level to what we’re used to. I know Ascot would be busy, but this is some atmosphere here. It was brilliant.

“When Noel [Meade, winning trainer] rang me two weeks ago, it was an easy ‘Yes’ if I could get the licence sorted. I probably didn’t think enough of it, but it worked out well.”

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The son of Jukebox Jury, ridden by Lisgoold, Co Cork-born Paul Townend, ran out an emphatic 10-length winner of the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase despite a final-fence error.

A faller on his previous start at Ascot on 17 January, the eight-year-old grey was back to form with this his seventh Grade 1 success.

The British-trained pair of filled the places: Libberty Hunter was runner-up at 50/1, while L’Eau Du Sud was third at 13/2.

Seven G1s & counting for Il Etait Temps, including:

G1 @BetMGMUK Champion Chase
G1 Tingle Creek
G1 Celebration Chase pic.twitter.com/xlQQoj1qDm

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 11, 2026

Majborough the 5/6 favourite, in the colours of J.P. McManus, could only finish in seventh place after some major jumping errors over the two-mile race.

His defeat continues the poor record of odds-on favourites in the Champion Chase – he is now the 14th odds-on shot to taste defeat in the race this century.

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Ridden by Harry Cobden, the six-year-old French-bred grey gave his trainer Willie Mullins a 1-2 as the Paul Townend-ridden Final Demand (7/2) was runner-up three-quarters-of-a-length behind the winner.

Salver (25/1), with Caoilin Quinn in the saddle, was third for handler Gary Moore, two-and-a-quarter lengths behind Final Demand.

Kitzbuhel, owned by Corkman Joe Donnelly, provided Willie Mullins with a Grade 1 double on the day.

A difficult season for owners Joe & Marine Donnelly, but they reflect on Grade One glory with Kitzbuhel pic.twitter.com/rcGPwbZmg2

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 11, 2026

It was an eighth Cheltenham Festival win for the Donnellys, a seventh for jockey Harry Cobden and a 117th success for trainer Willie Mullins.

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