Cheltenham Day One blog: Golden Ace takes full advantage of scarcely believable Champion Hurdle

By Adam Morgan, Nick Robson and Ashley Iveson

5:30pm

Golden Ace was a shock winner of an incredible Unibet Champion Hurdle, in which both Constitution Hill and State Man crashed out – the latter clear as he jumped the last in front.

Constitution Hill departed relatively early on in the Cheltenham showpiece and it was Brighterdaysahead who looked set to battle it out with State Man up the hill, but Willie Mullins’ defending champion came down at the final flight, just as he looked set to run out an emphatic winner. Brighterdaysahead was subsequently hampered, although she did look beaten at the time.

It was left then to the Jeremy Scott-trained Golden Ace, who did not falter when the opportunity was handed to her and carried Lorcan Williams to victory at 25-1. Burdett Road (66-1) took the runner-up spot.

Scott said of his Ian Gosden-owned winner, who was triumphing at the showcase meeting for the second time after winning last year’s mares’ novices’ hurdle: “I couldn’t even dream that would happen. I’ve just asked someone to thump me because I must be dreaming, it is just bizarre.

“It’s a tragedy those horses came down and it spoilt the race entirely, we looked booked for second if not third but then State Man came down so it is marred by that, but the gods have favoured us.

“My owner was not at loggerheads (with me) because he pays the bills, but he was very keen to have a runner in the Champion Hurdle and we thought we could nick a bit of prize-money and we didn’t think we could beat Lossiemouth (in the Mares’ Hurdle) – it’s extraordinary how things work out.

“She is unbeaten here so she obviously likes the track. It’s interesting Willie tends not to run his mares much before Christmas so maybe that might be the way to go next year.

“Winning the Champion Hurdle is brilliant for the whole team, it’s amazing.”

15:17pm

Myretown produced a brilliant front-running performance at Cheltenham to earn trainer Lucinda Russell her third victory in the Ultima Handicap Chase from the last four runnings.

The eight-year-old, wearing the same silks and by the same sire in former Arc hero Dylan Thomas as Russell’s stable stalwart Ahoy Senor, looked comfortable in the hands of Patrick Wadge in taking the early lead.

It was an advantage Myretown did not relinquish and a fantastic jump at the final fence saw him burst clear of Joe Tizzard’s The Changing Man before streaking clear to romp home by 11 lengths as the 13-2 favourite. Malina Girl was third for Gavin Cromwell.

Russell said: “I wasn’t keen on running him, but the owners said ‘come on, let’s have a go’ and he was well handicapped if he jumped round, I just didn’t know if he’d be man enough, but it looks like he is.

“I’ve just remembered I own half of him so it’s just got even better. He’s phenomenal and I always thought he might be another Ahoy Senor – we bought him because he looks like Ahoy Senor.

“He’s a bit different to Corach Rambler who jumps so exuberantly and Corach was a star, but just a different type of horse.

“This is a brilliant horse and I’m delighted for Patrick, it wasn’t a bad ride for his first Festival winner was it! It was really brave.”

Wadge said: “I couldn’t believe jumping three out I couldn’t hear anyone near me and I just hoped I hadn’t gone too quick. I gave him a squeeze on the bend and he took off – I think he could have gone round again. I can’t thank Lucinda, Scu (Petere Scudamore) and the owners for letting me to ride him, to get a sit on this lad was phenomenal. The faith they had in me was amazing.

“I don’t know how good he could be, but he’s the best I’ve ever sat on and he could be the best I ever will sit on.”

Kopek Des Bordes did all that was asked of him to land the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Sporting a hood for the first time, Willie Mullins’ gelding was fighting to retain his unbeaten record and started as the 4-6 favourite under Paul Townend for the opening race of the 2025 Festival.

He neatly delivered, tracking long-time leader Workahead and then kicking clear up the hill to hold off a challenge from William Munny, despite a jumping error at the last hurdle.

The length and three-quarters runner-up ran a huge race in defeat, and so nearly carried the colours famously sported by the late Michael O’Sullivan when the Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale won the corresponding event in 2023.

Kopek Des Bordes is owned by Charlie McCarthy along with his four sons through Monabeg Investments Ltd and it was a special win for him after undergoing surgery for cancer just 11 days ago.

McCarthy said: “I had cancer of my right kidney and I had my kidney removed. I had the top people look after me, I’m disease free and I’m going to have one hell of a party.

“I don’t want to cry but I can tell you one thing, I’m on cloud nine. Is there a bigger cloud to be on?

“I just can’t get over it, to be here with my sons and win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after everything I’ve been through. This is a dream come true and the dream is not finished yet.

“That’s National Hunt racing, the small man can have a say in it and I’m no small man but I am the small man here. National Hunt racing is what I love.”

McCarthy dedicated the victory to O’Sullivan, who died last month aged 24 due to injuries sustained in a fall at Thurles.

He added: “It’s unreal. It’s a wonderful day for me because the race is named after Michael O’Sullivan, he lived about 20 kilometres from me and I’ll donate this to the O’Sullivan family, because he was a wonderful jockey.

“I met his brother earlier and I said ‘I would love to win it for the O’Sullivan family’. We’ll enjoy it, we’re from County Cork, the O’Sullivans and myself, and it’s a wonderful occasion.”

Mullins said: “Coming to the last Paul just said he was looking up at the stands, looking at the last and looking everywhere. He said he just lost concentration and missed it, but he picked up and galloped all the way to the Hunters Lodge.

“I think going a faster pace helps his jumping. He is able to go faster, we didn’t know that before Leopardstown, but we saw it then and again today.

“It’s nice to get the first one on the board, a huge relief. We have a good team today, we were hoping we would get one and hope for another one as well. To have it is a great relief.”

Mullins said: “Coming to the last Paul just said he was looking up at the stands, looking at the last and looking everywhere. He said he just lost concentration and missed it, but he picked up and galloped all the way to the Hunters Lodge.

“I think going a faster pace helps his jumping. He is able to go faster, we didn’t know that before Leopardstown, but we saw it then and again today.

“It’s nice to get the first one on the board, a huge relief. We have a good team today, we were hoping we would get one and hope for another one as well. To have it is a great relief.”

Elsewhere, Barry Connell was a proud man having watched William Munny run a huge race to be second in the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Two years ago the Connell-trained Marine Nationale famously won the Festival opener when ridden by O’Sullivan, who tragically died aged 24 last month following injuries suffered in a fall at Thurles.

Several of O’Sullivan’s family and friends were on course to witness William Munny force odds-on favourite Kopek Des Bordes to pull out all the stops before eventually going down by a length and three-quarters.

“It is very poignant with the connection with Michael. He started his career in our yard as a 7lb-claiming amateur and ended the season winning the Supreme and being leading rider after the Tuesday at the Festival,” said Connell.

“I’d only had my licence a couple of years and we went on a magical journey together. It’s very emotional today for obvious reasons – and will be again tomorrow with Marine Nationale in the Queen Mother.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a good bit of time with his family and friends over the last while and the family are all here, his girlfriend is here. I think they appreciate the support they have got from the whole racing community in Ireland and in England, it’s a great consolation for them.”

In the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase, Jango Baie rose to the challenge to claim an astonishing renewal of the trophy.

Nicky Henderson’s bay could not go with the early pace and found himself towards the back of the small field of five as the race developed.

Up the hill the race looked to be between the fancied pair of Majborough and L’Eau Du Sud, but Jango Baie never surrendered at the back of the pack and strode into contention in the final strides to score at 5-1 under Nico de Boinville, with Only By Night the three-quarters of a length runner-up.

Henderson had originally been set to field the favourite in Sir Gino, but saw his season cut short through injury.

“Without Sir Gino, it was will this horse go up to three (miles) or down to two; we were going to make the running, but he couldn’t go fast enough,” Henderson said. “He really couldn’t go fast enough.

“That was some ride! He let them go, and they did go hard, and it’s lovely ground – it’s proper fast jumping ground and they were hammering away.

“I’ve seen it before when they are that outpaced, you have always got the hill still to come to your aid if you need it, I must admit I never dreamt he would need it, but he flew the last and just got running – I didn’t know he was that fast, I must admit.

“From where I was, I thought it was too late. It was incredible, he was just nailing them. I had no idea of the result I must say, the gods did. I think you can take it from me that’s the last time you will see over two miles!

“That was Nico’s 50th Grade One. It’s nice to get it on the board early and what a way to do it, it was a brilliant ride.”

On what was already an emotional opening afternoon, owner Tony Barney said: “I bought the horse on the day my son was killed, his name was James Barney, the horse is Jango Baie, same initials. My son is looking down on me.”

De Boinville said: “I always thought I could get there, coming down the hill I was just thinking about Barry (Geraghty) when he rode Champ and he did a similar kind of thing in the RSA (2020) when he dropped himself out.

“I couldn’t go the gallop, but I knew he was going to stay so it was just a case of filling him up and seeing if I could get one crack up the hill. To be fair he winged the last and then he flew up the hill.

“It’s a great feeling when you know you are going to get there, but it’s gut-wrenching when you go down by a neck or a head, which does happen a lot. Today the stars were aligned and he got his head in front.”

Gavin Cromwell took the last-gasp defeat for Only By Night on the chin. He said: “She ran and jumped very well and I thought for a few seconds we were home and hosed.

“We were just passed late on by a stayer. I’m happy we chose the right race anyway, it’s a pity not to win when you run so well but we’re delighted.

“You always like to see them running well at the beginning of the week and it keeps the confidence high, they are in good shape.”