Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup |
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| Grade 1, Cheltenham 16:00 £625,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 2f 70y, Class 1  |
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1 Gaelic Warrior 11/4JF
2 Jango Baie 11/4JF
3 Inothewayurthinkin 11/1
10 ran NR: Spillane's Tower Distances: 8l, 2l, 6½l
Time: 6m 39.02s (fast by 10.98s)
🏆 GAELIC WARRIOR WINS THE BOODLES CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/p0ufYpI15V
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2026
Gaelic Warrior delivered a performance of authority, sweeping past his rivals in decisive fashion to secure National Hunt racing’s most coveted prize. The Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old was the stable’s sole representative in the race and justified his position as 11-4 joint-favourite under Paul Townend, sharing that billing beforehand with Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie.
Rebecca Curtis’ Haiti Couleurs set the tempo in the early stages, carrying Welsh hopes at the head of affairs before weakening turning for home. Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man travelled strongly for much of the journey and briefly raised hopes of a fairytale success, but once the tempo lifted it was Gaelic Warrior who moved with purpose. From the home turn he began to assert, powering clear to win by eight lengths from Jango Baie, while Inothewayurthinkin ran a creditable race in third in his attempt to defend last year’s crown.
The victory provided Mullins with a fifth Gold Cup, following his previous successes with Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs, and the champion trainer was quick to acknowledge the role of his rider. Mullins said: “He’s such a cool jockey and a superb horse, it was a hell of a performance. Rich (Ricci, owner) has already won the Champion Hurdle this week and Paul won that and the Champion Chase, it’s incredible. It was an extraordinary performance and I’m delighted for the Riccis, I think they are the first owners to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup in the same season. I’m delighted for Paul, he was so cool on him. Could you imagine what was going through his head going to the last fence, I can only tell you what was going through mine, but we won’t talk about that now! We’ve had so many last-fence mishaps here. The way he did it was spectacular, very dominant. He can be keen, but Paul got everything right and the horse put in a tremendous round of jumping. When you pair that with his ability it’s fantastic for owner and jockey.”
Owner Rich Ricci, who celebrates the triumph alongside his wife Susannah after also tasting Champion Hurdle success earlier in the week with Lossiemouth, was clearly moved by the occasion. Ricci said: “I’ve been trying to win this race for 21 years, it’s brilliant, magic. These people are so lovely to me. It was a great ride by Paul. I haven’t seen the race, but I’ve heard it was! It’s been a great week, incredible, great racing, great winners, a good race today. I’m pleased for the horse. We try to buy Gold Cup winners, but we’ve never managed it before today. We’ve reached the mountain, but I love the game, it’s kept me involved all these years, the passion of the people. They take me as they find me, I’m not the easiest man, I’m an American, I’m loud, obnoxious, this that and the other, but the people have been good to me and long may it last.”
Reflecting further on the race, Mullins added: “I always like to watch the race through my binoculars rather than on the screen and I could tell by Paul’s body language how he was going, I knew he was going well. This guy has to be up there with every one of my other Gold Cup winners, just because of the manner of his victory. Rich has been such a supporter of Closutton from the very start so to do something like this for him is fantastic. When he put in that huge jump at the fourth-last and landed in front I wondered if he had landed in front too soon and I was hoping nothing would come from behind. But when I looked at Paul I could see how confident he was. Paul has nerves of steel and to be on so much horse over the last three, he just sat there waiting.”
Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase
£625,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 2f 70y, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
