As is always the case at this time of year, last week’s racing headlines all came from Gloucestershire. Striding into view with four days of the finest jumping action in the world, the Cheltenham Festival once again delivered a meeting to remember.
Try as they might, the British trainers couldn’t lay a glove on the Irish in the feature races, with Willie Mullins plundering three of the four championship pots. Nevertheless, following a string of disappointing editions, 2026 represented a step back in the right direction for the home team.
Champion Hurdle: Lossiemouth Leaves Rivals Trailing in her Wake
Not all of the stars made it to the 2026 Champion Hurdle. 2024 winner State Man missed out through injury, 2023 champ Constitution Hill is set to pursue a career on the Flat, and long-time favourite Sir Gino suffered a season-ending injury in his prep. In their absence, it was left to a Cheltenham Festival specialist to deliver the performance of her career.
One of a plethora of stars making the trip to Cheltenham from County Carlow, the Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth made her Cheltenham Festival debut in the 2023 Triumph Hurdle. Too good for her rivals that day, she repeated the feat in the 2024 and 2025 editions of the Mares’ Hurdle. Having lost out to Brighterdaysahead in the 2026 Irish Champion Hurdle, Lossiemouth appeared likely to defend her Mares’ Hurdle crown. However, buoyed by her work in the newly fitted cheekpieces, the Susannah Ricci-owned runner was allowed to take her Champion Hurdle chance. And how she grasped it.
Always up with the pace, Lossiemouth quickened into the home turn, finding a gear that rivals Brighterdaysahead, The New Lion, and defending champion Golden Ace simply couldn’t match. Extending her record to four Cheltenham Festival wins from as many starts, she surged past the £1 million prize money mark and ensured the festival began in sizzling style.
Queen Mother Champion Chase: Temps Terrific as Majborough’s Jumping Falls Apart
The Day 2 feature looked at the mercy of Willie Mullins, with the JP McManus-owned Majborough trading as one of the shortest-priced favourites of the week. On raw ability, it was easy to see why the six-year-old started as the 5/6 favourite, with his 19-length success in the Dublin Chases still fresh in the memory. Granted a clear round, he looked tough to beat.
However, with Majborough, a clear round is never guaranteed. Having blundered his way to a third-place finish in the 2025 Arkle Chase, his jumping once again cracked in the heat of Cheltenham battle. Mistakes at the eighth, ninth, and 11th fences saw the mount of Mark Walsh backtrack through the field to cross the line in seventh.
Majborough’s woes opened the door for the second Mullins’ runner in the line-up. As a six-time Grade 1 winner, Il Etait Temps’ class was not in doubt. However, in three previous appearances at this meeting, his best effort saw him finish a distant third behind Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle. The mount of Paul Townend had no issues with the track this time, producing a blistering turn of foot to end his Cheltenham hoodoo with a 10-length romp.
Stayers Hurdle: Perseverance Pays Off for Home By The Lee
Easily the most unexpected result in the headline events arrived in the Stayers Hurdle. In a field containing the past two winners of the race, Bob Olinger and Teahupoo, Dan Skelton’s highly touted Kabral Du Mathan, and the brilliant but unpredictable Ballyburn, Joseph O’Brien’s Home By The Lee looked to be playing for a place at best.
Now 11 years old, Home By The Lee was making his fifth Stayers’ Hurdle appearance, with his best effort seeing him finish third in 2024. Despite his familiarity with the surroundings, a starting price of 33/1 looked to accurately reflect his chance. However, today was to be his day. Avoiding the errors which had plagued his previous appearances, he hit the front before the last and would not be passed, holding on well from Ballyburn, who bounced back to something like his best in second.
Cheltenham Gold Cup: Warrior Turns King George Rematch into a Rout
In an open year, the King George VI Chase at Kempton looked to hold the key to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Separated by only half a length when first, third, and fourth in the Boxing Day feature, The Jukebox Man, Gaelic Warrior, and Jango Baie locked horns once more.
Occupying the top three positions in the market, hopes were high that the King George protagonists might serve up another thriller. However, while the 2025 King George will be remembered for its nail-biting finish, all the Gold Cup thrills were provided by Gaelic Warrior.
Looming into contention at the third last, Gaelic Warrior sailed serenely clear in the straight. Jumping the last alone, the mount of Paul Townend crossed the line in cruise control, eight lengths clear of his nearest pursuer. No photo finish required this time as the 2024 Arkle winner added to his Cheltenham Festival haul.
Prestbury Cup Goes Down to the Wire
| Irish Trainer Winners | UK Trained Winners |
|---|---|
| 15 | 13 |
While the results in the signature events tell a tale of Irish dominance, the meeting as a whole presented a different picture. Having registered 10 or fewer winners at each of the past six festivals – including a tally of just five in 2021 – this was the year the home team launched something of a comeback.
Entering the final day, Ireland led Britain 11-10 in the battle for the Prestbury Cup – the trophy awarded to the nation that trains the most winners. Thanks to a treble from Willie Mullins (who finished as the top trainer at the meeting for a ninth time), Ireland held on for a 15-13 success, but that still represented Britain’s best result since earning a tie in 2019.
