St Patrick's Day and Gold Cup race day has come to a close as the 2023 Cheltenham Festival entertained once again.
After last year's fall, the great Galopin Des Champs lived up to his name to secure a victory in the Gold Cup ahead of Bravemansgame in second. It was a famous ride that Sir AP McCoy hailed as the best he had ever seen while working as a pundit for ITV Racing.
âThat was as brilliant, as brilliant a ride as Iâve ever seen in any horse race,â said 20-time champion jockey. âTalk about riding a horse with bottle. Oh my God! Talk about the pressure, the privilege and pressure. My God he coped with it better than anyone Iâve ever seen.â
The final day of the festival kicked off in style as well-backed favourite Lossiemouth stormed home in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Up next came the McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle, and it was Faivoir who passed the post first to secure victory for the Skeltons.
This was followed by Stay Away Fay securing the win in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, before the Gold Cup took centre stage. The racing was not done there though, as 66/1 shot Premier Magic secured an impressive win in the St James's Place Hunters' Chase.
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A show-stopping week of racing was then capped off after Impervious secured the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase and Iroko won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.
Follow all the action right here with Mirror Sport, via our live blog below.
Well there we have it. After four days, 28 races and a whole host of legendary horses the 2023 Cheltenham Festival has come to a close.
Thank you very much for tuning in across the last four days, and be sure to check back in with Mirror Sport for all the Festival fallout across the weekend!
And finally the most anticipated day of the week, Gold Cup - and St. Patrick's - Friday. The day belonged to one horse, and that horse was Galopin Des Champs. After falling in the same race last year, the seven-year-old and Paul Townend were out for redemption 12 months on.
And they got it, as an expertly-patient ride from Townend saw Galopin fly through the pack, before going on to see of Bravemansgame.
Jockey Paul Townend celebrates winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase on Galopin Des Champs on day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Picture date: Friday March 17, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story RACING Cheltenham. Photo credit should read: David Davies/PA Wire for The Jockey Club. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial Use only, commercial use is subject to prior permission from The Jockey Club/Cheltenham Racecourse.Day three was no doubt a day for the bookies, after a number of favourites had their fortunes turned over. The heavily backed Shishkin headed into the Ryanair Chase with all eyes on him, but poor jumping allowed Envoi Allen and Rachael Blackmore to capitalise.
The marquee race of the day then saw outsider Sire du Berlais secure an unexpected victory at 33/1, with favourite Teahupoo then gifted second after a stewards enquiry saw him switch places with 80/1 shot Dashel Drasher.
(RACINGFOTOS.COM)Day two saw the great Energumene secure back-to-back Queen Mother Champion Hurdle titles. The defending champion was tightly grouped with rival Edwardstone at the top of the betting, but saw off his rivals with ease to further cement his Cheltenham legacy.
(AFP via Getty Images)Day one saw two of the Festival's top horses in Honeysuckle and Constitution Hill take to the famous track and they did not dissapoint. With Honeysuckle's retirement imiment, the Festival legend made one final appearance and bowed in style.
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Under the guidance of Rachael Blackmore, she battled home to win the Mares' Hurdle in what seemed to be the most popular win of the week. From one the former Champion Hurdle winner to the new champion, as Constitution Hill once again asserted his dominance.
He entered the race at the shortest odds of the week, priced at 4/11. But he more than lived up to it, leaving his rivals in his wake and romping home to a famous Champion Hurdle victory.
(PA)Well there we have it, as the sun sets over Gloucestershire yet another Cheltenham Festival comes to an end. It was a week to remember, so here is a look back at some of the best bits.
After defeat at Punchestown questions were asked about Lossiemouth, but the impressive Mare shot down her doubters today. She secured an impressive victory under the guidance of Townend, and no doubt has a future ahead of her - especially at the Festival.
CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Paul Townend riding Lossiemouth (pink) clear the last to win The JCB Triumph Hurdle during day four of the Cheltenham Festival 2023 at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 17, 2023 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)Well, another remarkable day of racing which belongs to the great Galopin Des Champs.
Amongst all the great runs, the seven-year-old seemingly saved the best of all for the biggest race of all, after romping home to Gold Cup victory with Paul Townend.
Post victory, Townend said: "I don’t think the horse understands how good he is, to be honest. He galloped all the way up the hill and through the line. There’s no doubting his stamina now, anyway...
“We’ve had a good week. But I like to take it race by race, win, lose or draw, and move on to the next one, so I haven’t been looking at the winners or the losers up to now, and we’re not finished yet. The Gold Cup brings winning to a different level. Cheltenham is very important, but the Gold Cup just has that little bit more spice to it.”
Jockey Paul Townend celebrates winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase on Galopin Des Champs on day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Picture date: Friday March 17, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story RACING Cheltenham. Photo credit should read: David Davies/PA Wire for The Jockey Club. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial Use only, commercial use is subject to prior permission from The Jockey Club/Cheltenham Racecourse.There have been some impressive betting slips flying around and this one is right up there.
One lucky punter has swooped over £100,000 in winnings from an accumulator that they placed way back in December 2021!
Read more below.
Here are your top three finishers from the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.
1st: Iroko
2nd: No Oridnary Joe
3rd: Buddy One
What a way to cap off the 2023 Festival! Seemingly from nowhere Iroko comes between horses to secure victory in the very last race of the week.
A first Festival winner for Aiden Kelly as Iroko wins the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle!
For one final time we are off and racing at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival!
There aren't many better places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than the Cheltenham Festival!
CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: In the Guinness Village on St. Patrick's Day Thursday during day three of the Cheltenham Festival 2023 at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 16, 2023 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)Impervious breederTom O'Doherty told Racing TV: "I am delighted. I am over the moon. She is one tough cookie.
"I saw two fences! I could not watch, my heart was in my mouth. I knew she wouldn't let me down. She is a terrier."
ITV pundit and former Gold Cup winner AP McCoy was left blown away with Paul Townend's ride on Galopin Des Champs, and had high praise for the fellow Irishman.
"That was as brilliant, a ride as I’ve ever seen in any horse race. Talk about riding a horse with bottle. Oh my God. Talk about the pressure, the privilege and pressure – oh my God, he coped with it better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Paul Townend celebrates with the Gold Cup following victory aboard Galopin Des Champs on day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Picture date: Friday March 17, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story RACING Cheltenham. Photo credit should read: Mike Egerton/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial Use only, commercial use is subject to prior permission from The Jockey Club/Cheltenham Racecourse.For one final time in 2023, here are your runners and riders:
Cool Survivor 5-1, Sam Ewing
Spanish Harlem 5-1, Michael O'Sullivan
Imagine 11-2, Ben Harvey
Iroko 15-2, Aidan Kelly
Might I 10-1, Lorcan Murtagh
Irish Hill 14-1, Angus Cheleda
Firm Footings 16-1, Shane Fitzgerald
Haxo 20-1, Kieran Callaghan
No Ordinary Joe 22-1, Luca Morgan
Mark Of Gold 28-1, Caoilin Quinn
Spirit Of Legend, Mike O'Connor
Felix Desjy 33-1, Corey McGivern
West To The Bridge 33-1, Tristan Durrell
Au Fleuron 33-1, Kieren Buckley
Saylavee 33-1, Jack Foley
Buddy One 33-1, Jack G Gilligan
Molly Ollys Wishes 40-1, Fergus Gillard
Impulsive One 40-1, Ben Bromley
27 races later we have just one race of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival to go. If the first 27 are anything to go by, we are in for a cracking finish in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle!
What a finish! The favourite Allegorie De Vassy looked set to charge home following the last, but Impervious battled back into it to secure the victory.
What a run from Impervious! Here is a look at who followed her in, in second and third.
1st: Impervious
2nd: Allegorie De Vassy
3rd: Pink Legend
One of the great finishes of the week, as Impervious gets up to win the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase!
We are underway in the penultimate race of the Festival, the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase!
Here are the runners and riders in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase.
Allegorie De Vassy 7-4, Paul Townend
Impervious 2-1, Brian Hayes
Jeremys Flame 7-1, Keith Donoghue
Magic Daze 11-1, Rachael Blackmore
Riviere D'etel 20-1, Davy Russell1
Elimay 25-1, Mark Walsh
Zambella 25-1, Daryl Jacob
Pink Legend 33-1, Charlie Deutsch
Dolcita 50-1, Danny Mullins
ITV Racing's coverage might be over, but ours isn't! Stay tuned for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase at 4:50pm, and the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at 5:30pm.
What a difference a year makes for Galopin Des Champs. 12 months after a Gold Cup fall he is now the champion, and owner Audrey Turley has already forgotten the dissapointment of 2022.
She told ITV: "We're going to forget all that (last year, when the horse fell at the last fence), these things happen and in racing anything can happen as we know. Here we are, beautiful sunshine and Galopin has won - we're thrilled."
Paul Townend celebrates winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase Galopin Des Champs on day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse. Picture date: Friday March 17, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story RACING Cheltenham. Photo credit should read: Tim Goode/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial Use only, commercial use is subject to prior permission from The Jockey Club/Cheltenham Racecourse. (PA)Your top three finishers from the St James's Place Hunters' Chase.
1st: Premier Magic
2nd: Its On The Line
3rd: Shantou Flyer
What a bizarre finish! The loose horses in the race caused chaos after slowing down at the front late on to hamper a number of runners. Premier Magic took advantage though!
A huge winner in the St James's Place Hunters' Chase, as Premier Magic wins at 66/1!
Last year's winner is out of the race, as Billaway takes a fall.
We are underway in the St James's Place Hunters' Chase!
