Golden Ace was the surprise winner in the Champion Hurdle this afternoon after Constitution Hill, and then State Man, crashed out.
Constitution Hill, the 2023 winner, went off as the 1/2 favourite and was well placed midway through only to fall at the fourth last, prompting gasps from the packed grandstands.
State Man took up the running and seemed to be cruising towards a second victory in two years only to hit the final hurdle and dismount rider Paul Townend.
State Man falls at the LAST!
Golden Ace wins a RIDICULOUS Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 😳#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @williams_lorcan pic.twitter.com/OqeggDUgSm
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 11, 2025
That enabled Golden Ace to emerge from the small pack of horses remaining to ease over the finishing line.
“I’m lost for words, you dream of these moments as a kid,” said jockey Lorcan Williams.
Kopek Des Bordes wins the opening race
State Man’s late lapse will be a huge blow for Townend and trainer Willie Mullins but they should find some consolation in winning the opening race of the festival, the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Kopek Des Bordes was the victor after Townend this time managed to get over the last, despite a stumble, and deliver an emotional win for owner Charlie McCarthy, who underwent surgery for kidney cancer last month.
It was also a moving occasion for Townend in a race dedicated to young jockey O’Sullivan who tragically died aged 24 last month after a fall.
Joy for Henderson
Nicky Henderson finally enjoyed a first Festival win in two years after a bug at his stable decimated his chances in 2024 as Jango Baie won the Arkle Novices’ Chase. Odd-on favourite Majborough could only manage third.
The Townend-Mullins combination also teamed up to win the Mares’ Hurdle.
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2025-03-11 17:58:01
