The Times
14.03.2026
Delight and disaster, unhappy companions once again. Gaelic Warrior routed one of the most competitive Gold Cup fields in years. His jockey Paul Townend, trainer Willie Mulllins and owner Rich Ricci had also won the Champion Hurdle with Lossiemouth on Tuesday and so became the first owner, trainer, partnership to complete the double. That’s the delight. The disaster was the fatal collapse after the race of Envoi Allen, one of Cheltenham’s most decorated heroes.
Envoi Allen had been three times a winner and twice placed in three previous Festivals and looked fresh and fit as he came out on to the track. If it was to be his last performance but he was part of a great one. For this was what Gaelic Warrior has always threatened to give, a huge horse whose successes had included a brilliant two mile turn in the Arkle Chase at this meeting in 2024.
But Gaelic Warrior’s career has a well won reputation for intractability. Early in his career his was near unsteerable and even now he is only just holdable. Happy for him that this was the fastest Gold Cup in nine years and that was on much faster ground than yesterday’s rain softened turf. Paul Townend may have had few brakes as he winged towards the first but beside him Grey Dawning, Jango Baie, The Jukebox Man and Haiti Couleurs were equally active. Better still, as an Irish and Welsh Grand National winner, Haiti Couleurs was intent on making this the toughest of stamina tests and as he pressed on, followed by Grey Dawning, The Jukebox Man and Jango Baie, Paul Townend could get a handle on the runaway beneath.
For a full circuit and a half this pattern was set. As Sean Bowen asked and Haiti Couleurs answered the field stretched out behind him. But running up the final hill the principals were on his tail. At the fourth last Bowen asked and Haiti Couleurs had to take an extra stride. Coming to the third last Bowen was busy, the quartet cruising behind him, with Harry Redknapp’s dreams of Gold Cup glory with Jukebox Man still very much in the mix.
But Jango Baie was closing and suddenly we could see that Gaelic Warrior was in a different league. He soared over the second last. Jango Baie was still within four lengths at the final fence but Gaelic Warrior took zinged it and flew on to be 8 easy lengths clear at the finish. Jango Baie was second with last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin running on from the back to be third ahead of Grey Dawning with Jukebox Man weakening to be 8th ahead of Envoi Allen in 9th.
Paul Townend and Willie Mullins have now won five Gold Cups, Al Boum Photo scoring for them in 2019 and 2020 and Gallopin Des Champs in 2023 and 2024. They took Wednesday’s Champion Chase together with Il Etait Temps on Wednesday and Townend has come a long way from the somewhat tongue tied Ruby Walsh understudy we first met a full decade ago and he was an eloquent ambassador as he paid tribute afterwards albeit his first words were “Oh my god I am speechless.”
“It’s a huge team effort,” he continued, “I was just fortunate to be on his back because I was going to ride Galopin Des Champ. We thought we were dealt a big blow when he came but Patrick (Mullins) was convinced he was the horse for the race.” Townend employs the understatement of the expert amongst an operation for which we have long run out of superlatives but whose rise to the stratosphere was greatly helped when Rich Ricc arrived with his colourful and enthusiasm and cash some twenty years ago.
The owner has long been famous for his suiting, yesterday’s was a number in purple check but its owner was golden in his praise for his trainer and for the jumping game. “To win the double is extraordinary,” he said. “Willie’s terrific, a great trainer. We’ve been in business together for a long time. Winning two winners this week is amazing.” Then with real passion, he turned towards the crowd tiered above the unsaddling enclosure and said, “this is a wonderful game and wonderful people.”
Mullins was to win eight races at the meeting, the Irish 15 to Britain 13, but even by Mullins’ standards the victory of Apolon De Charnie in the opening Triumph Hurdle was off the scale. The four year old was a 50-1 outsider for the seemingly good reason that he had never run for Mullins before, and had not seen a racecourse since finishing second in France last September. But here he was, ridden by Mullins super skilful son Patrick, threading through the field to outrun the Skelton’s Maestro Conti and Minella Study, the horse with the romantic training ground of the beach in front of Northumberland’s Bamburgh Castle.
Yet in romantic terms this family training riding performance was eclipsed by the County Hurdle victory of Stickability ridden by win Jonjo O’Neill Jnr and trained by Jonjo O’Neill Snr and his other son A.J. For 40 years ago yesterday was Jonjo Snr’s finest hour, his victory on Dawn Run in the 1986 Gold Cup amidst scenes of unmatched rejoicing. We will always have our sadnesses, in 40 years time some of us will be long buried but if hope and sense prevail Cheltenham will live on in glory.