Follow live updates, race results and reports from Thursday’s action at Cheltenham Racecourse as Gold Cup Day gets underway at 13:20 with the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
13:20 – JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
Winner – Apolon De Charne (50/1)
Willie Mullins secured yet another Cheltenham victory in the first race of Gold Cup Friday as Apolon De Charne took victory in the first race of the day in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
Patrick Mullins secured his father a fifth consecutive Triumph Hurdle in what was an extremely close battle between multiple horses.
Apolon De Charne edged out Maestro Conti (5/1) by a length after jumping the last hurdle with prowess.
Willie Mullins trained Macho Man (66/1) made a big mistake hurdling and almost fell, but was pulled up by jockey Brian Hayes. Two more runners pulled up before the last hurdle.
However, Apolon De Charne’s victory erased any disappointment for Willie Mullins, who extended his lead in the Prestbury Cup.
Speaking to ITV Racing in the immediate aftermath, Patrick Mullins said: “He was fantastic. He’s not very big, but he just caught my eye. I don’t usually watch the juveniles at home, but he just caught my eye. I’m very proud of my father (Willie Mullins). You know, he keeps getting a lot of advice from people about doing this wrong or that wrong, but he sticks to his guns, and he gets the right horse to climb.”
Apolon De Charnie wins the JCB Triumph Hurdle 🏆
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2026
A 50-1 winner for Patrick Mullins & @WillieMullinsNH 🤩 pic.twitter.com/QSqDyF2avS
14:00 – William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
Winner – Wilful (14/1)
Wilful (14/1) secured the County Handicap Hurdle for Gloucestershire trainer Jonjo O’Neill as he came from a long way back to comfortably beat out Sticktotheplan (25/1) and Joyeuse (12/1) after jumping the last.
Ooh Betty led from the start and made the the running the whole way but drifted out left late on and didn’t have enough left in him to finish strong.
Balko d’Ange was a faller four hurdles from home in a race which saw multiple horses still in the running as they turned for home.
Cracking Rhapsody (50/1) and Sinnatra (9/2) finished in fourth and fifth respectively.
Speaking to ITV Sport straight after the race Jonjo O’Neill Jr said “It would have been more preferred if we didn’t get the rain last night but it hasn’t gone in too much. It’s just great to do it for dad and aj and mum in the yard.
“I actually was lucky enough to have two last year, and one before that, for the team. So, I was absolutely delighted for rich on Tuesday.”
Wilful lands the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle 🏆
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2026
A winner for @JJONeillJnr & @oneill_racing 👏 pic.twitter.com/fEB2BrUmS9
14:40 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)
Winner – Dinoblue (11/8)
Heavy favourite Dinoblue claimed victory in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase for the second successive year, with another fantastic race.
Telepathique (100/1) took an early lead before being taken by the eventual race winner, though she faded from there and fell late on.
A mistake from Panic Attack allowed the favourite to get in a better position and win in a canter with minimal effort, in one of the better performances of the festival so far.
Only By Night (11/1) took second place, while Panic Attack (11/4) finished third, with Spindleberry (13/2) claiming fourth.
Early contender Diva Luna did not race after being withdrawn earlier today.
Speaking to ITV Sport after the race, jockey Mark Walsh said: “I’m unsurprisingly, unbelievably impressed with this mare. She’s a winning machine. Yeah, she never missed a beat today at all, and she jumped brilliant. She actually jumped away upsides. Jumped in the last ditch, too early for me, but I didn’t want to disappoint her.”
15:20- Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Winner- Johnny’s Jury (20/1)
It was a strong start for Road Exile who led off the start, but it didn’t take long for the favourite, Doctor Steinberg to take the lead, who then ran comfortably at the front for the majority alongside Swindon Village who dropped back after the final hurdle.
The charge for the line couldn’t have been much closer as Johnny’s Jury charged from the back to claim the victory, they were closely followed by Fruit De Mer (28/1), The Passing Wife (11/1) finished third and the final place went to Mondoui’Boy (14/1).
After the race, Gavin Sheehan expressed his shock at the victory, saying that “I thought at the start our chances were cooked.”
It was a very entertaining and close race, the perfect way to warm fans up just before the Gold Cup, the next race at 16:00.
16:00 – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
Winner – Gaelic Warrior (11/4JF)
Joint Favourite Gaelic Warrior won the Cheltenham Gold Cup for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins from Jango Baie (11/4JF) and Inothewayyourthinkin (11/1).
It was Gaelic Warrior, The Juxebox Man and Grey Dawning that took the early advantage in the race until Haiti Couleurs decided to hit the front.
Through halfway Haiti Couleurs was still making the running ahead of Grey Dawning and Jukebox Man with Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie sitting in behind waiting to pounce well ahead of Gold Tweet.
With four to go Haiti Couleurs had a poor jump and despite holding the lead over the next, Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie started to attack.
Gaelic Warrior jumped the last strong and had too much for Jango Baie who had a solid run ahead of Inothewayyourthinkin in third who came through the field from the back.
Paul Townend speaking to ITV straight after his Gold Cup success said “I was lucky enough for this lad to be coming along. Patrick was convinced he was the horse for the race but he had done a lot of work with this horse from the last day. You know, it’s a huge team. I was just fortunate today, he has some engine, because he didn’t give you the easiest time early on, he was fairly keen. That’s not keen. Forget the warrior. I was delighted.
“I was even happier because we were after bumping into each other on a couple of fences, and we were just going to keep clashing the whole way around.
“I didn’t ever envision being in front as well, turning in, but I wasn’t going to storm down after the jump at the third last, any more than I did. And it was just a matter of not falling off him off the street.”
🏆 GAELIC WARRIOR WINS THE BOODLES CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/p0ufYpI15V
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2026
