Golden Ace, a grey horse trained by Jeremy Scott and owned by Rich Ricci, clinched an unexpected victory at the Champion Hurdle during the Cheltenham Festival. The horse, which had previously fallen in the Irish Champion Hurdle, emerged as a surprise 25-1 winner after favorites Constitution Hill and State Man both experienced falls. The 2023 champion, Constitution Hill, commenced the race as the odds-on favorite but fell early, altering the course of the competition.
The event proved to be a rollercoaster for attendees, who numbered 55,498—a significant decrease of nearly 5,000 from the previous year. Rising costs of accommodation and attending the races were cited as primary reasons for the decline in attendance. Despite the lower turnout, the meeting began favorably for those backing favorites, as Kopek Des Bordes fulfilled expectations with odds of 4-6 under jockey Paul Townend and trainer Willie Mullins.
Jeremy Scott expressed mixed emotions following Golden Ace's victory:
"It's marred by the two horses who came down, but I'm just delighted the gods favoured us." – Jeremy Scott
The victory was even more dramatic considering that Golden Ace had traded at in-running odds of 300-1. Lorcan Williams, who rode the winning horse, was ecstatic about his achievement:
"I'm lost for words. This is the best day of my life by far," – Lorcan Williams
"You dream of these moments as a kid. I hope the others are OK – Constitution Hill and State Man are iconic horses." – Lorcan Williams
Despite the unfortunate falls of Constitution Hill and State Man, trainer Nicky Henderson confirmed that both horses and their jockeys were unharmed:
"Nobody is hurt, they're two jockeys and two horses who've had proper old falls but they're all OK. That's the main thing," – Nicky Henderson
The day was filled with notable performances across various races. In the Arkle Chase, Majborough, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, claimed victory. Meanwhile, Myretown emerged triumphant in the Ultima Handicap Chase under Patrick Wadge's guidance and Lucinda Russell's training.
The Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle saw Puturhandstogether take the crown, ridden by Mark Walsh and trained by Joseph O'Brien. In the Mares' Hurdle, Lossiemouth retained her title with a convincing performance. The National Hunt Chase concluded with Haiti Couleurs winning under Ben Jones' riding skills and Rebecca Curtis' training.
Willie Mullins explained his decision not to enter Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle:
"She was very good. I was disappointed with the fact she didn't run in the Champion Hurdle, but her work with State Man last week wasn't Champion Hurdle work so the obvious thing was to come back," – Willie Mullins
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