O’Sullivan tribute provided poignant start to 2026 Festival

With the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds nearly here, we look back at six moments that lit up last year’s Cheltenham Festival:

Two years on from Michael O’Sullivan’s career-defining victory aboard Marine Nationale in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the sport was rocked by the tragic death of one of Ireland’s rising stars. His colleagues and friends and the 60,000 plus crowd took part in an emotional minute’s applause in O’Sullivan’s memory as his face was shown on the big screens ahead of the traditional Festival curtain-raiser, which saw hot favourite Kopek Des Bordes strike gold under Paul Townend, who pointed to the Cork themed armband he was wearing in honour of the late jockey as he passed the post in front of Marine Nationale’s stablemate William Munny. The following afternoon, Marine Nationale did his bit by running out a brilliant winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Just when you think you’ve seen everything the Cheltenham Festival has to offer, along comes the 2025 Unibet Champion Hurdle. There were a collective gasp from the packed grandstands when Constitution Hill crashed out four flights from home, a fall which subsequently proved to be far from a one-off. His exit cleared the way for State Man to successfully defend his title, only for him to also come to grief at the final obstacle with the race seemingly at his mercy. While there was more than a degree of fortune about Golden Ace’s 25-1 triumph, few could begrudge popular trainer Jeremy Scott and his superstar mare an unlikely victory. Twelve months on, and with question marks hanging over several of her rivals, a repeat win for Golden Ace would not be such a surprise.

Last year’s Arkle Trophy threw up one of the most dramatic finishes of the week, with just a length and a half separating the first four home. The Willie Mullins-trained Majborough was the odds-on favourite, and did as well to finish as close as he did in third after ploughing through the second-last. The eventual fourth L’Eau Du Sud was in front at that stage, with Only By Night taking over shortly afterwards, only for Nico de Boinville to conjure a late rattle out of Jango Baie to get up and beat them both. Nicky Henderson’s charge will return to the Cotswolds as a serious Gold Cup contender this time around.

Some 43 years after seeing Mister Donovan provide him with Festival success in what is now the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, leading owner JP McManus made it 80 wins at the showpiece meeting in the very same race thanks to The New Lion. The Grade One contest was billed as one of the races of the meeting and did not disappoint, with The New Lion – carrying the famous green and gold silks for the first time – edging out The Yellow Clay and Final Demand to maintain his unbeaten record. Dan Skelton’s charge fell on his return in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, but having bounced back to winning ways on Festival Trials day plenty will fancy him to give McManus a record-extending 10th Champion Hurdle success next week.

Rachael Blackmore rode 18 winners at the Cheltenham Festival before retiring last May, and it was fitting that the last was provided by a horse who gave her three victories in all at the sport’s most high-profile meeting. Few will forget the veteran’s mesmeric novice hurdle success in 2021 and while he was fortunate to follow up in a novice chase the following year after Galopin Des Champs fell at the last, he showed the fire still burns bright when defeating reigning champion Teahupoo in the Stayers’ Hurdle last term. He will return to defend his crown aged 11 next week, with Blackmore replaced by Darragh O’Keeffe.

It is 21 years since Best Mate became the first horse since Arkle to win three Gold Cups and a few have tried and failed since. The great Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup in 2009, but a third success eluded him, while Al Boum Photo went back-to-back in 2019 and 2020 but had to make do with the bronze medal in his hat-trick bid. Having won his third Irish Gold Cup the previous month, Galopin Des Champs was odds-on to follow suit in the Cotswolds last March, but he also found the weight of history too much to carry, coming off second best in a tussle with Inothewayurthinkin. Galopin Des Champs has run well in defeat in his first two starts of this term, but will return to Cheltenham for another stab at National Hunt racing’s most coveted prize and certainly has a chance in what looks a wide-open renewal.