As the dust settles on the iconic stands of Prestbury Park, and the curtain prepares to drop on what has been another thrilling season of National Hunt racing, it is worth reviewing the horses who made the headlines at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
These equine stars have etched their names in jumps racing lore with notable victories in some of the sport’s biggest races and grandest stage. So, without further ado, let’s assess the standout winners at National Hunt’s very own Olympics.
State Man – Champion Hurdle
A spanner was thrown in the mix just days before the Cheltenham Festival when Constitution Hill was ruled out of the Champion Hurdle by Nicky Henderson due to illness.
That turned the day one feature race on its head, and Willie Mullins’ State Man emerged as the heavy favourite in the online betting markets.
The seven-year-old ultimately prevailed under the expert guidance of Paul Townend, but it was perhaps not as easy as they would have hoped, as State Man edged out Irish Point by little more than a length.
Captain Guinness – Champion Chase
There was a major upset in the Champion Chase on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, as Captain Guinness stole the spotlight.
The Mullins-trained El Fabiolo looked certain to land the feature race, going off at incredibly short odds, but after several blunders in the early stages of the race, he was pulled up Townend.
That blew the Champion Chase wide open, and 17/2 chance Captain Guinness took advantage under the tutelage of Rachael Blackmore — winning by a length and a half from Gentleman De Mee, who was Mullins’ second-string runner at 16/1.
Protektorat – Ryanair Chase
St. Patrick’s Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival garnered plenty of luck for the legendary football manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his fellow owners, as they landed two winners in less than an hour.
Their first Cheltenham Festival success came from Monmiral in the Pertemps Network Final, but the bigger of their two wins came shortly after when Protektorat landed the Ryanair Chase.
Set off at 17/2, the nine-year-old travelled strongly and disputed the lead approaching the last before keeping on well up the hill to beat the favourite Envoi Allen comfortably.
Teahupoo – Stayers’ Hurdle
The first two and a half days were frustrating, to say the least for Irish handler Gordon Elliott, as he recorded several near misses.
However, he finally got off the mark and sealed his 38th Cheltenham Festival victory with Teahupoo in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
The seven-year-old was well-backed before the testing three-mile contest, which cost the bookmakers a fortune when romping home almost four lengths clear of two-time Stayers’ Hurdle victor Flooring Porter.
Galopin Des Champs – Gold Cup
The Gold Cup once again belonged to Galopin Des Champs, as the defending champion of the showpiece race stormed to an emphatic victory over Gerri Colombe.
Despite a rocky end to last season and a turbulent start to this campaign, hopes were high for Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup.
The eight-year-old went off as the 10/11 favourite and eased to a second success thanks to a skilled ride from Townend — who navigated their way around a loose horse that threatened to derail their Gold Cup hopes.
