Gaelic Warrior, with jockey Paul Townend, secured victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while Harry Redknapp’s horse, Jukebox Man, finished in eighth place.
The win marks the fifth Cheltenham Gold Cup victory for both trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend.
Gaelic Warrior’s Dominant Performance
Trained by Willie Mullins, Gaelic Warrior was the 11-4 joint favourite alongside Jango Baie. The horse outclassed the field after the turn for home. Paul Townend guided the winner across the finish line, eight lengths ahead of Jango Baie. Inothewayurthinkin, the 2025 Gold Cup champion, finished strongly to take third place at 8-1.
Mullins praised owner Rich Ricci, who also celebrated Lossiemouth’s Champion Hurdle win earlier in the week. He told ITV: “What a performance and what a performance from the owner. The first time an owner has won the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup in the same season.”
Mullins added, referencing Townend: “Paul Townend, how cool was he over the last two fences? I don’t know how he was so cool over those last two fences. The dominance of Gaelic Warrior against a good field on paper – fantastic for them all.”
Townend’s and Redknapp’s Reactions
Winning jockey Paul Townend said he was “fortunate” to ride Gaelic Warrior, stepping in after Galopin Des Champs’ withdrawal. “It’s the Gold Cup. They just get better and better. I am speechless,” Townend said after his fifth Gold Cup triumph. He added that Patrick Mullins was convinced Gaelic Warrior was the right horse for the race and that he was fortunate to be on the horse’s back.
Rich Ricci said he had “reached the mountain” having wanted to win the Gold Cup for 21 years.
Harry Redknapp, after Jukebox Man’s eighth-place finish, acknowledged the winner’s impressive performance. He said winning would have been the “icing on the cake”, but it had been “a great season” regardless after victory in December’s King George VI Chase.
Redknapp told ITV: “He travelled well. The winner was fantastic and really impressive. I think he’s got a little wind problem that we need to sort out. But no excuses. It’s been amazing. What a week it’s been to be here and have a runner in the Gold Cup. I’ve loved every minute of it. It would have been the icing on the cake to win it, but it wasn’t to be. We won the second best [race – the King George at Kempton], so it’s been a great season.”
Festival Deaths
There was also sad news, as Envoi Allen died after falling ill following Friday’s race. Envoi Allen was a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner.
Saint Le Fort became the fourth horse to die at the Festival. The horse fell at the final hurdle of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival saw Gaelic Warrior win the Gold Cup.