Cheltenham Festival LIVE: 5:30 result, tips and latest odds after exciting Gold Cup race
Cheltenham schedule, racecard and all the action as the Festival concludes on Day 4, Gold Cup Day
Cheltenham Festival concludes on Day 4 after a thrilling opening day to ‘the greatest show on turf’ was followed by more Irish dominance on Day 2 before a British revival sparked by the Skelton brothers yesterday.
The opening two days saw plenty of success for Willie Mullins, who finally hit his historic milestone of a century of victories at the Cheltenham Festival but went winless on St. Patrick’s Thursday. However, he’s trained the favourite of the showpiece race with Galopin Des Champs looking to retain the Gold Cup this afternoon.
Harry Skelton and Paul Townend are vying for the leading jockey title with both sitting on four wins heading into the final day while Rachael Blackmore trails behind on two and could be in contention.
More than 60,000 spectators are expected to flock to Prestbury Park again for the Festival’s conclusion looking to beat the bookmakers, with today’s schedule including the Triumph Hurdle first up at 1.30pm, as well as the County Handicap Hurdle, the Albert Bartless Novices Hurdle, and of course, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Follow all of our coverage from the 2024 Cheltenham Festival below plus get the best each-way odds and tips for Day 4 here and a full analysis of the best bets in the Gold Cup here:
Paisley Park sails off into retirement
Paisley Park ran his final race in the Stayers’ Hurdle yesterday and Emma Lavelle has confirmed that the hugely popular 12-year-old, who won the race in 2019, will now be retired.
“We have an awful lot to thank him for, we really do,” Lavelle said. “It’s definitely the right thing to do, we said this season would be on a race-by-race basis but he kept running his heart out, it was just a shame he couldn’t get his head in front for one last time.
“Today was the big test and he doesn’t have the same pace that he used to, that turbo button is missing and based on that, Andrew [Gemmill, the owner] had a discussion as we crossed the line and as he’s done so much for us, he doesn’t need to do any more.”
St. Patrick’s Thursday results
A reminder of the winners from Thursday meeting:
1:30: Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) - Grey Dawning
2:10: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) - Monmiral
2:50: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) - Protektorat
3:30: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) - Teahupoo
4:10: TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase - Shakem Up’Arry
4:50: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) - Golden Ace
5:30: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase - Inothewayurthinkin
Patrick Mullins on working with his dad
Champion Bumper winning jockey Patrick Mullins, spoke to Racing TV about what makes his dad Willie so successful: “In his early 60s instead of consolidating, he went out and got more horses and more owners.
“Then there’s the calibre of staff here and the owners he has built. He has made the very most of everything he has been able to.”
What’s it like working with him? “Several headaches. He could say something one day and then give out the next day for doing it. He is always chopping and changing. He can’t be told no. He has outside the box thinking, at times it can be like man from the moon, but enough times it works.
“He is a funny man in that the more you try to tell him to do something, the more he will try to do the opposite!”
Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 15
Here’s a look at today’s race schedule:
13:30 - Triumph Hurdle
14:10 - County Handicap Hurdle
14:50 - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
15:30 - Cheltenham Gold Cup
16:10 - Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase
16:50 - Mares’ Steeple Chase
17:30 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle
Willie Mullins reacts to reaching 100 wins
Following his son’s win in Tuesday’s Champion Bumper Willie Mullins said: “It’s a wonderful day, it’s fantastic. As much I enjoy what’s happening, I think of my colleague and fellow trainer Nicky Hendersonand what’s happened with his yard this week.
“That’s always a worry that we have in the two or three weeks coming up to Cheltenham, that something will come in and bite you from outside.
“As much as we’re enjoying it, I don’t know how he must be feeling. You want competition and it must be gutting for him. You’d like good opposition to have fun with because I’m sure he would have beaten us a few times this week.”
Willie Mullins on his son Patrick riding his 100th winner
“I thought my lifetime achievement was when I had a winner here in Cheltenhamin the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle back in 1995 and who ever dreamt any trainer, never mind me, could do it .
“The team of owners we have help and I can’t train winners without a team of owners who have horses and then the team from my wife Jackie, to David Casey, Patrick, Ruby [Walsh], all our head people, it’s huge for them. I think they are probably going to enjoy it more than I will. It’s extraordinary stuff.”
“For Patrick to do it makes it very special and to do it for one of my biggest owners [Simon Munir and Isaac Souede]. The team of owners we have make the job what it is, I can’t do it without them. They all praise each other when they have a winner and share in each other’s disappointment. Without owners I wouldn’t be here, none of us would, it’s their sport.
“I was really pleased that Patrick was the one to do it because I wasn’t sure he was on the right one but he was spot on and I was wrong. I’m just delighted, I wouldn’t say emotional. When I started out I didn’t think anyone would ever train 100 Cheltenham winners and I certainly didn’t think it would be me. People were saying I should have done it last year!”
Cheltenham Gold Cup, in numbers: From Rachael Blackmore to Galopin Des Champs
To mark 100 years of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, here are some key numbers associated with jump racing’s most prestigious contest:
33 - Galopin Des Champs became the 33rd favourite to oblige in 2023.
95 - How many times the race has actually been run; it was abandoned in 1931 because of frost, in 1937 due to flooding, in 1943 and 1944 because of World War II and 2001 due to a foot-and-mouth outbreak.
100 - Norton’s Coin was the longest-priced Gold Cup winner at 100-1 in 1990. He was trained in Wales by dairy farmer Sirrel Griffiths.
Cheltenham Festival horse Highland Hunter dies after fatal incident
A first horse of the week was put down on the opening day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
Highland Hunter, the 11-year-old grey gelding was put down after the Ultima Handicap Chase, with concerns about his health immediately beginning to grow after the 2.50pm race – the third of the day.
And ITV presenter Ed Chamberlin confirmed the sad news of the death live on air shortly afterwards.
Cheltenham Festival horse Highland Hunter dies after fatal incident
Highland Hunter was put down following the Ultima Handicap Chase
No Shishkin for Gold Cup
One of the contenders for Friday’s Gold Cup has been ruled out of the race after trainer Nicky Henderson withdrew him from the race.
“Very sadly it will not be possible for Shishkin to run in the Gold Cup on Friday,” said Henderson.
“He was scoped [tested] as have all our potential runners this week, but unfortunately he has shown an unsatisfactory picture on which he couldn’t possibly run.
“He appears to be 100% in himself and has been working and schooling better than ever and we were really looking forward to Friday, it is hoped that along with all the other non-participants this week that they will be back in time for Aintree or Punchestown.”
British trainer Harry Derham on the Cheltenham Festival
Like most professional sports finding an entryway into the National Hunt industry is a difficult task but 29-year-old British trainer Harry Derham is earning plaudits for his growing stable.
Pro-golfers Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell have even entrusted him with their horse, Givemefive, who finished second at Kempton Park back in February.
In an interview with OLBG, Derham provided his outlook on the Cheltenham Festival and what he hopes to achieve there this year. .
“We’re right to focus on those four days [at Cheltenham], because they showcase our sport,” said Derham, “I think it’s sometimes a little bit boring in November and December when a horse wins a novice chase then we immediately start talking about Cheltenham.
“Having said that, where does everyone want a winner? Where does everyone want their horse to run? Cheltenham.
“I love it, I’m a massive fan and I look forward to it. I don’t think we put too much focus on it, but I think that, perhaps, it’s not quite as competitive as it once was.”
When asked if he was glad the Festival remains a four day event, Derham added: “Without question, I think sometimes you can have more and more of something but it doesn’t necessarily make it better. I don’t particularly remember having a three day Festival, but I think that the higher quality the Festival can be, the better.
“You want to see the best horses taking on one another in very competitive fields. It’s not Willie Mullins’ fault he has all the best horses at the moment and, in fairness to him, he runs them against each other.
“Sometimes less is more, and I think that five days of Cheltenham would not have been a good thing at all.”
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