Every year, the Cheltenham Festival provides moments for horse racing fanatics and neutrals alike to remember, 2025 was no different.
Our blog lists the top five moments of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
Check out the latest horse racing betting odds with William Hill
Golden Ace’s Champion Hurdle victory
It didn’t take long for the drama to start this year, as 25/1 shot Golden Ace sprang a shock to win Tuesday’s feature Champion Hurdle. Jeremy Scott’s mare was subject of a late defection into the race after looking all but set to run in the Mares’ Hurdle 40 minutes earlier on the card, and what a decision that turned out to be.
Several of the market principles faltered, with Constitution Hill crashing out down the back straight before last year’s winner State Man looked to have the race at his mercy before coming down at the last, leaving Golden Ace to power up the Cheltenham hill and take the biggest hurdling prize of all. You’ve got to be in it to win it!
Marine Nationale’s emotional Champion Chase victory
Wednesday’s Champion Chase attracted a strong field as usual, with Jonbon the favourite to finally break his festival duck. However, it wasn’t to be as Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale roared to victory under Sean Flanagan, in what was an emotional win.
Marine Nationale was one half of the double that the late Michael O’Sullivan recorded on the Tuesday of the 2023 festival, and it was a poignant victory following the heartbreaking loss of the young jockey.
The very next race, the Grand Annual, was won by Jazzy Matty for Cian Collins and Danny Gilligan. Jazzy Matty won the 2023 Fred Winter under no other than Michael O’Sullivan. It was a touching moment to see his two festival winners back in the winner’s enclosure on Wednesday.
Fact To File’s impressive Ryanair Chase win
Following his victory at the previous Cheltenham Festival in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, Fact To File was seen by many as the heir to Galopin Des Champs’ Cheltenham Gold Cup throne and only enhanced those claims when beating him home in the John Durkan, but the reigning champ put pay to those chances when winning the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup.
Fact To File defected to the Ryanair Chase as a result, dropping into a strong field including Il Est Francais and absolutely romped the field by nine lengths, delivering one of the performances of the week. He can now be backed at 5/1 for the 2026 Gold Cup and 3/1 for the Ryanair Chase.
100/1 shock winner in the Triumph Hurdle
Friday’s opening juvenile contest, the Triumph Hurdle, attracted a hot field and jumping the last, it looked as if the one of the market leaders in East India Dock or Lulamba were to land the spoils, but it was the 100/1 hurdles debutant Poniros who finished strongest of all to win the contest and match the highest ever winning starting price at the Festival.
The horse was a high-class stayer on the flat for Ralph Beckett, and to take out the deepest juvenile hurdle of the year on stable debut is a brilliant achievement. He couldn’t be in better hands to improve than with the master Willie Mullins and is earning quotes of 16/1 for the 2025 Champion Hurdle.
Inothewayurthinkin wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup
In what was a tough week for punters with many shock results, Galopin Des Champs looked a solid proposition to defend his Gold Cup crown, however the Gavin Cromwell-trained Inothewayurthinkin spoiled the party when taking the week’s feature.
It was a massively impressive training performance from the William Hill ambassador with the supplemented winner, and he now looks a seriously warm order for the Aintree Grand National if he were to take up the engagement (3/1), as well as the current antepost joint favourite at 5/1 for the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
