The story of the Cheltenham Festival in recent years has been one of Irish dominance. What was once a fiercely competitive battle between the two nations has gradually become something of a procession, with Irish-trained horses hoovering up championship races year after year.
Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry De Bromhead have all played starring roles, but the scale of Ireland’s grip on the Festival goes far deeper than any individual trainer. For those checking the horse racing today pages, and wondering where Ireland will prevail again at this year’s Festival, here’s a look at the races where they’ve really made their presence felt.
Champion Bumper: Nine years and counting
Ireland have won the Champion Bumper for the last nine years running, a streak that speaks volumes about the quality of the bumper horses being produced on the other side of the Irish Sea. Six of those nine victories have been claimed by Mullins alone, reinforcing his extraordinary stranglehold on a race that has become something of a production line for future Festival stars.
Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle: Eight in a row
Ireland are on a run of eight consecutive Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle victories. Dual-purpose trainer Joseph O’Brien has a fine record in the race, contributing three victories in that time, including the last two years in succession. Gordon Elliott has also been a major force, winning three of those eight renewals.
Gold Cup: Seven years and perhaps the most painful
Perhaps the most painful statistic of all for British racing fans. The home nation haven’t won the Gold Cup since Native River’s victory in 2018, and in that time, Ireland have turned the race into something of a private affair.
Mullins, who had never won the showpiece race prior to 2019, has now accumulated four Gold Cup titles in remarkable fashion. De Bromhead has claimed two in that period, while Gavin Cromwell added another last year with his late entrant Inothewayurthinkin.
Seven years is a long time to wait, and with The Jukebox Man, Jango Baie and Haiti Couleurs all prominent in this year’s market, British hopes are higher than they’ve been in some time.
Triumph Hurdle: Six consecutive Irish winners
The visitors have won the last six renewals of the Triumph Hurdle, though to describe it as a collective Irish effort somewhat flatters the picture. Mullins has claimed five of those six victories, including the last four in a row, making the juvenile hurdle championship race almost his personal property.
Last year’s winner, Poniros, was a notable exception to the norm, scoring at 100/1 in one of the Festival’s biggest shocks. He could be set to make it five in a row this spring, with Narciso Has currently the short favourite to maintain Mullins’ stranglehold on the race.
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle: Five Irish winners
A rare case where Mullins doesn’t feature prominently in the recent dominance. While he has won the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle twice, it’s Elliott with two victories, Cromwell with two, and De Bromhead with one who have collectively given Ireland their foothold in this contest. The spread of winners across multiple trainers makes it no less of a stranglehold, and British stayers have found it equally difficult to make an impression regardless of who is saddling the Irish challengers.
Champion Chase: Five Years without a British winner
The days of British two-mile chasers like Sprinter Sacre and Altior feel like a lifetime ago. Britain haven’t won the Champion Chase since Politologue in 2020, and in that time, Ireland have made the two-mile championship their own.
It took Mullins until 2022 to get off the mark in the race, but Energumene then delivered back-to-back victories in emphatic style. Captain Guinness subsequently scored for De Bromhead, before Marine Nationale delivered for Barry Connell last year.
Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase: Britain have never won it
It’s worth noting that the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase was only inaugurated in 2021, but the fact that Britain have never won it is still a record that will sting. Mullins has claimed the prize three times, with Cromwell and Colm Murphy sharing the other two victories and ensuring the trophy has remained on the Emerald Isle since the race’s very first running.
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Beyond these headline streaks, Ireland’s dominance extends across much of the Festival card. The Turners Novices’ Hurdle saw The New Lion end a run of seven straight Irish wins last year, while Dan Skelton’s sole Ryanair Chase victory is the only interruption in what has otherwise been five wins from the last six runnings for Ireland.
Paul Nicholls’ Albert Bartlett victory in 2023 means Ireland have still won six of the last seven renewals of that novice hurdle. Meanwhile, streaks are quietly building in both the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Mares’ Hurdle, where Ireland have won the last three editions of each.