The 2025 Cheltenham Festival once again proved to be a dominant affair for the Irish, who secured a comprehensive 20-8 victory in the Prestbury Cup. Britain’s hopes of reclaiming the trophy remain unfulfilled, with Ireland winning all but one of the contests since 2015.
The final day of the festival was particularly brutal for the hosts, as the Irish contingent completed a clean sweep of Gold Cup Day. However, there were still moments of British success, as they secured eight winners throughout the four-day meeting. With horse race betting continuing to attract punters across major UK racing festivals, here’s a breakdown of Britain’s victories at Cheltenham 2025.
Day One: Champion Day success
Despite Ireland striking first with Willie Mullins’ Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Britain responded strongly with three wins on the opening day.
- Jango Baie (Arkle Challenge Trophy) – Nicky Henderson’s charge looked beaten at the last but produced a remarkable late surge under Nico de Boinville, overturning massive in-running odds of 300/1 to steal victory in a dramatic finish.
- Myretown (Ultima Handicap Chase) – Trained by Lucinda Russell, Myretown romped home with an 11-length victory, giving the Scotswoman another notable Festival triumph.
- Golden Ace (Champion Hurdle) – One of the shocks of the week, Golden Ace took advantage of a chaotic renewal of the Champion Hurdle, winning at 25/1. Constitution Hill’s long unbeaten streak ended with a fall, Brighterdaysahead struggled with the track, and State Man crashed out at the last when well clear.
- Haiti Couleurs (National Hunt Challenge Cup) – The hosts ended day one with a narrow 4-3 lead, thanks to Rebecca Curtis’ Haiti Couleurs, who displayed stamina and determination under Ben Jones.
Day Two: A lone British victory
Day two saw a strong response from the Irish, with Mullins leading the charge. However, Britain did manage to strike first.
- The New Lion (Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle) – Trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by his brother Harry, The New Lion held off strong Irish opposition in The Yellow Clay and Final Demand to land Britain’s only win of the day.
With Mullins, Gavin Cromwell, Barry Connell, and Cian Collins all training winners, the Irish stormed ahead in the Prestbury Cup standings.
Day Three: A resurgence for the hosts
After a quiet second day, British trainers bounced back on St. Patrick’s Thursday with three victories.
- Caldwell Potter (Golden Miller Chase) – Paul Nicholls celebrated his 50th Cheltenham Festival winner as Harry Cobden guided Caldwell Potter to success in this Grade 2 event. The horse, owned in part by the late John Hales and Sir Alex Ferguson, finally started to justify his hefty 750,000-euro price tag.
- Doddiethegreat (Pertemps Network Final) – At 25/1, the Nicky Henderson-trained Doddiethegreat delivered an upset victory, leading home a British one-two-three as stablemate Jeriko Dy Reponet finished second, with Catch Him Derry in third for the Skeltons.
- Jagwar (Plate Handicap Chase) – Following their success with Iroko in the 2023 Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle, the joint-training duo of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero landed another winner with Jagwar, who justified favoritism in the Plate Handicap Chase.
Despite glimpses of British excellence, the 2025 Cheltenham Festival once again underlined Irish dominance. Britain’s eight winners were celebrated, but the final Prestbury Cup scoreline of 20-8 left no doubt as to which nation reigned supreme.
With the gap widening, British trainers will need to step up their game to prevent Ireland from extending their grip on National Hunt racing’s most prestigious festival in the years to come.