Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Recap

Cheltenham Festival 2025 Kicks Off with Dramatic Upsets and Thrilling Finishes

The opening day of the Cheltenham Festival 2025 delivered a series of stunning results and unforgettable moments, living up to its reputation as the pinnacle of jump racing.

The highlight of Champion Day was undoubtedly the Unibet Champion Hurdle, which saw one of the biggest upsets in recent Festival history. Golden Ace, a 25-1 outsider trained by Jeremy Scott and ridden by Lorcan Williams, claimed an astonishing victory after both Constitution Hill and State Man dramatically fell during the race.

Constitution Hill, the heavy favorite and 2023 champion, unseated Nico de Boinville at the fifth hurdle. State Man, last year’s winner, was leading comfortably before falling at the final obstacle. This paved the way for Golden Ace to storm home, winning by nine lengths ahead of 66-1 shot Burdett Road.

In other notable results:

• Kopek Des Bordes won the renamed Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, honoring the jockey who tragically passed away last month.

• Jango Baie (5/1) upset favorite Majborough (1/2F) to win the My Pension Arkle Novices’ Chase.

• Lossiemouth successfully defended her title in the Mares’ Hurdle, prompting speculation about how she might have fared in the Champion Hurdle.

The day concluded with Haiti Couleurs winning the National Hunt Chase as the favorite, capping off a day where four out of seven favorites emerged victorious.

Despite the thrilling action, attendance was down from last year, with 55,498 spectators compared to nearly 60,000 in 2024. Rising accommodation costs were cited as a potential factor.

As the dust settles on an extraordinary opening day, racing fans now turn their attention to Style Wednesday, where more drama and excitement await in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and other featured races.

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