Cheltenham Festival 2025 Recap: Shocks, Surprises, and Big Wins

Our favourite week of the year has sadly come to an end, and what a week it has been. Another week of action-packed thrills in Cheltenham and has us reeling for more. If you missed it, here’s the rundown of race highlights, big wins, nail-biting moments, and more

Tuesday: Champions Day 

Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival brought us potentially one of the biggest shocks in racing history. The two favourites of the Champion Hurdle, Constitution Hill and Stateman, both fell mid-race, leaving 25/1 Golden Ace to steal the victory. Favourites Kopek Des Bordes and Lossiemouth both remained victorious in their races. The atmosphere in Cheltenham was electric, with racing fans both distraught and victorious.

Wednesday: Ladies Day 

Style Wednesday did not disappoint. Many Cheltenham famous faces took to the stands to show off their iconic looks such as Jade Holland Cooper, and Queen Consort Camilla, making ladies’ day another excellent turnout. The racing scene followed on from Tuesday’s antics with the weather being as unpredictable as the races, heavy snowfall in the late morning, followed by brilliant sunshine left Cheltenham attendees baffled. The races were action-packed again, with favourite JonBon making a small jumping error, costing him 9mph and first place, leaving Marine Nationale to steal the win in the Betmgmuk Champion Hurdle. A heartwarming moment emerged when novice jockey and Cheltenham first-timer Jody Townsend rode Bambino Fever to victory in the Champion Bumper.

Thursday: St Patrick’s Thursday 

Thursday was another action-packed day filled with thrills and spills. The weather was unpredictable, with brilliant sunshine, closely followed by hail showers, and then sunny/overcast to finish the day. Favourites ‘Air of Entitlement’ and ‘Fact to File’ remained victorious in their races, Rachel Blackmore bagged her first win of the festival on ‘Bob Olinger’, continuing her Cheltenham Festival winning streak. A topic for discussion amongst racing fans was the difficulty with the start of the races. Riders and horses did not seem to struggle so much at the start of the festival, but Thursday stood out with a false start occurring in almost every race. Discussions were had on whether the placing of the race was fair and an accurate representation of the speed and skill of horses and jockeys. Fans poured into Cheltenham after to celebrate a cracking St Paddy’s Day.

Friday: Gold Cup Day 

Friday was the final day and as nail-biting as the others. As exciting as the other races were, the Gold Cup race had fans gripped as 2-time Gold Cup champion Galop De Champs was set to claim his third victory. In a shocking twist, Galop De Champs was beaten for first place by ‘INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN’, trained by Gordon Elliot. Another jaw-dropping moment occurred when 100/1 odds horse ‘Poniros’ beat favourite ‘East India Dock’ to finish first in the Triumph Hurdle. The horse made his hurdles debut on Friday, having never raced hurdles previously and came out victorious.

You don’t have to miss out. Early bird tickets are now on sale for the 2026 Gold Cup Festival. We have accommodation available for Gold Cup 2026, however, we are getting booked up fast. Book direct to unlock exclusive perks, offers, and discounts.