The curtain has come down on the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, and what a week it’s been! Horse racing fans from all corners of Britain—and even well beyond—were glued to the action, whether at the bustling Gloucestershire racecourse, in the sunny terraces of Benidorm, or huddled around radios and screens across the world. The four-day festival, running from Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13, delivered on every front: drama, triumph, heartbreak, and a few upsets to keep everyone guessing until the very last furlong.
The headline event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, took center stage on Friday at 16:00 GMT. The anticipation was palpable as the field lined up, with the eyes of the racing world fixed on two horses in particular: Gaelic Warrior, trained by the legendary Willie Mullins, and Jango Baie, both joint favorites at 11-4. But it was Gaelic Warrior who seized the moment, storming home with jockey Paul Townend barely needing to move a muscle, finishing a commanding eight lengths clear of Jango Baie. The 2025 Gold Cup champion, Inothewayurthinkin, put in a valiant effort to claim third at 8-1 odds.
For Mullins and Townend, the win marked their fifth Gold Cup triumph—a feat that cements their place among the sport’s greats. Mullins was quick to heap praise on owner Rich Ricci, who achieved a remarkable double, becoming the first owner to win both the Champion Hurdle (with Lossiemouth earlier in the week) and the Gold Cup in the same year. As Mullins told ITV, "What a performance and what a performance from the owner. The first time an owner has won the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup in the same season. Paul Townend, how cool was he over the last two fences? The dominance of Gaelic Warrior against a good field on paper—fantastic for them all."
Townend, still catching his breath after his fifth Gold Cup win, was effusive in his gratitude: "It's the Gold Cup. They just get better and better. I am speechless," he told ITV. "Patrick [Mullins] was convinced [Gaelic Warrior] was the horse for the race. Hard luck on him, but he did a lot of work with this horse. It's a big team effort. I was just fortunate to be on the back of him today. I got the position I wanted. I didn't ever envision going so far ahead, but I wasn't going to slow him down third from the last."
Yet the Gold Cup wasn’t just about the favorites. Former football manager Harry Redknapp, now a familiar face in the racing world, saw his horse Jukebox Man attempt to become the first British-trained winner of the Gold Cup since 2018. Hopes were high after Jukebox Man’s victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton in December, but this time, the dream was not to be—he finished eighth. Redknapp, ever the sportsman, took it in stride, telling ITV, "He travelled well. The winner was fantastic and really impressive. I think he's got a little wind problem that we need to sort out. But no excuses. It's been amazing. What a week it's been to be here and have a runner in the Gold Cup. I've loved every minute of it. It would have been the icing on the cake to win it, but it wasn't to be. We won the second best [race - the King George at Kempton], so it's been a great season."
Redknapp’s journey into horse racing is a story in itself. With family roots in London’s East End—his grandmother Maggie Brown was a bookmaker’s runner when betting was still illegal—Redknapp has long had racing in his blood. "My nan would take the bets. There was no betting shops, betting was totally illegal. I'd come out for my school dinner when I'm eight or nine and she was getting put in the back of a police van and taken to Poplar police station. I grew up with my nan, she'd give me a pen—I couldn't read or write—she'd say stick a pen in a couple and that would be her bet for the day," Redknapp recalled to BBC Sport. Now, with shares in 26 horses, he’s as passionate as ever, though he admits he leaves the riding to the professionals: "They're not like footballers, are they?"
While the drama unfolded on the turf, an equally vibrant scene was brewing far from Gloucestershire. Thousands of British racing fans, priced out of the UK event, flocked to Benidorm, Spain, to soak up the festival’s atmosphere under the Mediterranean sun. Mikey Fenton from Tonbridge, Kent, a Cheltenham veteran of 15 years, was among them. "I have travelled to Cheltenham in the last 15 years for the festival, but it is expensive and no value for money," Fenton told BBC Radio Kent. With food and drink prices at the racecourse soaring, he opted for a £60 return flight to Spain, sharing an apartment with friends and joining the "Costa Del Cheltenham" crowd in Benidorm’s bustling pubs. "It's fantastic," he said. "We plan to go around to different pubs to watch different races." The Spanish resort, nicknamed the "New York of the Mediterranean," has become a haven for festival fans seeking a buzzing atmosphere without breaking the bank.
The final day of the Festival was packed with big stories beyond the Gold Cup. There were shock winners, like 50-1 outsider Apolon De Charnie in the Triumph Hurdle and 14-1 Wilful in the County Hurdle, the latter trained by Jonjo O'Neill and ridden by his son Jonjo Jr. The younger O’Neill, who’s had a challenging year, told ITV, "I've had quite a troubled year on and off the track. I've had a lot of support from my mum and dad and brother and to repay them with a win like this means everything." Willie Mullins, meanwhile, added more silverware with victories in the Mares' Chase (Dinoblue) and the Hunters' Chase (Barton Snow), while Ireland edged Britain 15-13 in the Prestbury Cup after Air Of Entitlement’s win in the Festival’s final race.
But the week was not without its somber moments. Festival stalwart Envoi Allen, a three-time Cheltenham winner, tragically died after falling ill following Friday’s feature race. Saint Le Fort became the fourth horse to die at this year’s Festival, suffering a fatal fall at the last hurdle of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle. These losses cast a shadow over an otherwise jubilant week and reignited ongoing debates around horse welfare in the sport.
Throughout the Festival, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra provided live commentary for all 28 races, with BBC Radio 5 Live offering coverage of the feature contests. Gina Bryce and Mark Chapman anchored the broadcasts, joined by expert analysts like Andrew Thornton, Paddy Brennan, and Charlie Poste, with John Hunt leading the commentary team. Racing fans could also keep up with all the drama via live text, racecards, and results on the BBC Sport website and app, ensuring that no one missed a beat—no matter where they were watching from.
As the sun sets on another Cheltenham Festival, the stories of triumph, heartbreak, and sheer sporting spectacle will linger long in the memory. Whether in the grandstands, in Spanish sunshine, or simply following along from home, fans were treated to a feast of racing that once again proved why Cheltenham holds a special place in the heart of the sporting calendar.