Cheltenham Festival 2024: State Man wins Champion Hurdle for Willie Mullins
Champion Hurdle #ChampionHurdle
Rachael Blackmore won the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on 7-2 chance Slade Steel for trainer Henry de Bromhead.
It was a 15th Festival triumph for Blackmore, 34, who became the first woman to be leading jockey at the meeting three years ago.
“I love this place and it’s amazing to be coming here and riding these kind of horses,” she said.
In gruelling rain-softened conditions, the race was run in a time of four minutes, 12.87 seconds – the slowest running of the contest this century.
Mystical Power was second for Mullins as Irish-trained horses finished in the first five places, although his favourite Tullyhill was back in eighth, having faded badly.
It was not long before Mullins was on the scoreboard, with Gaelic Warrior running out an impressive winner of the Arkle Chase.
Townend was roared home on the 2-1 favourite, who triumphed by eight and a half lengths from Found A Fifty.
The jockey and trainer combined again to win the Mares’ Hurdle with Lossiemouth (8-13 favourite).
On a day where the name Mullins dominated, trainer Emmet won the concluding National Hunt Chase run in memory of his late grandmother Maureen with Corbetts Cross.
The 17-length triumph earned the 15-8 winner quotes of 14-1 for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
A first British-trained success of the 2024 meeting came courtesy of Chianti Classico in the Ultima Chase.
Ridden by David Bass, the 6-1 chance ground out victory for trainer Kim Bailey, who won the race 25 years earlier with Betty’s Boy.
Lark In The Mornin (9-1) took the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle under JJ Slevin for trainer Joseph O’Brien.