Gaelic Warrior Dominates Gold Cup, as Harry Redknapps The Jukebox Man Disappoints

Gaelic Warrior obliterates rivals in the Boodles Gold Cup as he storms ahead eight lengths clear of the defending champion Inothewayurthinkin. 

The final day of the Cheltenham Festival proved memorable as the 11/4 joint favourite, Gaelic Warrior, wins one of the most prestigious races on the National Hunt calendar for Willie Mullins.

Haiti Couleurs established an early lead for Rebecca Curtis and the Welsh people, however slowly began to drift to the back approaching the turn for home as the race began to intensify.

Nothing was more of a disappointment than Harry Redknapps The Jukebox Man, who travelled consistently for a long way but a crucial mistake towards the end left the former Tottenham manager’s horse finishing in eighth place.

Gaelic Warrior swept past the field before the final fence and was never seriously challenged, to give jockey Paul Townend his fifth Gold Cup winner, followed by Jango Baie and Inothewayurthinkin.

Rich Ricci became the first owner to win both the Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle in the same Festival week with both Gaelic Warrior and Lossiemouth delivering.

Mullins was quick to pay tribute to both jockey and owner in a post-race interview: “He’s such a cool jockey and a superb horse, it was a hell of a performance. Rich has already won the Champion Hurdle this week and Paul won that and the Champion Chase, it’s incredible.

It was an extraordinary performance and I’m delighted for the Riccis, I think they are the first owners to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup in the same season.

“I’m delighted for Paul, he was so cool on him. Could you imagine what was going through his head going to the last fence, I can only tell you what was going through mine, but we won’t talk about that now! We’ve had so many last-fence mishaps here.

“The way he did it was spectacular, very dominant. He can be keen, but Paul got everything right and the horse put in a tremendous round of jumping. When you pair that with his ability it’s fantastic for owner and jockey.”

“It’s the Gold Cup. They just get better and better. I am speechless,” said Townend after his fifth Gold Cup triumph.

“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.”

Ricci said he had “reached the mountain” having wanted to win the Gold Cup for 21 years.

After watching Jukebox Man finish eighth, Redknapp said winning would have been the “icing on the cake”, but it had been “a great season” regardless after victory in December winning the King George VI Chase.