Paul Townend is now the most successful jockey ever in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup with five successes – he was previously tied with the late Pat Taaffe on four wins. Townend’s five wins are Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and Gaelic Warrior (2026).

Willie Mullins joins the late Tom Dreaper as the most successful trainer ever in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup with five victories. Mullins winners are Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and Gaelic Warrior (2026). Dreaper was successful with Prince Regent (1946), Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966) and Fort Leney (1968).

The highlight of The Cheltenham Festival, the £625,000 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, went to Ireland for the 32nd time in 2026 as Gaelic Warrior (11-4 Joint Favourite) came home the comfortable eight-length winner.

The other 11-4 Joint Favourite Jango Baie took the runner-up spot with last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin (11-1) another two lengths away in third.

Willie Mullins said: “It was just extraordinary. I’m just delighted for the Riccis, I think they are the first owners to have won the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup in the same season (they are actually the second after Dorothy Paget). I’m delighted for Paul Townend, who gave him such a great ride. He was so cool on him. Could you imagine what was going through his head going to the last fence? I know what was going through mine! We’ve had so many last fence mishaps around here. It’s fantastic and the way he did it was just spectacular.

“He got everything right and just put in a tremendous round of jumping. We can’t ask for better than that. Jumping and ability, fantastic for owner and jockey.”

Paul Townend said: “It’s the Gold Cup. I always say they just get better and better. Oh my God, I’m speechless! We were dealt a big blow with Galopin Des Champs coming out, I was lucky enough for this lad to come along. Patrick was convinced that he was the horse for the race. He’s done a lot of work with this horse from the last day, it’s a huge team effort, I was just the fortunate one to be on his back today.”

Responding to the point that Gaelic Warrior looked keen early on, Townend said: “That’s not keen for Gaelic Warrior! I was delighted I got the position I wanted. When Harry went on, I was even happier because we were bumping into each other at a couple of fences and we were just going to keep clashing the whole way around. When he went on, this lad went to sleep, jumped from fence to fence, I didn’t ever envision being in front going as well turning in, but I wasn’t going to slow him down after the jump at the third last any more than I did. It was just a matter of not falling off him up the straight.”

On owners Rich and Susannah Ricci, he said: “They are big, big supporters of mine and the yard. I think I actually had my first ever ride on the Flat for Rich many, many years ago. Huge thanks to them, they invest a hell of a lot of money into the game. Win, lose or draw, there’s nothing said. They are big sports people and they deserve every bit of success they get.”

Paying tribute to his father who hugged him after the race, the jockey added: “He’s the one who had to pay to carry me round the country with ponies, and Friday nights home from school and to Ballyrafter showjumping, on to pony racing then and up and down to Willie Mullins’s before I could drive… A lot of hard work went into me and it wasn’t easy either, so it’s incredible. I genuinely can’t believe it.

“He pulled a little bit early, but he was well-behaved for Gaelic Warrior, to be honest! I was quite happy with him. I just got into the position that I’d gone over 100 times in my head, and usually things don’t go like that for you, but once I got a couple in front of me he relaxed really well, jumped really well, and to be honest from the third last, it was just ‘don’t fall off him’ to get him home. I wasn’t going to slow him down any more after jumping it well, but I wasn’t going to commit him either. He was extraordinary.

“We were dealt a blow with Galopin Des Champs, and thoughts to Patrick [Mullins] as well, who was substituted out then at the last minute, and I was fortunate enough to come in for the ride. Patrick has done a lot of work with this horse at home, and he deserves a lot of credit for it as well. You wonder how he got into a Fred Winter!

“I was coming here as always with a big book of rides, but I didn’t have a nailed-on one, I thought, so I was delighted to get on the board early, and things have just rolled, and the horses have run really well for me throughout the week. Again, it’s no coincidence that man [Willie Mullins] produces them here.”

Winning owner Rich Ricci said: “I’m a wreck! I’ve been crying since the second-last. I’ve been trying to win this race for 21 years. Brilliant. Magic. People are so lovely to me. And a great ride by Paul. I haven’t seen the race, but I heard it was! It’s been a great week - incredible.

“I’m pleased for the horse - I’m very pleased for Joe Chambers, because he was the one who really backed the horse, found a new sire - he’s very good at that - and had faith in him from the beginning. We’ve tried to buy Gold Cup winners and have never had it until today.”

Nicky Henderson, trainer of runner-up Jango Baie, said: “What a great winner. The winner is absolutely brilliant, no doubt about that. We made a couple of little mistakes, but they were irrelevant to our finishing position. We are very proud of him. He’s run his heart out, He stayed, but the others stayed a bit better than him. If you are in here after a Gold Cup you’ve got a very special horse.

“He’s only seven. He’s a baby, put it that way, and he’s stayed on all the way. It certainly wasn’t stamina that beat him, but compared to the winner a lack of turn of foot did. I know he quickened up the hill last year but it’s very different over three miles and two.

“He’s done absolutely nothing wrong. He jumped and stayed and he's only seven, so we’d better come and do it again next year.

“They were all there at the top of the hill - a cluster of them ready to have a crack - and he beat a lot of very good horses. But he couldn’t beat a very, very good horse. He’s got a lot of class, the winner.

“Let’s see how he comes out of this, but he’s only had two runs before this so you’d like to think he possibly could go on to Aintree.”

Dan Skelton, trainer of the fourth Grey Dawning, said: “What a great winner. The winner is absolutely brilliant, no doubt about that. We made a couple of little mistakes but they were irrelevant to our finishing position. We are very proud of him. He’s run his heart out, He stayed, but the others stayed a bit better than him. If you are in here after a Gold Cup you’ve got a very special horse.

“He’ll go to Aintree. He’s a bit older now and he can take his races, so we’ll take him there.”