Golden Ace Shocks Cheltenham with Stunning Champion Hurdle Victory

Cheltenham, England — In a dramatic turn of events at the Unibet Champion Hurdle on March 11, 2025, Golden Ace shocked the racing world by winning the prestigious race at odds of 25-1 after front-runners Constitution Hill and State Man fell.

Constitution Hill, the reigning champion and 1-2 favorite, fell at the fifth hurdle, while State Man was in the lead when he also fell at the last hurdle, leaving the path clear for Golden Ace to claim victory by nine lengths. Burdett Road, a 66-1 outsider, finished in second place. Golden Ace was ridden to victory by jockey Lorcan Williams, who celebrated his first top-level Grade One win.

“I’m lost for words. This is the best day of my life by far,” Williams said. “You dream of these moments as a kid. I hope the others are OK—Constitution Hill and State Man are iconic horses.”

Trainer Jeremy Scott expressed mixed feelings about the race. “It’s marred by the two horses who came down, but I’m just delighted that the gods favored us,” he said. The decision to enter Golden Ace in the Champion Hurdle, instead of the Mares’ Hurdle, was made by owner Ian Gosden, who quoted a line from the sitcom *Only Fools and Horses*—“He who dares, wins, Rodney.”

Both Constitution Hill and State Man were reported unscathed after their falls. Trainer Nicky Henderson, commenting on Constitution Hill’s mishap, said, “Nobody is hurt. They’re two jockeys and two horses who’ve had proper falls, but they’re all OK. That’s the main thing.”

The opening day crowd at Cheltenham numbered 55,498, nearly 5,000 fewer than last year. Factors contributing to the decline were cited as rising accommodation costs and general expenses associated with attending the races.

In other events, Lossiemouth retained her Mares’ Hurdle crown, winning convincingly under Paul Townend by seven and a half lengths. Willie Mullins, her trainer, noted, “She was very good… it’s disappointing for everyone, but you look at where you can get winners. We’ve done the right thing.”

Kopek Des Bordes started the day with a victory for Townend and Mullins, much to the joy of owner Charlie McCarthy, who recently underwent kidney cancer surgery. “I’m on cloud nine. I just can’t get over it,” McCarthy said.

Jango Baie won the Arkle Chase, and Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell claimed the Ultima Handicap Chase for the third time in four years with Myretown. In the National Hunt Chase, trained by Rebecca Curtis, Haiti Couleurs emerged victorious.

The unexpected outcomes in both the Champion Hurdle and other races on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival left attendees buzzing about the unpredictable nature of horse racing.