Golden Ace became the first Grade 1 winner for Golden Horn and just the seventh mare to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle when prevailing in a dramatic renewal on the feature race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Trained by Jeremy Scott for Ian Gosden, the seven-year-old mare is out of the Dubawi mare Deuce Again and was bred by Meon Valley Stud.
“I think my team at home will be as flabbergasted as I am – they’ll be watching it at home now and they’ll definitely be reaching for the drinks cabinet. Amazing, absolutely amazing,” said Scott after the last two Champion Hurdle winners, Constitution Hill and State Man, both fell in the race.
“Give me a pinch and make sure this isn’t a dream!”
This was the second year running that Golden Ace had won at the Festival after beating Brighterdaysahead in last year’s G2 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
He added, “That’s her unbeaten here, so she obviously likes the track.”
Winning jockey Lorcan Williams said, “Literally, I cannot believe it. She wasn’t travelling as well as I wanted in the latter part of the race; all I was thinking was that we could do with a bit further, then I thought, ‘We’re staying on well for second’, and things happened started to happen. I hope they’re alright – they’re iconic horses – but we were there to pick up the pieces. I’m absolutely thrilled for the Jeremy Scott team; it’s a massive team effort to come here and I’m lost for words as to what a pleasure it is to get it done.”
Golden Horn has further runners in Grade 1 contests this week, with Nemean Lion declared for Thursday’s Stayers’ Hurdle, and East India Dock, Poniros and Too Bossy For Us all entered in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
