Poniros, previously unraced over hurdles, landed a sensational 100/1 victory in the G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle on the closing day of the Cheltenham Festival.
His success meant that Golden Horn was the only stallion to sire two Grade 1 winners at Cheltenham during the week. From just five runners at the meeting he also had the Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace and the third in the Triumph in East India Dock.
Poniros, bred by Wilgerbosdrift (UK) Ltd, is out of the Lope De Vega mare Rue Renan and was a €95,000 Goffs Orby yearling before wining on debut on the Flat at two for Ralph Beckett and Amo Racing. Earning a rating of 91 through his eight starts on the level, he was bought last year at the Tattersalls Horses-in-Training Sale by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for 200,000gns, and the trainer has plans to return him to the Flat this summer, with the Melbourne Cup as a possible long-term aim.
Mullins, the leading trainer at Cheltenham once again, also trains Golden Horn’s son Too Bossy For Us. He too was making his hurdles debut in the Triumph and ran with great credit to finish seventh.
The trainer said of Poniros, “He’s by Golden Horn, who I think is going to make a very good sire over jumps.
“He’s the sort of horse you’re looking for. I didn’t expect that. We were hoping he would run well and be a nice horse for next year, so he’s ahead of schedule.
“We bought him in October, schooled him and gave him a break. We said we’d better drag him in from the field and get him ready for Cheltenham, and that’s what we did. But I didn’t expect any more than a nice run.”
Mullins added, “You must remember that he came from the Flat, so he had race experience – that’s a huge advantage. We’ve done plenty of jumping at home with him.
“I imagine he’ll go to Punchestown, and then we’ll find something at Royal Ascot, perhaps. He was bought as a dual-purpose horse, and I am hoping in time he might turn into a Melbourne Cup horse – that would be the long-term plan.”
Golden Horn, the leading National Hunt sire in Britain this season, was one of only two stallions, along with Doctor Dino, to be represented by two winners at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
