Cheltenham underwent significant transformations over the past decade since my previous visit. Police officers, armed with automatic weapons, now stand guard at the entrance — a sight that wasn’t there on my last visit. Cleeve Hill continues to provide a picturesque background to the racecourse, yet the prominence of Willie Mullins now rivals the beauty of the hill. An iconic figure in Irish and British steeplechase, Mullins has an impressive lineup of over 60 horses competing this week, many of whom are favourites to win.
This reality contributes to another visible shift at Cheltenham; a drop in the display of Irish flags celebrating victories. The anomaly may be because Irish victories have become too frequent to warrant nationalistic observances or because the winners now hail more from well-resourced stables and affluent owners. Steeplechase, traditionally considered an underdog of flat racing, is now more or less a large-scale enterprise.
Indeed, the absence of Irish flags was prevalent when the first victor of this year’s festival emerged — it was not greeted with traditional Irish symbols. It wasn’t a moment of glory for Mullins either who had to reconcile with a second place, while trainer Henry de Bromhead and jockey Rachael Blackmore seized the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle win on Slade Steel.
Regardless of flag displays, rapturous cheers, predominantly in South Tipperary accents, welcomed the champion. This was largely due to the fact that the owners of Slade Steel also run a pub in Clonmel, the Emigrant’s Rest.
Among the regulars near the winners’ enclosure was Denis Kiely, who, according to his boisterous friends, had snuck away from his wife for the day. He confessed to The Irish Times that he told his wife he was attending a meeting, but also courageously disclosed his identity.
The traditional order resumed in the subsequent race, with Mullins celebrating his inaugural victory of the week. Rich Ricci, the former chief of Barclays Bank, partnered Mullins for the win, adding a hint of flamboyance to the proceedings.
Attired in a fetching pink check ensemble complete with matching footwear, the smugness seemed to deepen even further when he and Mullins scored yet again with Lossiemouth, favoured by many, seizing the laurels in the day’s fifth contest. Mullins also managed to secure triumph for the State Man in the banner event of Tuesday, where the tricolour of Ireland was sighted briefly, representing the flamboyantly rich ex-bookmaker from Cork, Joe Donnelly.
The couple Joe and Marie Donnelly are also aficionados of art, possessing creations by Picasso, Matisse, and de Kooning. In their equine collection, they’ve previously boasted creatures of repute such as Al Boum Photo, a two-time Gold Cup champion. Incorporating Champion Hurdle to their rapidly expanding collection, in quintessential Leeside accent, Donnelly reminisced about shared origins with the victorious jockey’s grandfather from the times they spent at “the dogs in Cork”.
Tuesday likewise witnessed an unexpected victory for the underdog, the local squad’s sole win of the day was secured by none other than a horse classified as Chianti Classico. Helmed by Kim Bailey, Chianti won the third race, leading to rather boisterous merriment. Interestingly, the horse was bred in Ireland, courtesy of David O’Connell from Meath. He represents a sector of nearly 3,500 breeders, largely unassuming, dabbling operators, possessing a mere handful of mares. The primary market for exporting their prized horses is the UK, highlighting the necessity for the occasional victory there. O’Connell, absent from the victory, reportedly expressed excitement and requested friends for a racecard as keepsake.
In the final race of the day, the National Hunt Chase, a heartening outcome unfolded. The race, renamed to honour Maureen Mullins in 2024, saw victory go to Corbett’s Cross. Maureen, a titan in the Mullins clań which includes Willie, passed away at age 94. Interestingly, it wasn’t Willie delivering the horse to the race, but Maureen’s grandson, Emmet, instead – a young man in the early steps of his training career.
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