Golden Ace was a surprise winner of the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, taking full advantage of the chaos at the front of the field.
2023 champion Constitution Hill returned to attempt to regain his crown and was an odds-on favourite heading into his race, with Brighterdaysahead expected to be the chief challenger.
However, the script went out of the window when Constitution Hill clattered into the fifth hurdle and went down. Brighterdaysahead then moved to the front and Gordon Elliott appeared to be firmly on course for victory in the biggest race of the day.
But Brighterdaysahead had no answer as State Man, winner of this race 12 months ago, cruised into the lead and was all of five lengths in front approaching the last.
The drama continued, though, as State Man went down in heavy fashion, and that left the coast clear for Golden Ace to cruise up the hill and take a remarkable win, ahead of 66-1 outsider Burdett Road and Winter Fog, who went off at 150-1.
State Man falls at the LAST!
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 11, 2025
Golden Ace wins a RIDICULOUS Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 😳#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @williams_lorcan pic.twitter.com/OqeggDUgSm
Winning jockey Lorcan Williams said: "I’m lost for words. This is the best day of my life by far. You dream of these moments as a kid. I hope the others are ok – Constitution Hill and State Man are iconic horses
"But she is fantastic. She always turns up and fair play to (owner) Ian Gosden for picking this race rather than the Mares' Hurdle. I am not complaining now. I’m just a small part of the team and delighted to be on board
"All I was thinking was my agent said watch Constitution Hill. When he was out of the race I thought I would stay on for second. We were just there to pick up the pieces."
Willie Mullins confirmed that State Man was fine after the fall at the last, while Nicky Henderson said Constitution Hill was “very bright and breezy”.
There had been another big shock earlier in the day, when odds-on favourite Majborough failed to deliver in the Arkle Chase.
He had a disastrous jump at the penultimate fence and it seemed to be a straight battle between L'Eau Du Sud and Only By Night, but Majborough rallied and Jango Baie came back from nowhere to snatch victory.
Lossiemouth retained her Mares' Hurdle crown with a dominant showing, raising questions over the decision not to run her in the Champion Hurdle.
"She was very good. I was disappointed with the fact she didn't run in the Champion Hurdle, but her work with State Man last week wasn't Champion Hurdle work so the obvious thing was to come back," Mullins said.
The opening race of the Festival, the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle, was renamed in memory of the Irish jockey who won it two years ago but died following a fall last month.
Kopek Des Bordes justified his favouritism with a comfortable win for Mullins and Paul Townend, who won twice on the first day but will reflect with huge frustration on failing to get the job done with State Man.
