Cheltenham Festival 2020

The 2020 Cheltenham Festival was staged, as usual, between Tuesday, March 10 and Friday, March 13 and, according to a Jockey Club spokesperson, "...went ahead under the clear and ongoing guidance from the government and its science experts throughout...". Nevertheless, with extensive nationwide lockdown measures announced shortly afterwards, intended to curb the spread of Covid-19, the Jockey Club and the government were subsequently criticised for failing to act quickly enough.

On the racecourse, Irish-trained horses won 17 of the 28 races, including the Ryanair Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, both of which went the way of Willie Mullins and his stable jockey Paul Townend, courtesy of Min and Al Boum Photo, respectively. Defending champion Al Boum Photo, who justified favouritism, albeit narrowly, in the 'Blue Riband' event, was a seventh winner of the week for Mullins, who thus retained his leading trainer title, and a fifth for Townend, who became leading jockey for the first time.

Despite defeat in the Prestbury Cup for the fourth time in five seasons, the home team had plenty to cheer about. Epatante, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty, justified favouritism in the Champion Hurdle, Politologue, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Harry Skelton, made virtually all to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase unchallenged and Lisnagar Oscar, trained by Rebecca Curtis and ridden by Adam Wedge, belied odds of 50/1 to win the Stayers' Hurdle, in which the defending champion, and odds-on favourite, Paisley Park, ran well below expectations.

Lisnagar Oscar was not, in fact, the longest-priced winner of the week. That distinction belonged to

It Came To Pass, trained by Eugene O'Sullivan, in Lombardstown, County Cork, and ridden by his daughter, Maxine, who stormed up the hill to win the Foxhunter Challenge Cup by 10 lengths at odds of 66/1. Unarguably the unluckiest loser of the week was Goshen, trained by Gary Moore and ridden by his son, Jamie, who was sent off 5/2 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle and looked to have the race in the bag when stumbling and unseating rider after the final flight.