It finished as it started with an Irish win in the last race of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, adding to the winner that kicked it all off on Tuesday and bringing the final winning tally to 18 Irish trained winners to England’s nine and Scotland’s one.
England did secure a Championship race this time around with Constitution Hill an impressive winner of the Champion Hurdle but the Champion Chase went to the Willie Mullins-trained Energumene and the Boodles Gold Cup, the blue riband of the meeting to the same trainer with Galopin Des Champs.
Jockey Paul Townend ended the week with five winners to claim the top jockey crown for a third time. Irish riders have topped the chart in 15 out of the last 16 years.
Willie Mullins claimed the top trainer title with six wins. It is the tenth time he has done so in the last twelve years.
Having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup only three times between 1987 and 2013, Irish-trained runners have won it eight times in the last ten, including each of the last five.
Paul Townend celebrated by riding at Thurles on Saturday and the game carries on with the focus of attention now turning to the Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter weekend, the Randox Health Grand National Meeting in Liverpool the weekend after and the Punchestown Festival at the end of the month.
