Paul Townend’s historic treble at Cheltenham 2026

Paul Townend arrived at Prestbury Park this year with a strong record and a formidable book of rides. By the time he left, he had rewritten the history books. With race-by-race prices moving fast across all four days, this was a festival that rarely let you breathe, with Townend’s performances sitting right at the heart of it.

 

The Champion Hurdle: Lossiemouth

The week began with a statement. Willie Mullins’ Lossiemouth, carrying high expectations after her record of four Festival wins from four starts, stepped up from the Mares’ Hurdle to take on the Champion Hurdle and left her rivals with no answers.

Townend settled her beautifully through the early stages, and she found another gear on the approach to the final flight, drawing clear of Brighterdaysahead and the rest of the field to win with authority. It was her fifth Cheltenham Festival win, and the first time the Ricci silks had won the Champion Hurdle. For Townend, it was the first leg of something that nobody had ever done before.

 

The Champion Chase: Il Etait Temps

24 hours later, Townend returned to the winners’ enclosure with Il Etait Temps in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. This was a performance full of confidence from a horse and jockey partnership that knew exactly what it was doing.

Travelling smoothly throughout and finding a decisive jump at the second last, Il Etait Temps hit the line clear of his rivals to give Mullins another championship race and Townend two from two for the week. The treble was now a real conversation, though most considered it ambitious at best.

 

The Gold Cup: Gaelic Warrior

Gaelic Warrior, a horse with all the ability in the world and the occasional temperamental edge to match, produced the performance of the festival under a masterclass from Townend in the prestigious Gold Cup.

Starting as the 11/4 joint-favourite, Gaelic Warrior settled into fourth early on as Haiti Couleurs attempted to dictate from the front, before Townend moved him smoothly into contention down the hill. From the third last, there was only one winner. He crossed the line eight lengths ahead of Jango Baie, with Inothewayurthinkin third. Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man, one of the most talked-about storylines of the week, could not land a blow.

It was Townend’s fifth Gold Cup win, putting him ahead of the legendary Pat Taaffe as the most successful Gold Cup jockey in history, and it completed the first ever Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup treble at a single festival.

 

What it all means

Willie Mullins collected his 13th leading trainer title at the meeting, finishing with eight winners from 28 races and equalling Tom Dreaper’s record of five Gold Cup victories as a trainer.

Ireland edged the Prestbury Cup 15-13, though the margin flattered the scoreline. Britain put up its strongest challenge since 2019, and the rivalry between the two nations felt alive in a way it has not for years.

But this Cheltenham will be remembered first and foremost for Townend. Three championship races, three wins, one festival. It has never been done before, and it may never be done again.