Cheltenham Festival results: Galopin Des Champs wins Gold Cup as Harry Redknapp gutted

Thanks for joining us to follow live updates from the final day of the Cheltenham Festival, with Galopin Des Champs stealing the headlines by winning the Gold Cup for the second year in a row.

What a week it's been for Willie Mullins, who is the first trainer to win twice with two different horses after tasting victory with Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020.

That's it from us. Goodbye!

The last race of this year's festival is won by Better Days Ahead, who beats Waterford Whispers to claim the final hurrah at Cheltenham.

Waterford Whispers was in the lead for much of the contest but ran out of steam on the final climb.

The result means that Irish trainers finish this year's festival on 19 victories to Britain’s nine.

1. Better Days Ahead

2. Waterford Whispers

3. Quai De Bourbon

4. Answer To Kayf

We're just minutes away from the final race of this year's Cheltenham Festival, the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

Here's a look at the latest odds (via Oddschecker)...

Waterford Whispers: 3/1

Quai De Bourbon: 9/2

Better Days Ahead: 13/2

Ocastle Des Mottes: 17/2

Answer To Kayf: 10/1

Whats Up Darling: 12/1

No Ordinary Joe: 14/1

Sonigino: 18/1

Mel Monroe: 20/1

Yeats Star: 20/1

Bingoo: 33/1

Sequestered: 33/1

Limerick Lace crosses the line to win the Mares' Chase ahead of Dinoblue and Marsh Wren, with the rain now hammering down at Cheltenham.

Dinoblue came agonisingly close to stealing victory right at the end but was unable to edge ahead of Limerick Lace in spite of her best efforts.

It's a one-two finish for JP McManus in the penultimate race of the festival.

1. Limerick Lace

2. Dinoblue

3. Marsh Wren

4: Allegorie De Vassy

Two more races left at Cheltenham today, with the Mares' Chase next up at 4.50pm.

Here are the latest odds (via Oddschecker)...

Dinoblue: 15/8

Limerick Lace: 5/2

Allegorie De Vassy: 7/2

Riviere Detel: 8/1

Marsh Wren: 33/1

Instit: 35/1

Pink Legend: 40/1

Harmonya Maker: 50/1

Kestrel Valley: 100/1

Sine Nomine leaves it late to win the Hunters' Chase, edging ahead of Its On The Line with a dramatic charge up the field on the home straight.

It was a three-way battle for victory in the final stages, with Time Leader also hanging on before slipping behind at the last hurdle.

1. Sine Nomine

2. Its On The Line

3. Time Leader

Here's a look at the current odds (via Oddschecker) for the Hunters' Chase, with Its On The Line a late market mover...

"Unbelievable, we had to go through his reserves," says Paul Townend, who has just ridden Galopin Des Champs to victory in the Gold Cup for the second year running.

"I rode him completely different to last year and he was so brave for me. I was afraid we didn't have enough but it's the Gold Cup so we had to go for it.

"What makes him a champion? His heart probably. We had to go through reserves which only special horses have."

Galopin Des Champs defends the Gold Cup title he won last year, finishing ahead of Gerri Colombe by around three lengths.

The Real Whacker led for the vast majority of the race but pulled up in the closing stages, allowing Galopin Des Champs to edge ahead of the pack.

Corach Rambler comes home in third after a late surge despite struggling at the back early on.

1. Galopin Des Champs

2. Gerri Colombe

3. Corach Rambler

4. LHomme Presse

Galopin Des Champs blitzed the field to win the Gold Cup last time out and is the heavy favourite to defend his title in this year's edition of the festival's showpiece event.

Will he live up to his billing? We're about to find out...

Here's a look at the latest odds (via Oddschecker) for the Gold Cup, with the big one set to start in just over 15 minutes...

Galopin Des Champs: 10/11

Gerri Colombe: 13/2

Fastorslow: 8/1

LHomme Presse: 14/1

Bravemansgame: 18/1

Corach Rambler: 18/1

Monkfish: 20/1

Jungle Boogie: 22/1

Gentlemansgame: 28/1

Stellar Story dipped over the line fractionally ahead of The Jukebox Man to seal a superb Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle victory at 33/1.

It's heartbreak for Harry Redknapp's horse The Jukebox Man who lead valliantly from the start, but was beaten in the last stride after clattering the final hurdle.

The favourite, Readin Tommy Wrong, was well beaten long before the finish line.

1. Stellar Story

2. The Jukebox Man

3. Dancing City

4. Spread Boss Ted

5. Lecky Watson

The next race of the afternoon (14:50) is just a few minutes away, with Readin Tommy Wrong heading up the pack with bookmakers.

Gidleigh Park and Captain Teague are also expected to be among the front-runners as we edge closer to the Gold Cup later today.

The latest odds, courtesy of Bet365, are as follows...

Readin Tommy Wrong: 15/8

Gidleigh Park: 11/2

Captain Teague: 15/2

Dancing City: 8/1

High Class Hero: 11/1

Chigorin: 12/1

Jonnywho: 14/1

Lecky Watson: 14/1

Search For Glory: 16/1

The Jukebox Man: 20/1

Stellar Story: 33/1

Spread Boss Ted: 66/1

Dripsey Moon: 250/1

Absurde is a 12/1 winner in the County Handicap Hurdle under Paul Townend, notching another victory for Willie Mullins.

The favourite L'eau Du Sud was in the thick of a two-way battle going towards the line, but Absurde nicked it by a length with Pied Piper, Magical Zoe and Afadil following.

1. Absurde

2. L'eau Du Sud

3. Pied Piper

4. Magical Zoe

5. Afadil

L'eau Du Sud is the well-back favourite ahead of the Handicap Hurdle at 14:10.

Below are selected runners in a packed-out field, with odds courtesy of Bet365...

L'eau Du Sud: 3/1

So Scottish: 11/2

King of Kingsfield: 11/2

Favoir: 8/1

Magical Zoe: 10/1

Zenta: 11/1

Risk Belle: 12/1

We'll bring you the race result in just a few minutes' time...

Victories on the soft ground will require plenty of grit today, and Majborough had it in spades as Mark Walsh rode the 6/1 shot to victory in the Triumph Hurdle, holding off the challenge of Kargese in second.

The result means trainer Willie Mullins is back on the board for the first time since Wednesday.

"It's testing ground, it really is," said Walsh. "It's slower than yesterday."

1. Majborough

2. Kargese

3. Salver

4. Nurburgring

5. Storm Heart

There is plenty of support for the favourite, Storm Heart, ahead of the Triumph Hurdle at 13:30.

Sir Gino was set to head off as the leading candidate for victory but he was pulled out on the eve of the race.

Legendary jockey Ruby Walsh has joined Nina Carberry in plumping for Bunting at 5/1.

We'll bring you the race result in just a few minutes' time...

It was a Thursday to remember for legendary former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as his first Cheltenham win as an owner was swiftly followed by his second.

Cameras caught the Scotsman, 82, celebrating jubilantly as Monmiral charged through to win the Pertemps final.

As if Fergie's day couldn't get any better, another of his horses - Protektorat - stunned Envoi Allen to win the Ryanair Chase in the very next contest.

See the Red Devils icon's reaction to his first win below...

Storm Heart goes into the Triumph Hurdle at 13:30 as the favourite as Sir Gino is a non-runner.

The latest odds, per Bet365, are as follows...

Storm Heart: 10/3

Kargese: 5/1

Majborough: 6/1

Bunting: 13/2

Nurburgring: 15/2

Salver: 8/1

Salvator Mundi: 11/1

Mighty Bandit: 16/1

Ethical Diamond: 28/1

Highwind: 33/1

Fratas: 40/1

Ithaca's Arrow: 125/1

Rachael Blackmore claims she is 'delighted' to be riding Highwind in the Triumph Hurdle this afternoon.

The 33/1 outsider will kick off the final day of the Cheltenham Festival at 13:30 (GMT) and shoot for another Willie Mullins victory.

"I'm delighted to have picked up the ride on Highwind for Willie Mullins in the Triumph Hurdle," Blackmore told Betfair.

"I rode him in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he has plenty of ground to make up on some of his rivals here from that, but he travelled well until the run to the second last flight, where he made a mistake.

"A winner on the flat in France, he won well at Punchestown on his first run in Ireland, he did well to keep on again after he made a mistake at the final flight, and I hope that he can go well here."

King George VI Chase winner Hewick ran in last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup and has amassed more than half a million pounds in career winnings, despite only costing £800.

The chaser, owned by TJ McDonald, was pictured sipping Guinness in an Irish pub before he went on to achieve racing success.

Hewick was expected to have another crack at the Gold Cup this Friday but he was pulled out due to the soft ground.

The nine-year-old has still delivered a remarkable return on investment over the course of his career, given that the most expensive racehorses can sell for tens of millions.

TalkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil failed to show up for his Cheltenham build-up slot on Friday morning, the day after being spotted at a bar in Prestbury Park.

The 64-year-old was scheduled to provide a preview for listeners ahead of the Cheltenham Festival's final day.

But the radio broadcaster were forced to draft in an emergency presenter, Chris Evans, due to Brazil's no-show.

Former footballer and fellow TalkSPORT presenter Jamie O'Hara wrote on X: "Waking up to a Alan Brazil no show is exactly the start of the day I needed, I'll see if I can find him at Cheltenham later on today, shambles from the big man."

Galopin Des Champs will go off as the clear favourite for today's Gold Cup chase.

The odds for the 15:30 showdown, provided by Bet365, are as follows...

Galopin Des Champs: 4/5

Fastorslow: 15/2

Gerri Colombe: 15/2

L'Homme Presse: 10/1

Corach Rambler: 14/1

Bravemansgame: 16/1

Nassalam: 25/1

Gentlemansgame: 25/1

Monkfish: 28/1

Jungle Boogie: 33/1

The Real Whacker: 40/1

The ground for Day 4 of the Cheltenham Festival is soft, heavy in places, after rainfall on Thursday and overnight.

More rain could hit the courses during the course of the day.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin said first thing this morning: "We've had 9mm of rain during racing yesterday and overnight, so now we've had to update the going to heavy on the hurdles course, and soft, heavy in places on the chase track.

"We're celebrating 100 years of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and we're looking forward to hopefully a great running today."

Today's blockbuster sequence of races is set to unfold as follows...

13:30 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle

14:10: Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle

14:50: Cheltenham Novices' Hurdle

15:30: Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase

16:10: Cheltenham Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase

16:50: Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase

17:30: Cheltenham Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

The biggest race of the week is nearly upon us, and if punters are looking for last-minute advice on who to back, Ruby Walsh's verdict is clear.

The 44-year-old believes Galopin Des Champs is the pick of the bunch and stands a great chance of achieving Gold Cup glory later today.

"I’ve been with Galopin Des Champs for a long time and I like everything about him," Walsh wrote for Paddy Power.

"He was very good last year and he’s the best horse in here. Fastorslow will most likely chase him home. Corach Rambler or Gerri Colombe will likely be third."

Rachael Blackmore has been singled out by legendary jockey Ruby Walsh as racing's 'headline star' after another positive week at Cheltenham.

Blackmore, 34, upset the odds to win the Champion Chase on Captain Guinness earlier this week.

And Walsh followed that up by calling the Irishwoman 'incredile' and 'wonderful' to watch.

"There's not exactly many big races left that Rachael Blackmore hasn't won," he told RTE.

"Every sport needs a story and needs a headline star and we're lucky to have Willie Mullins and Paul Townend and Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, but whatever Rachael Blackmore does just exceeds whatever those gentleman do."

Hello and welcome to Express Sport's Cheltenham LIVE!

It's Day 4 of the festival and we've saved the best for last, with the Gold Cup set to get underway at 15:30 (GMT) later today.

Strap yourselves in for a racing bonanza...