Gaelic Warrior (5/6 favorite) completed the Cheltenham-Punchestown Gold Cup double in emphatic fashion at Punchestown this afternoon.
Winner of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, the Willie Mullins-trained gelding became the first horse since Sizing John to complete the major National Hunt double.
Riding towards the back of the field for most of the race, Paul Townend was happy to let Fact To File (13/8) and Mark Walsh set the pace.
Cheltenham hero Gaelic Warrior looks majestic in the @Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup! @punchestownrace pic.twitter.com/689GGOjTSl
– Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 29, 2026
Grangeclare West (28/1) and 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin (8/1) battled it out for second and third positions for most of the 3 mile 213 yard race, followed by the Rich Ricci-owned Gaelic Warrior with Danny Mullins aboard Champ Kiely (33/1) in last position.
Once Townend made his decision, the Ladbrokes Gold Cup result never seemed in doubt, as the Closutton inmate ran out a most impressive winner by 26 lengths.
Fact To File, owned by JP McManus, finished second, with Grangeclare West and Brian Hayes third, 28 lengths behind the runner-up – completing a trio for horses run by Willie Mullins in the five-runner contest.
“It’s classy, isn’t it?”
You can say it again, Paul! pic.twitter.com/DC9kcyTwDB
– Punchestown (@punchestownrace) April 29, 2026
Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthink, also in McManus colours, finished fourth, a further 37 lengths behind, with Champ Kiely failing to finish.
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