Timeform Jumps Awards 2026 including Horse of the Season and Race of the Season

HORSE OF THE SEASON: GAELIC WARRIOR (180)

For a long time, Willie Mullins could have been forgiven for thinking if he’d ever win the Cheltenham Gold Cup even once. He saddled the runner-up no fewer than six times before Al Boum Photo finally changed his luck in 2019. His first runner-up was Florida Pearl in 2000 (also third the year before), followed by Grand National winner Hedgehunter in 2006, Sir de Champs in 2013, On His Own who was beaten a short head in 2014 and Djakadam, owned by Susannah and Rich Ricci, who was second twice, in 2015 and 2016.

But in the space of just seven years, Mullins has now become the joint most successful trainer in the now more than hundred years of the Gold Cup. Al Boum Photo retained his title in 2020, Galopin des Champs also won back-to-back renewals in 2023 and 2024, and in the latest season the Riccis’ Gaelic Warrior made it five wins for Mullins. That puts him level with fellow Irishman Tom Dreaper whose three different winners included the greatest Gold Cup winner of them all, Arkle, who won his third Gold Cup sixty years ago this year. In sharing each of those five wins with Mullins, Paul Townend became the most successful jockey in Gold Cup history, moving one ahead of Arkle’s jockey Pat Taaffe.

The Gold Cup marked Gaelic Warrior’s fourth appearance at the Cheltenham Festival. He was runner-up on his first two visits, starting with a short-head defeat in the Fred Winter on his debut for Mullins when sent off the shortest-priced favourite for a modern-day Festival handicap. That preserved his novice status for the following season, and twelve months later he chased home shorter-priced stablemate Impaire Et Passe in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Baring Bingham). That was Gaelic Warrior’s first try beyond two miles, but an impressive win over three at Punchestown later that spring was the first indication that Gaelic Warrior had potential for still longer trips.

In his novice season over fences, however, Gaelic Warrior was kept to shorter distances. He made an excellent start to his chasing career (twice beating another future Gold Cup winner, Inothewayurthinkin) but a defeat, which actually ended in an unseat, in a match with stablemate Fact To File at the Dublin Racing Festival was far from ideal going into Cheltenham. But wearing a hood for the first time which he has worn in all his subsequent starts, Gaelic Warrior bounced back to justify favouritism in a heavy-ground Arkle, his jumping passing the test going left-handed. A surprise defeat at Punchestown at the hands of stablemate Il Etait Temps (only third in the Arkle) wasn’t enough to stop Gaelic Warrior from being named Timeform’s top novice chaser of 2023/24.

Top-class chaser though he was, there was no indication yet that Gaelic Warrior was a Gold Cup horse. He was beaten again on his first two starts of the following campaign – both at around two miles – and missed Cheltenham altogether where Inothewayurthinkin thwarted Galopin des Champs’ bid for a third Gold Cup. But a belated return to three miles plus for the Bowl Chase at Aintree proved an inspired move, and he followed up that victory in the Oaksey Chase on the final day of the season at Sandown, a double which counted for plenty in his trainer’s successful bid for another champion trainer title in Britain.

Gaelic Warrior wasted no time taking his form to a higher level again on his reappearance in the latest season. Galopin des Champs was missing from the line-up for the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in November, but it attracted one of the best fields all season. It was early in the campaign for most, though, and with Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior vying for favouritism, they dominated the race too, pulling a long way clear of much less race-ready rivals. Controlling the race from the front and opening up a lead of a dozen lengths before halfway, Gaelic Warrior then had to show battling qualities when Fact To File cut back his lead to edge past him going to the last, but he got back in front on the flat to win by a neck. Among those who never got involved were previous winner Fastorslow, the future Ryanair winner Heart Wood and Inothewayurthinkin who were the next three home, while the former – and future – Grand National winner I Am Maximus trailed home.

Just over a month later, Gaelic Warrior was involved in another pulsating finish, but this time was on the losing end. Holding every chance at the last in the King George VI Chase, he came off worst in a three-way finish with The Jukebox Man and the previous year’s winner Banbridge, just noses between them, with Jango Baie beaten only a further half-length in fourth. While that put Gaelic Warrior in the Gold Cup picture, the closeness of the finish meant he wasn’t alone in that respect.

The Irish Gold Cup promised to bring some clarity to a wide-open Cheltenham Gold Cup, and as that was Timeform’s ‘Race of The Season’ fuller details of that contest can be found below. Suffice to say that, come Cheltenham in March, Townend was spared having to choose between Galopin des Champs and Gaelic Warrior. A setback the previous weekend ruled the former dual winner out of another bid for a third win. Fact To File, who had beaten them both at Leopardstown, was missing too, declared instead for the Ryanair 24 earlier though withdrawn on the day because of concerns about the ground.

Conditions had softened a little by Gold Cup day though, and it was the trio of King George principals who headed the betting, with Gaelic Warrior sent off joint favourite with Jango Baie on 11/4, ahead of The Jukebox Man on 7/2. None of that trio was a proven stayer beforehand, but it was the strong-travelling Gaelic Warrior who was much the best, seeing out the longer distance well despite being on his toes beforehand and taking a while to settle. All three market leaders were in contention turning for home but as The Jukebox Man began to fade, Gaelic Warrior was produced to lead on the bridle. In command at the last, he kept on well for an impressive eight-length win over the keeping-on Jango Baie, with another two lengths back to Inothewayurthinkin in a never-dangerous third, showing his first form of the season to speak of.

Since Kauto Star’s second win in 2009, only A Plus Tard in 2022 had won a Gold Cup by a wider margin. The time was a good one, and the form behind Gaelic Warrior worked out well. Jango Baie was a wide-margin winner of the Bowl Chase, while fourth-placed Grey Dawning also went on to win at Aintree, dropped back in distance in the Melling Chase. Even the French-trained 100/1-shot Gold Tweet, a well-beaten seventh, won a good prize back at Auteuil next time.

Mullins’ earlier Gold Cup winners had had mixed results when trying to follow up in the Punchestown Gold Cup. Al Boum Photo was a beaten favourite at Punchestown in 2021 while Galopin des Champs suffered odds-on defeats from Fastorslow at Punchestown after both of his Cheltenham Gold Cup wins. He eventually won the race last year by a margin of 22 lengths, but Gaelic Warrior won the latest renewal by further still, 26 lengths, not only succeeding where his stablemates had failed in completing the Gold Cup double but also taking his form to a still higher level. He was the first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner to win the same year’s Punchestown Gold Cup since Sizing John in 2017.

Mullins supplied four of the five runners in the Punchestown Gold Cup, once again pitching Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior against each other, while Inothewayurthinkin took his chance too. With another textbook display, Gaelic Warrior led the rest home at wide intervals, looming up on the bridle leaving the back straight after Fact To File had taken them along for a change and cruising clear once taking over two out.

A new high rating of 180 from Punchestown sealed Gaelic Warrior’s status as Timeform’s Horse of The Year. It makes him a better chaser than Al Boum Photo (rated 174) and very nearly as good, in our opinion, as his predecessor as Horse of The Season, Galopin des Champs, rated 181 at his best. Still aged only eight, Gaelic Warrior must have strong claims of emulating his stable’s earlier Gold Cup winners and retaining his crown next March.

TOP CHASER: GAELIC WARRIOR (180)

Runner-up Il Etait Temps (175)

See Gaelic Warrior’s Horse of The Season essay above.

TOP HURDLER and TOP MARE: LOSSIEMOUTH (162)

Top Hurdler runner-up The New Lion (161), Top Mare runner-up Brighterdaysahead (157)

Various mishaps befell some of the best hurdlers around – State Man missed the whole season with injury, Christmas Hurdle winner Sir Gino sadly succumbed to an infection and ongoing flaws in Constitution Hill’s jumping led to his reinvention as a Flat perfomer – but Irish mare Lossiemouth enjoyed a smooth run to confirm herself the dominant two-mile hurdler and add to a prolific collection of Grade 1 prizes. Her one off-day came in the Irish Champion Hurdle where she was beaten by Brighterdaysahead, but otherwise she landed the odds in the Morgiana Hurdle and December Hurdle, accounted for Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion when finally getting her chance in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, and accomplished a simple task in the equivalent at Punchestown.

TOP NOVICE CHASER: KOPEK DES BORDES (163p)

Runner-up Lulamba (162)

Coincidentally, the season’s two best novices made their chasing debuts on the same day in November, the Supreme Novices’ winner Kopek des Bordes cruising home at Navan and smart juvenile hurdler Lulamba looking an exciting prospect at Exeter. By the time the pair clashed in the Arkle, Lulamba had gained further experience with wins in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and the Game Spirit Chase, whereas Kopek des Bordes had been sidelined in the interim.

Despite that, he finished in front of Lulamba at Cheltenham but the jumping of both let them down late on as they filled the places behind Kopek des Bordes’ stablemate Kargese in receipt of the mares’ allowance. Each failed to complete on their next starts, Kopek des Bordes falling in the lead two out at Punchestown, but he remains a top-class prospect with more polished jumping.

TOP NOVICE HURDLER: OLD PARK STAR (157p)

Runner-up Mydaddypaddy (156p)

Beaten in his three bumpers when with Paul Nicholls, Old Park Star proved a revelation as a novice hurdler, winning all four of his starts and earning comparisons with some of the best novices his trainer has handled by the end of the season.

Winning at Kempton and then Cheltenham, where he was impressive, before the turn of the year, his stand-out performance prior to the Festival came in the Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock where he gave a polished round of jumping from the front before quickening upwards of 18 lengths clear of some useful rivals by the line. That set a high standard in a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle where, against recent trends, the four British-trained runners dominated, with Old Park Star proving too good for Sober Glory and Mydaddypaddy, with the latter a shade better than the result.

RACE OF THE SEASON: IRISH GOLD CUP

For the third year running, the Irish Gold Cup run at Leopardstown during the Dublin Racing Festival was the Race of The Season judged on the average Timeform master rating of the first three home. Willie Mullins saddled eight of the dozen runners in a bid to win it for the fifteenth time, including the first three in the betting. They were also the first three home, but not in the expected order, with Galopin des Champs, favourite to emulate another of the stable’s winners, Florida Pearl, and win it for a fourth time, left behind in third with no obvious excuses.

Instead, it was fought out by younger stablemates Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior, with this being the only occasion in their four meetings of the season that Fact To File came out on top. Seemingly outstayed by Galopin des Champs the year before, Fact To File turned the tables on Gaelic Warrior from the John Durkan and went with much more fluency than when disappointing in the King George, pulling five lengths clear of Gaelic Warrior who took some settling but gave chase on the run to the last before finishing five lengths second.

TIMEFORM SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: JAMIE SNOWDEN

Lambourn trainer Jamie Snowden finished ninth in the trainers’ championship, doing so with a superior strike rate to all those above him – and all trainers with more than 100 runners, in fact - of 24.56%. As well as breaking the million-pound barrier in prize money for the first time, Snowden also had his best season in terms of number of winners with 86, improving further on his previous best the season before with 62.

The highlight was a Grade 1 success at the Cheltenham Festival with Johnny’s Jury who got up late to win the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at 20/1, adding to previous wins at Exeter and Carlisle. He finished well again for third in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree which the stable had won the year before with Julius des Pictons.

Snowden had a winner at Aintree over the Grand National fences earlier in the season when Colonel Harry won the Grand Sefton, while Wendigo was a smart novice chaser who’s likely to be of interest in good staying handicaps from now on. He won the John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury, was third in the Kauto Star Novices’ at Kempton and was in the process of running well when falling at the last in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival.

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