New stars and fallen idols, highlights and scoring frustration: the four fantastic days of the Cheltenham festival have ended, but the consequences of it continue to be vociferous.
Mail Sport highlights the good, the bad and the contentious of the 2025 festival …
The enigma of the crowd
Guy Lavender, the new executive director of Cheltenham, knew that the numbers would be reduced and approached the front problem. His intention was to make the experience as positive as possible for those who attended (218.38 this year, below 230,000 in 2024).
Images have been published on social networks to suggest that it was empty and that the atmosphere was poor. Each on his own, of course, but every day on the way he felt full of life and the defeat of so many probabilities favorites cannot be used to say that the days were disappointing.
Yes, there are problems for lavender to be addressed: £ 7.80 for a Guinness Pint will always be a barometer, but not bromes, it is not necessary that the race is alone when it comes to food and ticket prices: Lord's, Twickenham, Wembley and any course that houses the Open all are expensive.
The races retain great popularity, 1.8 million tuned on ITV to see Inothewayurthinkin win the Gold Cup, and if Lavender puts things well, people will return. Whatever you heard people say about beer and bets in Benidorm, it is not, and it will never be, Cheltenham.
Cheltenham's executive president, Guy Lavender, admitted the significant decrease in assistance, but insisted that this year was a success
There was a multitude of 68,026 on the day of the Boodles Gold Cup, carrying cumulative assistance to 218,839 for the entire festival
Better performance
Made to archive in Ryanair Chase. Trained by Willie Mullins for JP Mcmanus, he destroyed his rivals. It is a beautiful horse and the connections have worshiped him from the moment he was limited. He will win any race in which he runs at the festival next year.
Glorious uncertainty
Yes, Constitution Hill and State Man's Falls in the Hurdle Champion were dramatic, but coach Jeremy Scott and the owner Ian Gosden deserved their time to the sun. Golden Ace succeeded at the festival for the second year and hit the Bullseye while the rivals wrinkled.
Patios such as Scott's are the basis of Hunt's national races, and are committed to enjoyment and take advantage of what they have. This was a recoil story, one that led to happy scenes in the winner's premises. David should never stop dreaming that he can overthrow Goliath.
Golden Ace was a winner of the 25/1 surprise of the Hurdle Champion in Cheltenham after the former Constitution of Victors Hill and the State Cataracts
Jockey Mark Walsh and Fact to present reasonably one of the best performances at the festival after landing Ryanair Chase Crown
A true night brand
Lessiemouth won the obstacle of mares 40 minutes before the champion's obstacle, but it was the least exciting race of the week. I should have been running in the best race and the longer this contest remains on the card, the more the exhibition work will subtract. If it is to stay (can Kempton be moved in February to give a culminating point of that course?) The conditions must be changed.
No badge, without entry
The last people of people generally want to see before a great career are members of the national media, but that was not on Tuesday.
Nicky Richards wanted to dirty the famous bridge and talk to his jockey, Sean Quinlan, but was outside the parade ring looking like two officials did not move.
While protested, showing them a proof of their identity, they would not hear. This observer attended Richards and finally made sense.
Lessiemouth, meanwhile, reached his third consecutive victory at the Cheltenham Festival after he got the obstacle of the mares of the first -level brothers
Respect for a gentleman
After all that BBC commentator, John Hunt, has endured, reported to work on Friday with the same enthusiasm that we all know. What a joy was to see him and, to anyone's surprise, this consummated professional called the Gold Cup with his usual style and clarity.
It is a privilege to call John a colleague and knows that the race community is there for him and his daughter, Amy, at every step. He is not just a teacher of his trade; He is the best of men.