Jonjo O’Neill Jr paused after the line, emotion visible as Wilful crossed first in the County Handicap Hurdle. He spoke of family and a difficult year, the kind of honesty that makes a win feel heavier. For those tracking cheltenham 2026 results, his ride added a personal note to a day already reshaped by a 50-1 Triumph Hurdle shock and Dinoblue’s decisive Mares’ Chase.
Wilful and Jonjo O’Neill Jr’s moment, 40 years after Dawn Run
Wilful took up the running down the inside rail and never let it go, holding off a late surge from Sticktotheplan to land the County Handicap Hurdle. The victory arrived 40 years to the day after Jonjo O’Neill Sr won the Gold Cup on Dawn Run, a symmetry that gave the result uncommon weight for the family and their yard. “I really fancied him, it’s great for the family and the yard, ” O’Neill Jr said, adding that a troubled year had been softened by their support. The win stood on its own. It also carried a lineage.
Cheltenham 2026 Results: Apolon De Charnie rocks the Triumph Hurdle
Earlier, a 50-1 shot cracked open the morning. Apolon De Charnie, sent off at long odds, won the JCB Triumph Hurdle for Willie Mullins, a jolt that tilted expectations on Gold Cup day. Upsets often echo beyond the winning post, and this one did: it reframed the rhythm of the afternoon and reminded punters how quickly a festival can pivot. With Jango Baie, Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man and Mullins-trained Gaelic Warrior among the names pointed toward the Gold Cup, that surprise sat in the background as the field and the crowd looked ahead.
Dinoblue, Panic Attack, and a Mares’ Chase that tightened late
The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase, set for 2: 40 pm GMT (9: 40 am ET), drew a packed grandstand, numbers lifted by improved weather. It began steadily, then sharpened: Dinoblue moved between the front-runners with four to jump and pulled clear as Panic Attack began to tire. Only By Night tried to close but the gap was too wide. Spindleberry followed them home in fourth. One early leader fell at the third last, a lurch that changed the shape of the race in an instant and cleared the lane for Dinoblue. It was another win for Mullins.
The buildup had its own tremors. Piper Park was unsettled before the start, leading to an emergency dismount and a walk toward the tape before horse and rider rejoined the field after quick medical checks. Before they lined up, punters had backed Dinoblue to justify their faith; by the finish, she had done just that. For anyone refreshing cheltenham 2026 results, the Mares’ Chase delivered clarity where a moment earlier there had been uncertain footing.
Back with Wilful, O’Neill Jr’s win stood as a family hinge between what had happened and what still might. With the Gold Cup to come and contenders like Jango Baie, The Jukebox Man and Gaelic Warrior in the conversation, the next decisiveness would arrive at the line — and add another line to a day already dense with results.
