The Cheltenham Festival kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with excitement both on and off the track. However, the celebrations were dampened when a violent brawl erupted inside a bookmaker’s shop at the event.
While the 3:20pm Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase was in full swing, tensions among racegoers boiled over. Viral videos circulating on social media show punches being exchanged between several individuals, with bystanders attempting to break up the fight. The incident quickly drew widespread attention, prompting Mirror Racing to seek comments from the Jockey Club.
On the racetrack, Johnnywho emerged victorious at 3 miles 1 furlong, expertly ridden by Richie McLernon for jockey trainer Jonjo and owner AJ O’Neill. The 3/1 favourite, Jagwar, finished second, followed by Quebecois in third place. McLernon praised the horse’s performance, noting, “I travelled nicely through the race, thought the ground was a little quick. Everything just unfolded for me; he jumped when he needed to and answered every call.”
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AJ O’Neill shared his excitement, stating, “Richie gave him a great ride and he was in the right place all the time. Just great to see it all work out.” Jonjo O’Neill added praise for McLernon, calling him “a great rider, a great judge and a lovely fella to be around.”
The day also saw bookmaker William Hill face significant losses after the opening race. Nick Henderson’s Old Park Star, a 15/8 favourite, won the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, thrilling punters and forcing William Hill to pay out over £1 million in winnings. Spokesman Lee Phelps commented on the surprising result: “Old Park Star was roared home by Cheltenham punters, and we’ve been hit for six by the result.”
Celebrating his sixth win in the race, Henderson expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “The first race on the first day is the best one you can get, and England are one up over Ireland! These young horses keep you going and I’m not going anywhere unless they want to pension us off!”
Despite the disturbances in the crowd, day one of the Cheltenham Festival delivered thrilling racing action and set the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating week of competition.