Paul Townend delivered a commanding victory for Willie Mullins in the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday, as Il Etait Temps blew the field away in the Champion Chase. The win was one of several highlights on a day that also saw a heated exchange between jockeys Declan Queally and Nico de Boinville, which is now under investigation by stewards.
The opening race of the day was marred by controversy when Queally and three other riders were suspended after a false start. A stewards' statement confirmed that Jack Kennedy, Queally, Danny Gilligan, and Darragh O'Keeffe had not approached the tape at a walk or jig-jog, causing a false start. Kennedy and Queally received one-day bans for misconduct, while Gilligan and O'Keeffe, as second offenders within 12 months, were suspended for two days.
Later, Queally and de Boinville traded accusations on ITV regarding the incident, with the Cheltenham stewards adjourning the matter to obtain further evidence before making a final decision. The dispute added drama to an already eventful day.
In other racing action, The Mourne Rambler, ridden by six-time Irish flat champion jockey Colin Keane, won the Champion Bumper by a length. The 15-2 shot held off a crowded field, with Mets Ta Ceinture and Bass Hunter filling the places. Willie Mullins, seeking a 15th victory in the race, had five runners but none could claim the top spot.
Meanwhile, the return of Ladies Day after a five-year hiatus was hailed as a success by the Jockey Club, with Wednesday's attendance rising to 46,317 from 41,941 last year. Rachael Blackmore, appointed head of Ladies Day in November, visited shopping centres in Oxford, Birmingham, and Cardiff to encourage women to attend. The Jockey Club reported that 33% of ticket purchasers for Ladies Day were female, up from 25% in 2025.
Guy Lavender, chief executive of Cheltenham Racecourse, expressed delight at the event's success and pledged to build on it for 2027. Blackmore, a former Grand National winner and Cheltenham champion jockey, said the outreach efforts had sparked interest among women who had never considered attending before.
