Cheltenham (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Golden Ace was the shock winner in a dramatic Champion Hurdle, the feature race of the first day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, after both the previous winners Constitution Hill and State Man fell.

Winning trainer Jeremy Scott had wanted Golden Ace to run in the Mare’s Hurdle but her owner Ian Gosden insisted on the biggest hurdling prize of all and was proved right.

Constitution Hill had been odds on to regain the crown he missed out on defending last year, but came to grief with three hurdles remaining, the first time in 11 races he has failed to win.

State Man then looked set to retain his title as he approached the final hurdle but he hit the dirt too, jockey Paul Townend pounding the turf with his fist in frustration.

Golden Ace’s jockey Lorcan Williams was left to just guide his mount home.

“I am lost for words,” said Williams. “You dream of these moments as a kid watching on TV.”

Scott thought he was dreaming.

“It has been the most bizarre five minutes,” he said.

“She (Golden Ace) has given me the best two days of my life apart from my wedding.

Both Willie Mullins, the trainer of State Man, and Constitution Hill’s handler Nicky Henderson took their respective blows graciously.

“She is a popular winner and it is good for racing,” said Mullins, while 74-year-old Henderson admitted losing was tough but “you pick yourself up and dust yourself down and go again”.

The day began with an emotional minute’s applause from the 55,000 spectators – down from 60,000 last year – in honour of the late jockey Michael O’Sullivan.

The Irishman, who rode two winners on the opening day of the Festival two years ago, died aged 24 on February 16 this year as a result of injuries suffered after a fall at Thurles.

- ‘Looking down on me’ -

Odds-on favourite Kopek des Kordes won the race which was named in honour of O’Sullivan, with jockeys also wearing red and white armbands, the colours of his native county Cork.

Townend eased home on the Mullins-trained Kopek des Bordes to deny William Munny, who carried the same colours O’Sullivan wore when winning in 2023.

Townend touched the armband as he crossed the line and broke down when asked what it meant to win the race named after O’Sullivan.

Charlie McCarthy – who co-owns the winner with his sons – had his own health problems in February, having a cancerous kidney removed.

He had vowed to doctors that if they forbade him to travel to Cheltenham he would swim the Irish Sea instead.

He said tearfully in his darkest moments Kopek des Bordes had kept him going.

“I am on cloud nine, I just can’t get over it!” he said.

“To win at Cheltenham, the supreme novices as well after what I have been through is incredible… and it is not over yet.

“This shows small men can have a say in this sport.”

There was another emotional win as Jango Baie came from the clouds to win the Arkle Chase with Mullins’s odds-on favourite Majborough third, paying for a dreadful mistake at the penultimate fence.

Winning owner Tony Barney bought the horse the day his son James died and the horse bears his initials as a result.

“He is looking down on me today,” said Barney, wiping away tears.

Nico de Boinville gave Jango Baie an ice-cool ride on what was a 50th Grade One win for jockey Nico de Boinville as well as an eighth win in the race for Henderson.

Mullins got quick consolation when his formidable mare Lossiemouth coasted to victory in the Mares’ Hurdle for her second successive win in the race and third at the Festival.

Scotland also got on the board as trainer Lucinda Russell’s favourite Myretown led the field a merry dance to win the handicap chase, which she won twice previously with 2023 Grand National winner Corach Rambler.

Russell said she was not “keen to run him” but fortunately for jockey Patrick Wadge she did as it was a first Festival winner for him, and only because stable jockey Derek Fox opted to ride Whistle Stop Tour.