Champion jockey: Sean Bowen
Champion trainer: Willie Mullins
Winning owner: J P McManus
Champion conditional jockey: Freddie Gingell
Dan Skelton went into Aintree's Grand National meeting at the beginning of April with a commanding lead in the jumps trainers' championship - some £790,000 ahead of Paul Nicholls, £854,000 ahead of Nicky Henderson and over £1.3m clear of Willie Mullins in fourth place.
On the first day of the meeting Mr Mullins sent out the winners of the first four races on the card - all Grade 1 events: Impaire Et Passe (9/4), Manifesto Novices' Chase; Murcia (11/4), Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle; Gaelic Warrior (11/4), Aintree Bowl; and Lossiemouth (5/4f), Aintree Hurdle.
Incredibly, on Saturday he then sent out the first three home in the Grand National - Nick Rockett (33/1), I Am Maximus (7/1), and Grangeclare West (33/1) - and, for good measure, claimed fifth with Meetingofthewaters (20/1) and seventh with Minella Cocooner (18/1).
Skelton, pipped by Mullins for the title last year, must have been consumed by a sense of déjà vu. Somehow there just seemed an air of inevitability about it all.
A week later Captain Cody (9/1) and Klarc Kent (14/1) filled the first two places in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr and by the time Sandown's final fixture came around, Mullins was priced up a 1/12 chance to collect his second British trainers' championship.
Gaelic Warrior (5/6f), Il Etait Temps (9/2) and Jump Allen (5/1) obliged for the Irish maestro but the Olly Murphy trained Resplendent Grey - champion jockey Sean Bowen up - struck a note of defiance for the home team, denying Lombron and Rachael Blackmore in the feature bet365 Gold Cup.
The final totals showed that Willie Mullins had won just shy of £200,000 more than Dan Skelton over the course of the season.
Once again Willie Mullins was crowned leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival with ten winners.
Four of those winners came on the final day, including 100/1 shot Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle, but in the Gold Cup 8/13f Galopin Des Champs wasn't as slick at the fences as we've seen in the past and he was comprehensively beaten by Inothewayurthinkin, vindicating the decision of winning connections to supplement at a cost of £25,000.
The Champion Hurdle on Tuesday proved one of the most dramatic in recent memory with 1/2f Constitution Hill falling four from home. State Man (8/1), five lengths clear approaching the last and with the race at his mercy, clipped the top of the flight and came to grief, allowing the mare Golden Ace to claim the spoils and her trainer Jeremy Scott the adulation of the massed ranks of mellifluous supporters who had installed themselves on the terracing behind the winner's enclosure.
On Wednesday a bad mistake by Jonbon in the Champion Chase effectively put paid to his chance; in the circumstances he did well to finish second but Marine Nationale's deserved victory was an emotional affair.
The horse had won the 2023 renewal of the Supreme with Michael O'Sullivan in the plate; on 6th February 2025 Michael was severely injured when falling from Wee Charlie at the final fence in a handicap chase at Thurles and he died from the injuries sustained ten days later.
On Thursday Fact To File produced an eye-catching performance in the Ryanair while Bob Olinger denied favourite Teahupoo in the Stayers' Hurdle.
The first three days of this year's Festival were plagued by false starts and attendances over the four days were down by more than 10,000 compared to 2024 - plenty to ponder on for Cheltenham's new chief executive Guy Lavender.
Back in the autumn Minella Drama won the Old Roan, The Real Whacker the Charlie Hall, and King Turgeon the Grand Sefton, the last-named on the same day the 2022 Grand Sefton winner, Al Dancer, rolled back the years to come home ten lengths clear in the 63rd renewal of Wincanton's Badger Beer Handicap Chase.
At the Cheltenham Open meeting Freddie Gingell rode Il Ridoto to victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the following day Harry Cobden made all to pick up the Greatwood for James Owen and the Gredley family.
Haydock specialist Royal Pagaille saw off Grey Dawning and Bravemansgame in the Betfair Chase while a week later Kandoo Kid claimed the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.
On the same day the precocious Sir Gino won the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and subsequently, on his first start over fences, beat Ballyburn in the Wayward Lad at Kempton before picking up an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Having won the Schloer Chase at Cheltenham, Jonbon added the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the Clarence House at Ascot before that mistake in the Champion Chase.
Nicky Henderson's charge then went on to claim a second consecutive victory in the Melling Chase at Aintree but, returning to Sandown on the final day of the season, had no answer to the turn of foot shown by Il Etait Temps in the Celebration Chase.
Mr Vango had quite the exceptional season.
Sara Bradstock's charge won the London National at Sandown, the Peter Marsh at Haydock and then the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter. Unfortunately, when the weights for the Aintree Grand National were framed in February, his rating of 143 wasn't high enough to ensure a place in the final field of 34 runners. Now rated 152, Mr Vango will be aimed at the 2026 Aintree spectacular.
Just before Christmas Crambo won the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot for a second time while at Kempton on Boxing Day Constitution Hill beat Lossiemouth in the Christmas Hurdle, Banbridge ran down the front-running Il Est Francais in the King George, and The Jukebox Man, owned by Harry Redknapp, won the Kauto Star comfortably.
Unfortunately Harry's pride and joy picked up an injury and missed his intended engagement at Cheltenham - the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase - but connections are already talking about the 2026 Gold Cup for their charge, for which he is generally quoted at 25/1 chance.
The Mel Rowley trained Val Dancer emerged from the Chepstow fog in the lead in the Welsh Grand National but, despite subsequently finishing third behind Famous Bridge in Haydock's Grand National Trial, was another runner to miss the cut for the Aintree showpiece.
L'Homme Presse, third behind Banbridge in the King George, looked good winning the Cotswold Chase at the end of January but next time out was run off his feet behind Pic D'Orhy in the Ascot Chase over two miles five furlongs.
At that same Ascot meeting The Changing Man, having finished second in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle, the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot, and the Great Yorkshire at Doncaster, strolled home in the Reynoldstown after favourite Jingko Blue fell at the third.
The owners of Jingko Blue had better luck with Jango Baie; although their horse was beaten a short-head by Handstands in the Scilly Isles at Sandown, he went on to win the Arkle at Cheltenham.
Grey mare Joyeuse won Newbury's competitive William Hill Hurdle eight lengths but couldn't live with Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
A fortnight later Knockanore won the Eider at Newcastle 16 lengths but couldn't build on that while Moroder bounced back to form, winning the Grimthorpe at Doncaster the beginning of March at odds of 33/1.
And on the Saturday before the Cheltenham Festival Go Dante won a second Imperial Cup for Sean Bowen and Olly Murphy in what proved a breakthrough season for both jockey and trainer.
Sean Bowen rode 180 winners to claim the jockeys' title, 38 more than nearest rival Harry Cobden while Olly Murphy sent out 141 winners, posting a 25% win strike-rate over the course of the season.
Finally Harry Skelton was crowned the inaugural winner of the David Power Jockeys' Cup.
Jockeys gained points for finishing in the top four places of races televised by ITV Racing between 15th November 2024 and 4th April 2025; with 420 points, Harry Skelton finished 90 points clear of nearest rival Harry Cobden.
Harry (Skelton) collected a cool £500,000 for his efforts, with principal trainer (and brother) Dan receiving £50,000, and a further £50,000 being shared among stable staff.
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