Wonderwall delivers magic for Cork on last day of Cheltenham Festival

It may not have been the featured race of the festival but the success of Wonderwall in the St James Palace Hunter Chase provided a memorable moment for two Cork men in the penultimate race of the 2025 meeting. 

Jason Collins from Balineen and John O'Leary from Ballyvollane, part owners of the nine-year-old, enjoyed an unforgettable experience at Prestbury Park. They saw their charge storm up the hill, responding superbly for Rob James to fend off a gallant late charge from Derek O’Connor on last year's runner-up Its On The Line. 

Ultimately the winner trained by Sam Curling prevailed by a neck. 

John O’Leary part owner who hails from Ballyvollane told me he'd tipped up the winner to half of Cork and that the drying ground gave them enormous hope and confidence as the race approached. 

He said he's heading back to sunnier climes in the morning with Torremolinos his destination. Co-owner Jason Collins will be organising a homecoming and major party for the horse in Ballineen in due course. 

ICONIC

O'Leary was in ebullient mode as the iconic trophy was presented to connections just half an hour after JP McManus had been presented with the Cheltenham Gold Cup. JP finished runner-up to the Cork lads in the Hunter Chase but he was first on hand to offer his sincere congratulations, a measure of the sporting nature of the Limerick businessman who was leading owner at this year's festival. 

As Wonderwall returned to the parade ring after his victory the sound of the classic Oasis hit 'Wonderwall' reverberated around the Cotswolds on a majestic afternoon for trainer Sam Curling and the Tipperary and Cork connections. 

Wonderwall was purchased for £33,000 at the Goffs UK July sale and was formerly trained in the UK by Peter Bowen and Richard Spencer. He’d been an impressive winner of a Doncaster maiden hurdle in 2022 when he beat City Chief owned by Joe Donnelly and trained by Nicky Henderson. Aintree and Punchestown will surely figure on the winners' radar next and clearly nice ground is a prerequisite for the son of Yeats.

Earlier in the afternoon Inothewayurthinkin denied Galopin Des Champs a third consecutive victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Inothewayurthinkin showed stamina in abundance up the famous Cheltenham hill to deny Galopin Des Champs a famous Gold Cup hat-trick.

Gavin Cromwell's seven-year-old had been supplemented for the race at a cost of £25,000. 

That looks a relatively cheap investment now as owner JP McManus saw him storm clear to score by six lengths at 15-2. The drying ground conditions gave bookmakers confidence to take on the favourite and he was a market drifter going off 8/13 having opened at 1/2.

SCARE

Galopin Des Champs settled in mid-division by Paul Townend but he wasn't particularly fluent early on at his fences. The 8-13 jolly survived a big scare when hampered by the fall of Ahoy Senor. 

At this juncture, he appeared to come back on the bridle as he swept into the lead turning for home.

That was merely momentary joy for his supporters as suddenly Mark Walsh appeared travelling ominously well on the young pretender to the throne. He produced an impressive turn of foot to stretch clear up the Cheltenham hill.

Earlier Townend landed the County Hurdle on the well-backed 3/1 favourite Kargesse and the Albert Bartlett on Jasmine De Vaux who followed up his 2024 festival bumper victory.