The Cheltenham Festival is over and done with for another year, and there are plenty of talking points coming out of the week, which was excellent on the whole. But perhaps one of the biggest talking points has to be around the favourites of the four Championship races, all of whom were beaten.

It was unimaginable to think at the start of the week, but Constitution Hill, Jonbon, Teahupoo and Galopin Des Champs all left Cheltenham on the back of a defeat. This led to an excellent week for the bookies, and while there were some wins for the punter, overall, it was a pretty strong week for those taking bets.

Galopin Des Champs Fails in Hat Trick Bid

A small field of just nine runners would go to post for the showpiece of the week, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and all the talk before racing was about Galopin Des Champs.

A dominant force for the past two years, he came looking to win a third Gold Cup and was odds on favourite to do so.

But keen onlookers would have seen him struggling and not travelling with the usual enthusiasm early in the race, Paul Townend openly admitted after getting off that he was never happy on the horse throughout.

He did go into the lead as they turned for home, but the strong staying Inothewayurthinkin was in behind and still going well. It was only a matter of time before he went past, he did at the last and came away to record a very impressive victory, with the reigning champion back in second.

It was a fantastic performance, at the time, the horse was favourite for the Grand National, and talk changed to him completing a historic double, but since, he’s been withdrawn from the Aintree race.

Henderson Pair Hit by Costly Jumping Errors

Nicky Henderson had a better Cheltenham Festival than last year when he pulled out many runners due to a bug in the yard, but in terms of his biggest names, the meeting would end with disappointment.

Both Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday and Jonbon in the Champion Chase on Wednesday were sent off odds on by punters and expected to deliver. However, jumping errors put an end to the chances of both, a surprise given both are usually very good over their flights.

Constitution Hill fell in the Champion Hurdle, over-stretching for one and made to pay the price by hitting the deck, he got up and was sound straight after. Then, a day later, Jonbon struggled at a couple, but one very big mistake saw him almost fall. However, it was an error that left him trailing behind the other runners.

He would eventually get up for second, a distant one at that, but the damage was done by that error.

Henderson had success elsewhere, Jango Baie winning a dramatic Arkle, but for his big two hopes, it was a meeting to forget.

Teahupoo Beaten by Cheltenham Expert

The final of the four Championship races is Thursday’s Stayers Hurdle where Teahupoo was back to win the crown again, but he could only finish second.

Beaten by Bob Olinger, who is in the same ownership, it was a fourth overall Cheltenham win for him and a third at the Cheltenham Festival, he’s quickly becoming a Cheltenham expert.

Teahupoo did look well and looked the winner for quite some way home, which is more than the other three showed. But ultimately, he was outstayed and outbattled up the run in by Bob Olinger to finish in second place.