Underdog Victories: What Are The Biggest Shock Wins In Cheltenham History?
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest and most prestigious horse racing events of the entire year, with the annual extravaganza attracting all types of horse racing enthusiasts and bettors. With Cheltenham betting odds leaning towards many horses, such as Constitution Hill and Galopin Des Champs, as the favourites, many bettors might be looking towards the front of the field when placing their bets.
However, here, we are going to look at when some of the horses which were placed at the back of the field went on to win! With huge odds and epic moments, the Cheltenham Festival has produced some of the most awesome and ‘unlikely’ horse racing stories throughout the years, with underdogs coming out on top in some of the biggest annual races in the industry!
Cue Card
Before Cue Card became one of the finest horses on the National Hunt circuit, he was a 40/1 outsider at the Champion Bumper race at the Cheltenham Festival. With only one race under his belt before the race, there was no surprise he was given such long odds. Despite claiming a victory on his debut, many expected the horse to fail when he came up against Cheltenham material.
Joe Tizzard was the jockey who was able to help Cue Card produce the quality he needed to take the victory at Cheltenham as the horse pulled away down the stretch with great speed to claim the incredibly impressive win! Cue Card was able to go from strength to strength as he would win further crowns at Cheltenham, including the Ryanair Chase and King George VI Chase.
Roksana
Horse racing often rides on elements of chance and luck. However, Benie Des Dieux in the 2019 Mare’s Hurdle was probably as close to certainty as any horse can get, with the horse being unbeaten in five races and set at odds of 10/11.
The win looked certain for Benie Des Dieux and jockey Ruby Walsh as the favourite surged three lengths clear as she approached the final flight. However, disaster struck as her legs gave way when she jumped a hurdle, leaving Roksana clear to win the race in one of the most dramatic fashions seen in horse racing! Thankfully, Benie Des Dieux was none the worse after the fall and went on to win another three races, yet this win for Roksana was one of the biggest upsets seen across the history of the Cheltenham Festival.
Norton’s Coin
Perhaps known to be the most notorious surprise in the history of the event, this epic underdog story actually came in the most prestigious race, the Gold Cup! Norton’s Coin was a rank outsider at odds of 100/1 to win the Gold Cup in 1990. Norton’s Coin managed to build some form before the Gold Cup event, finishing second at Cheltenham in the Lechlade Handicap Chase. However, facing off against defending champion Desert Orchid and amongst a talented field, Norton’s Coin was clearly written off before the race had even begun.
With a brilliant performance throughout the race, edging out Toby Tobias by half a length, it was a truly special performance from the nine-year-old and the crowning moment of his career! With few other standout moments in the years that followed, Norton’s Coin remains one of the greatest underdog stories in both Cheltenham and sporting history!
Observer Corps
Observer Corps was entered into the Cathcart Challenge Cup at the 1989 festival, having been off the track for 11 months, and prior to this, the eight-year-old had not even come close to a victory in his four previous races.
With odds placed at a whopping 66/1, many eyebrows were raised when Observer Corps was able to power through to a comfortable win by a huge eight lengths!
Ebaziyan
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the first race of the entire festival, setting the tone for the festival and getting people in the horse racing mood. As the curtain-raiser, many bettors are excited and intrigued by the Supreme Novice’s Hurdle, and it is often a great race for future talent spotting.
The Willie Mullins-trained Ebaziyan didn’t look like troubling the leaders when it ran in 2007, as the indifferent form of three wins in eight races meant the horse never stood out on paper. With odds being placed at 40/1, Ebaziyan would demonstrate serious pace to beat pre-race favourite Amaretto Rose to clinch the race! Despite the impressive performance, Ebaziyan would not kick on as Willie Mullins might have hoped, as the horse would only win two more races in his career.
With the 2025 Cheltenham Festival approaching, will we see another outsider upset the odds, or will the bookmakers’ favourites prevail?