The 2026 Cheltenham Festival: Celebrating ROA Members and Owners
The Cheltenham Festival never fails to deliver, but 2026 showcased the passion and commitment in ownership, including a positive shift in the number of British trained runners and the owners behind them.
Across the four days, ROA members were at the heart of the action. From the first race on Tuesday, when Old Park Star provided Gordon and Su Hall with an impressive victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, it was an early statement of intent with British-trained runners filling the first four places.
Of course, Irish-trained horses once again made a significant impact, much of it driven by the strength of Willie Mullins. Among those successes on the first day was ROA member Susannah Ricci, and her exceptional Lossiemouth who delivered a brilliant performance to win the Champion Hurdle. Alongside her husband Rich Ricci, a familiar and prominent presence in the sport, they also enjoyed the ultimate success as Gaelic Warrior romped home with a magnificent performance to land the Gold Cup, bookending a memorable week for them. For more than two decades, the Ricci's have longed to win the blue ribband of jumps racing and with their deep commitment to the sport and ownership makes this victory all the more significant.
ROA member JP McManus fielded a mighty 32 runners across the four days, reflecting his continued passion for ownership. His familiar green and gold silks were represented in the winner’s enclosure on four occasions by Johnnywho, Meetmebythesea, Saratoga and Dinoblue, underlining both his scale and success as an owner. Voted by ROA members in December as Owner of the Year at our awards, JP once again demonstrated his commitment to sport at the highest level. Among his runners, Jonbon, one of the sport’s most popular horses, produced a gallant performance to finish second in the Ryanair Chase, maintaining his record of never finishing outside the first two.
The week also spotlighted the ambition that drives so many owners. ROA member Jimmy Fyffe has made no secret of his dream to own a Cheltenham Festival winner, investing significantly in horses in recent years to pursue that goal, and more recently expanding into breeding. That ambition was realised when Supremely West landed the Pertemps Final - an unforgettable milestone and a richly deserved reward for his commitment to the sport. You can read more on what this win meant to Jimmy in this edition’s Member of the Month featured later in the forum.
Equally, Cheltenham demonstrated the growing strength of shared ownership with members of syndicates and racing clubs enjoying runners across the week. However, Johnny’s Jury’s win in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on Friday was a landmark moment for ROA members - the Blazing Blues And Twos Racing Club and Hurlers On The Ditch Syndicate who demonstrated, ecstatically, the shared joy and accessibility that syndicates bring to the sport. This syndicate will also benefit from the BHA’s recently introduced £20,000 training fees credit for a new British-trained horse; an initiative aimed at stimulating further investment in British jump racing from both domestic and international owners.
As we know, syndicates and racing clubs continue to be an increasingly important route into the sport, and we are delighted to launch a series of shared ownership activations across racecourses in 2026, in partnership with the Racing Syndicates Association (RSA) - more on this initiative is featured in shared ownership page of The Forum.
Further successes for ROA members included; Kargese for Kenny Alexander, Holloway Queen for the Unique Financial Partnership, Marie Donnelly’s Kitzbuhel, Anthony Barney’s Countrywide Park Homes with Jingko Blue, Camilla Norton’s Martator, Wilful for Mrs Fitri Hay, White Noise for John Perriss, who has been a member of the ROA for 34 years, Ask Brewster for Anthony Harris and Apolon De Charnie for Edward Ware - a strong show from our members across the week. Congratulations to everyone.
The Prestbury Cup this year offered genuine hope of a British fightback. With 13 winners across nine yards, British trained horses pushed Ireland, who recorded 15 wins from seven stables, closer than at any time since the 2019 draw. It represents a notable shift from recent years and a positive sign for British- trained and owned horses for the future.
Beyond the racing, the ROA marquee once again provided a vibrant and welcoming base for members and their guests across all four days. Racing Presenter and Venatour ambassador Rishi Persad’s “Mark Your Card”, set the tone for the day ahead for our guests. Then across the afternoon the marquee provided a place to celebrate, enjoy the racing and connect. We were also delighted to welcome boxing legend Joe Calzaghe (middle) on Wednesday, highlighting the appeal of the sport in attracting high-profile figures from the sporting world.
Racing is about more than results; it is about the people behind them. Congratulations to all those who enjoyed success during the week. Ownership takes many forms, and whether it’s at Cheltenham or at other fixtures, it offers challenge, enjoyment and a strong sense of connection to the sport.