RACEHORSE trainer Jeremy Scott was the toast of Exmoor this week after Golden Ace won the Grade One Unibet Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival to net a first prize of £255,000.
The seven-year-old mare bought for just £12,500 by owner Ian Gosden went off as a 25-1 outsider behind the much fancied Constitution Hill and State Man, which were both previous winners of the race.
Golden Ace was well placed from the start of the hurdle over two miles and half-a-furlong, as odds on favourite Constitution Hill, trained by Nicky Henderson, which triumphed in 2023, fell early on.
The Willie Mullins-trained State Man, winner last year, then looked set for victory but fell at the last hurdle, leaving Mr Scott’s horse, who had been well ridden throughout by Lorcan Williams, with a clear run for the line to win by nine lengths.
Last year, Golden Ace, who has previously won twice at both Taunton and Wincanton, provided Mr Scott with his first ever Cheltenham Festival winner when she won the Mares Novices Hurdle.
Mr Scott, a former dairy farmer who sold off his 150-strong herd to concentrate on becoming a full-time horse trainer, said: “It was a remarkable day for everybody and that is why we do it and what makes it all so worthwhile.
“It is why we get out of bed, and for all the staff having had a pretty torrid winter with weather and horses not running brilliantly well in the first half of the season, it means a huge amount to get rewarded like that.
“This is the biggest winner we have ever had.
“We had a great reception from all the Westcountry racegoers who were by the ring when we went back into the winners enclosure.”
The win comes on the back of a treble for Mr Scott at Exeter, making it his best ever run of form since he received his trainer’s licence.
Mr Scott, who has 35 horses in his yard, said: “The horses have been flying along recently so it is great for everybody to have this sort of success.”
The racehorse yard, on the 370 acres Higher Holworthy Farm a thousand feet above sea level, near Brompton Regis, is a family affair, with Mr Scott’s daughter Georgina leading Golden Ace into the winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham.
Georgina said: “It was just brilliant and we are all in a bit of a shock to be honest, and could not quite believe what happened.
“We never realistically thought that would happen and we are still a bit in shock really.
“Golden Ace is absolutely fine and trotted out really well this morning.”
Now, it is back to ‘business as usual’ at Mr Scott’s yard which to date has notched up 18 winners and had 31 horses placed this season.
The stable’s next runner is likely to be Miss Tiara, which is entered in the 2 pm at Chepstow on Sunday (March 16).