Apolon De Charnie followed in the hoofprints of last year’s winner, Poniros, to provide Willie Mullins with another big-price winner of the Grade 1 JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Poniros was 100/1 in 2025, but Apolon De Charnie was half that price (50/1) this afternoon, as Mullins teamed up with his son, Patrick, in the opening race on the Boodles Gold Cup Day card.

The winner travelled strongly into second position before the final flight of hurdles and was soon ridden clear by Mullins Jnr to run out a one-and-a-half length victor over the Skelton’s Maestro Conti (5/1).

Minella Study (7/1) from the Adam Nichol yard and ridden by Ryan Mania was a further short-head back in third.

Earlier this morning a bet of £20,000 each-way was placed on the eventual third-placer.