Horse Racing

Ten-Year Annie-versary: Remembering Annie Power’s Fall at Cheltenham

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Eye of Chestnut Horse Against Blue Sky
04
Mar

Following months of anticipation, twists and turns in the market, and more preview nights than you can shake an ante-post betting slip at, the Cheltenham Festival kicks into gear on Tuesday, 11 March 2025.

Featuring the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Arkle Chase, and the sparkling centrepiece of the Champion Hurdle, Day 1 at the most magical meeting never fails to deliver thrills, spills, and memorable moments. However, 2025 marks the 10-year anniversary of one of the most dramatic opening days in Cheltenham Festival history.

Tuesday, 10 March 2015, marked the day when punters came oh so close to taking the bookmaking industry to the cleaners, only to be agonisingly undone with the winning line in sight. With the pain now beginning to subside, here we look back on “Annie Power Day”.

Mullins Multiple Strikes Fear into the Hearts of Bookmakers

Warning Triangle Against Clear Blue Sky

Whilst not quite the unquestioned dominant Cheltenham Festival force he is today, Willie Mullins headed into the 2015 edition with 32 previous Festival winners. With a host of hot favourites over the four days, the Closutton maestro seemed all but certain to add to that tally and appeared to boast a particularly strong hand on Day 1.

Time Race Horse Odds
13:30 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Douvan 2/1
14:05 Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase Un De Sceaux 4/6
15:20 Champion Hurdle Faugheen 4/5
16:00 David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle Annie Power 1/2

A perfect two from two since arriving from France and labelled an aeroplane by connections, Douvan topped the market for the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Next up came the trail-blazing Un De Sceaux, who sought to follow a 15-length romp in the Irish Arkle with a win in the English version. And was very well fancied to do just that.

In a strong day for Rich Ricci, the next Mullins-trained good thing came in the formidable shape of Faugheen “The Machine” in the Champion Hurdle. Again, Faugheen was heavily backed and expected to deliver the goods.

Rounding out the quartet was a runner who, at the time, was the most talented mare in training. Annie Power had tasted defeat only once in 12 previous outings and was clearly the mare they all had to beat in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.

Faced with four seemingly obvious selections, all trained by a master handler and ridden by the Cheltenham Festival specialist, Ruby Walsh, legions of punters took the sensible course of action.

Up and down the land, in Ireland and the UK, racing fans combined the fabulous foursome in all manner of accumulators and multiple bets before settling down to watch the action unfold. Bookmakers looked on in trepidation in the hope that at least one of the “Four Horses of the Apocalypse” would come unstuck.

Leg 1: Douvan Reigns Supreme

Leg 1 goes to the punters. Obtaining a comfortable position in mid pack, Walsh exudes confidence throughout aboard 2/1 favourite Douvan. Making his move approaching the third last, the jolly cruised onto the heels of the leaders. Third over the second last, he hit the front out of the home turn, pinged the last and powered home to score by 4½l. With the biggest-priced runner of the Mullins foursome home and hosed, perhaps the hard work was done? The bookies were praying not.

Leg 2: Un De Sceaux Leads Arkle Field a Merry Dance

Whilst Douvan stalked and pounced in the opener, 4/6 market leader Un De Sceaux set out to blow his rivals away in the Arkle. Immediately pushed into the lead, the seven-year-old quickly found a relentless rhythm of speed and jumping, which had many of his rivals struggling by halfway. Two lengths clear into the back stretch, he maintained that edge around the home turn before turning on the afterburners to roar to a 6l success. Two down and two to go, the bookies began to tremble.

Leg 3: Faugheen Floors Champion Hurdle Field

Heading to Cheltenham with a perfect nine-from-nine record, including a devastating success in the 2014 Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, punters would not hear of defeat for Faugheen. With the acca money beginning to build up, the seven-year-old started at odds of just 4/5 in a field containing such talents as Hurricane Fly, Jezki, and The New One.

Those chasing the Mullins gold faced their first moment of worry as a sticky jump at the second last brought the front-running Faugheen back to the field. However, that concern was dispelled by an electric burst of pace, which took the Rich Ricci star three lengths clear on the approach to the last. Still 1½ clear at the line, the dream acca was really beginning to roll.

Leg 4: Annie Power Cruises Clear Approaching the Last…

With 2/1, 4/6, and 4/5 winners in the bag and only a 1/2 shot to come, punters began to count their cash as bookmakers frantically reached for their calculators. Annie Power wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Champion Hurdle field, as she displayed by winning that race in 2016, and appeared in cruise control as she tackled her own sex. Pushed into the lead around the home turn, she forged four lengths clear on the run to the last as those trailing in her wake struggled to make any inroads. Just one more good jump…

Of course, we all know what happened next. Taking off half a stride too early, Annie Power clipped the top of the hurdle, crumpled on landing and sent jockey Walsh hurtling towards the turf. Cheers turned to silence as punters came to terms with what remains the most dramatic near miss for bookmakers at the biggest meeting of the year.

Estimates suggest that the final flight tumble saved bookmakers around £50m, whilst others feel it may have been significantly more. Punters still bear the scars of that fateful afternoon but will no doubt return to place another Mullins-inspired acca in 2025.