The Cheltenham Festival 2026 produced another memorable finale on St Patrick’s Thursday as Ask Brewster, trained by Cath Williams, battled bravely to claim the Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, giving Wales a stirring success on the third day of the meeting.
Sent off at 22-1, Ask Brewster showed determination in the closing stages, edging past Road To Home (9-1) in a tightly contested finish to score by a neck. The race concluded a dramatic afternoon of racing and provided an emotional moment for connections.
Trainer Cath Williams was full of pride following the performance.
“That’s fantastic, isn’t it,” she said. “Very, very loyal owners and I’m absolutely delighted. It’s been an emotional week, as you all know, but it is what it is and we deal with it.”
She explained that conditions had briefly raised concerns earlier in the day.
“Yesterday we needed soft ground for Libberty Hunter and today we needed good ground for this horse. When it rained this morning we thought, ‘oh no’. But we knew they were both in great shape and we’ve come away with a first and a second. Delighted with both of them — what more could you ask.”
Williams also praised the horse’s stamina and the effort of the young amateur rider.
“Ask Brewster stays well and we had a very good boy on board. I didn’t know him beforehand, but Evan and Conor Ring spoke to a couple of the Irish lads and that’s how we got him. There aren’t many amateurs who can do the weight but we found one and it’s worked out. He was very good, wasn’t he.”
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Young Rider Seizes His Moment
For the winning jockey, 19-year-old Shane Cotter, the victory marked a dream moment in the Cheltenham Festival 2026.
“It was unbelievable,” Cotter said. “As a child watching it on television you can only dream of being here — just having a ride, let alone a winner. I’m lost for words.”
He revealed he had studied the horse’s past runs closely before the race.
“I watched a few replays and any time he was in front he seemed to love it and winged his fences. I jumped him out nice and handy and he ran away nearly to the first — I knew it was his day then. He was very game when Patrick came to us.”
The young rider, who regularly works for Denis Murphy, described the victory as the fulfilment of a childhood ambition.
“I’ve dreamt of this since I was seven or eight. I ride out for Denis Murphy six days a week and he’s very good to me. I’ve ridden 20-odd winners in point-to-points and only had one winner on the track at home, so hopefully after this people might start using me.”
Making the moment even more special, Cotter revealed it was his first ride on a racecourse in England.
“This is my very first ride in England — it’s unbelievable. All my family are here. Everyone’s here.”
The dramatic finish provided a fitting conclusion to St Patrick’s Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival 2026, with Ask Brewster’s courageous performance ensuring the day ended on a memorable note for Welsh connections.
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