Cheltenham Festival 2019 top ten talking-points

The dust has settled on another Cheltenham Festival, so it’s time to take stock of what happened and to run the rule over the hottest topics it threw up.
Al Boum Photo, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, jumps the last to seal his Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph (PHOTO BY: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images).Al Boum Photo, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, jumps the last to seal his Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph (PHOTO BY: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images).
Al Boum Photo, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, jumps the last to seal his Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph (PHOTO BY: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images).

As usual, the four-day extravaganza tugged on the strings of every emotion, from delight to despair, from ecstasy to agony. Predictable results and polished performances mingled with extraordinary results and wretched performances. Controversy reigned on the opening day and tragedy struck in the final day, opening up the debate on animal welfare. But in between time, Jumps racing was seen at its very best thanks to the legends that are Tiger Roll and Altior and one of the most uplifting days in Festival history thanks to the exploits of jockey Bryony Frost on Frodon and owner Andrew Gemmell with Paisley Park. Here are my top ten talking-points: