Cheltenham is the pinnacle of National Hunt racing in Britain and Ireland, a place where legends are forged and careers are defined. Although most Festival headlines are taken by Irish and English yards, a handful of Scottish trainers, jockeys and horses have left their mark at Cheltenham Festival over the years. Their successes carry particular weight because they come from a smaller racing scene, making them stand out all the more. From mid‑20th‑century pioneers to modern Festival winners and rising stars, the Scottish contribution to Cheltenham is a story of resilience, passion and rare but memorable triumphs that deserve to be celebrated.
Ken Oliver
Ken Oliver was one of the most influential figures in Scottish jump racing and remains a towering presence in its history. Born in 1914, he enjoyed a career that spanned more than half a century, training over 1,000 winners and becoming synonymous with National Hunt success north of the border. Oliver secured several wins at the Cheltenham Festival, including the Grand Annual Chase in 1965 and 1977, as well as the County Handicap Hurdle and Arkle Challenge Trophy in 1866, which made him stand out as a trainer who was able to compete with some of the biggest names in the sport. His long history in the sport and consistency have set a standard for all trainers, not just those in Scotland, despite having competed in an era dominated by the English and Irish.
Lucinda Russel
Lucinda Russell has become Scotland’s most successful contemporary trainer, transforming the profile of Scottish yards on the national stage. Based in Kinross, she has saddled hundreds of winners since taking out her training licence in the mid‑1990s and has enjoyed notable success at Cheltenham. Her first Festival winner came with Brindisi Breeze in 2012, and more recently, she trained Corach Rambler to back‑to‑back victories in the Ultima Handicap Chase in 2022 and 2023. In 2025, her horse Myretown, who is often in conversations of free bets horse racing, landed the Ultima, which highlighted Russell’s ability to continue to compete at the highest level despite being under immense pressure. While her achievements at Cheltenham are massive, she has also won the Grand National twice, which shows how her expertise isn’t just restricted to Cheltenham.
Campbell Gillies
Campbell Gillies achieved something remarkable in a short career when he rode Brindisi Breeze to victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival. Born in Haddington, East Lothian, he had ridden over 130 winners under National Hunt rules by his early twenties and was widely regarded as one of the most promising young jockeys in British jumps racing. The Festival win had brought a massive spotlight to Scottish racing, remaining a moment that defined Gillies’ career. He has left a massive mark on Scottish horse racing as well as Cheltenham as a whole, making him one of the most iconic names in Scotland’s horse racing history.
Corach Rambler
Corach Rambler, an Irish‑bred gelding trained in Scotland by Lucinda Russell, quickly established himself as one of the most successful festival horses in recent years. He won the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in both 2022 and 2023, becoming only the fourth horse to take the race in consecutive years, and his performances quickly marked him as a contender for other major events. Trained at Lucinda Russell’s Kinross yard and ridden by Derek Fox, Corach Rambler’s victories gave Scotland a rare and steady presence at the Festival during a period largely dominated by Irish and English trainers. His victory in the 2023 Grand National further proved his quality, showing that a horse trained and prepared in Scotland could compete and succeed at the very highest level of jump racing.
Brindisi Breeze
Brindisi Breeze holds a special place in Scottish racing history as one of the first horses trained in Scotland to win at the Cheltenham Festival in recent decades. Under jockey Campbell Gillies, he claimed the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in 2012 in one of the most memorable results of that year’s meeting. The victory not only brought pride to his trainer, Lucinda Russel, but also highlighted the competitive spirit of Scottish yards on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Although Brindisi Breeze’s own story ended tragically after the Festival, his achievement remains a landmark in Scotland’s Cheltenham heritage.
Looking Forward
The future of Scottish horse racing looks encouraging, even if the country’s presence at Cheltenham remains smaller than that of some rivals. Recent Festival successes from horses like Corach Rambler and Myretown show that Scottish trainers can still mix it with the best. Investment in young riders and training talent, which has been inspired by some of the biggest names in Scottish horse racing, suggests that there could be a growth in future success for the nation as a result of this strong foundation. Emerging trainers and riders inspired by past achievements will be keen to add their own chapters to this evolving story.
