Cheltenham Festival: Race List & Meeting Info
The time has come once again. The National Hunt season has already featured its fair share of thrills and spills by the time we head into March, but really all that has gone before has merely been an appetiser to the main course. That main course is of course the mighty Cheltenham Festival!
Featuring a bumper 28 races spread over four days, it is at this meeting that the champions of the season are crowned across each of jumps racing categories. Be they hurdlers or chasers, young or old, you can expect to see the genuine superstars of the game looking to light up the track at Prestbury Park. It is here where legends are made, bubbles are burst and many of racing’s most memorable moments have taken place.
Such is the quality of the racing, that this is a fine spectacle in its own right, but as ever a bet on the outcome serves to ramp up that excitement still further, and here we have a betting bonanza quite unlike any other. Get set for four of the very best days that this sport has to offer!
Day One Races - Champions Day
Race | Grade | Length | Prize Money | Ages |
---|---|---|---|---|
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m½f | £125,000 | 4 years olds + |
Arkle Novices' Chase | Grade 1 | 2m | £175,000 | 5 years old + |
Ultima Handicap Chase | Grade 3 | 3m1f | £110,000 | 5 years old + |
Champion Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m½f | £450,000 | 4 years olds + |
Mares’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m4f | £120,000 | 4 years olds + |
Novices' Handicap Chase | Listed | 2m4f | £70,000 | 5 years old + |
National Hunt Challenge Cup | Grade 2 | 3m6f | £125,000 | 5 years old + |
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m½f
Whilst the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle isn’t necessarily all that noteworthy in and of itself, it is very much important in the overall Festival because it’s the race that kicks the whole thing off. The famous ‘Cheltenham Roar’ is what can be heard when the starter gives the horses the order to go, signalling that the Festival is under way for another year.
Originally known as the Gloucestershire Hurdle when it was established in 1946, the race became known as the Lloyds Bank Champion Novices' Hurdle when the high street moneylender took on sponsorship duties in 1974. The present moniker came into effect when Waterford Crystal took over in 1978 and it has maintained the name ever since.
The race is for novice hurdlers aged four and up and takes place on the Old Course over a distance of just in excess of two miles. It’s run left-handed and the weight information sees four-year-olds have ten stone thirteen pounds, five-year-olds and over get eleven stone seven pounds and fillies and mares allowed seven pounds. There are eight hurdles for competitors to cope with during the race.
Arkle Novices' Chase
Grade 1, 2m
Run over one mile, seven furlongs and one hundred and ninety-nine yards, the Arkle is a race for novices chasers and is named in honour of the horse that was a Gold Cup favourite. It’s for horses aged five and over and has a weight attached of eleven stone and four pounds, with mares given a seven pound allowance. There are thirteen fences to be jumped in the race.
Introduced as a replacement for the Cotswold Chase in 1969, it was switched from the second day to the opening one in 1980. Horses that do well in this race will often go on to be competitive in the likes of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and even the Gold Cup. At the time of writing, no trainer has won the race more often than Nicky Henderson.
Ultima Handicap Chase
Grade 3, 3m1f
Officially known as the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase, this event has been sponsored by Ultima Business Solutions since 2015. Run over three miles and one furlong and featuring twenty fences, it is open to horses aged five and over. A handicap race, this Grade 3 event has a prize purse of around £110,000 attached to it.
Originally called the National Hunt Handicap Chase, its title has altered according to the company sponsoring it since the 1980s. Winners of the race will often go on to compete in the Grand National, though not necessarily in the same season. The likes of West Tip, Seagram and Rough Quest have all won both races.
Champion Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m½f
The Champion Hurdle was run for the first time three years after the Gold Cup’s inaugural running and it took some time to truly establish itself as a race of some importance. Indeed, the 1932 running saw just three horses take part, which is suggestive of owners and trainers failing to immediately fall in love with it. It was cancelled during the Second World War, but when it returned it proved to be more popular with entrants and racegoers alike.
As with the Gold Cup, the success of certain horses can be seen as part of the reason that the Champion Hurdle began to gain in popularity. With an appropriate name for post-war Britain, National Spirit was taken to the hearts of the public when he won consecutive races in 1947 and 1948. Yet that was to be immediately overshadowed thanks to a hat-trick of wins by Hatton’s Grace between 1949 and 1951. When that was immediately followed up by three wins in succession by Sir Ken, the race was seen as one of the most exciting to watch by Cheltenham racegoers.
Dawn Run took the public’s imagination in 1984 when she became only the second mare to win the race, backing up her importance as a race horse when she won that most prestigious of jump races, the Gold Cup, two years later. The end of the 1990s saw another horse become a triple winner of the race when Istabraq saw out one decade and the start of another with three consecutive wins between 1998 and 2000. He might have won a fourth, but for the fact that the Festival was abandoned because of the foot and mouth disease crisis in 2001.
The final leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling after the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park, the Champion Hurdle takes place left-handed and lasts for just over two miles. Open to horses aged four and up, the weight information sees four-year-olds have eleven stone two pounds and those aged five and over eleven stone ten pounds, with fillies and mares getting a seven pound allowance. There are eight hurdles to be jumped during the event and it is run on the Old Course.
Mares’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m4f
Officially known as the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, this race is run over two miles, three furlongs and two hundred yards. As the name suggests, it is limited to female horses that are aged four and over. The weight information shows that it’s ten stone and ten pounds for four-year-olds and eleven stone five pounds for horses aged six and over.
There are ten hurdles that need to be jumped during this Grade 1 event, which is named after the successful national hunt jockey and trainer David Nicholson. No horse has won the event more times than Quevega, who notched up six successive victories between 2009 and 2014. Ruby Walsh was the jockey for all of them, also winning with Vroum Vroum Mag and Benie Des Dieux.
Novices' Handicap Chase
Listed, 2m4f
A Class 1 Listed race, this event is for horses aged five and over with a rating of between 0 and 145. It is run over two miles, four furlongs and forty-four yards and the horses need to get over sixteen fences if they hope to win. The prize pool sits at around £70,000, with about £40,000 of that going to the winner. If the Going is Soft then the race will last for about five minutes or so.
National Hunt Challenge Cup
Grade 2, 3m6f
A Grade 2 event for horses aged five and over, this race has the following weight information attached:
- Horses aged 5: 11 stone 4 pounds
- Horses aged 6 and over: 11 stone 6 pounds
- Mares receive a 7 pound allowance
Run over three miles, five furlongs and two hundred and one yards, the National Hunt Challenge Cup was first run in 1860 and asks the horses to jump over twenty-three fences. The race has taken place more than any other race at Cheltenham, though it wasn’t transferred to the course permanently until 1911.
Day Two Races - Ladies' Day
Race | Grade | Length | Prize Money | Ages |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m5f | £125,000 | 4 years old + |
RSA Novices' Chase | Grade 1 | 3m½f | £175,000 | 5years old + |
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle | Grade 3 | 2m5f | £100,000 | 4 years old + |
Queen Mother Champion Chase | Grade 1 | 2m | £400,000 | 5 years old + |
Cross Country Chase | Class 2 | 3m6f | £65,000 | 5 years old + |
Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle | Grade 3 | 2m½f | £80,000 | 4 years old |
Champion Bumper | Grade 1 | 2m½f | £75,000 | 4-6 years old |
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m5f
Also known as the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, this race was run for the first time in 1971 and features ten hurdles over the two miles and five furlongs of its running. It is for horses aged four and over with the following weight information:
- Horses aged 4: 10 stone 12 pounds
- Horses aged 5 and over: 11 stone 7 pounds
- Fillies and mares receive a 7 pound allowance
A Grade 1 race that is run left-handed on the Old Course, the race is aimed at novice hurdlers. At the time of writing, no jockey has won the race more times than Ruby Walsh, who did so four times, and no trainer is able to compete with the four wins that Willie Mullins has to his name. Unsurprisingly, the wins for each came with the same horse as they worked together.
RSA Novices' Chase
Grade 1, 3m½f
Run under numerous different sponsored titles since the 1960s, the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase is, as the name suggests, a race aimed at novice chasers. It’s for horses aged five and over and boasts the following weight information:
- Horses aged 5: 11 stone 2 pounds
- Horses aged 6 and over: 11 stone 4 pounds
- Mares receive a 7 pound allowance
Run over three miles and eighty yards, the race has twenty fences that must be jumped. Winners sometimes go on to win the Gold Cup, with Lord Windermere achieving exactly that in 2014. Pat Taaffe is the race’s most successful ever jockey, whilst Fulke Walwyn, Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson have all won the race four times as trainers.
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
Grade 3, 2m5f
A handicap event for hurdlers aged four and over, the event has been sponsored by Coral since its inception in 1993. Run left-handed on the Old Course, it take place over two miles and five furlongs and features ten hurdles for the competitors to get over. No horse has won the race more than once, though both Davy Russell and Barry Geraghty have won it three times as jockeys.
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Grade 1, 2m
Originally known as the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase when it was established in 1959, it was renamed in honour of the Queen Mother in her eightieth birthday year of 1980. The Queen Mother had long been a supporter of the National Hunt and chasers in particular, so it was felt that the new moniker was a fitting tribute to her.
Whilst other races during the Festival had begun to take on sponsors much earlier in their existence, the Queen Mother Champion Chase resisted doing so until 2007 but has borne the name of one ever since. These have obviously changed over the years, with Seasons Holidays taking the honour initially before different betting firms began to take over.
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is considered to be the leading middle-distance chase in National Hunt racing, run over a distance of just shy of two miles. Run left-handed on the Old Course, the race has a weight of eleven stone ten pounds and a seven pound allowance for mares. It’s open to horses aged five and over and Badsworth Boy is its most successful participant, having won it three times between 1983 and 1985.
Cross Country Chase
Class 2, 3m6f
Inaugurated in 2005 when the Festival had that fourth day added, the Cross Country Chase is a real slog for the participants. It lasts for three miles and six furlongs, with thirty-two obstacles needing to be overcome before the run-in. It was a handicap race when it was first established, switching to a conditions race in 2016.
Open to horses aged five and over, it is notable for the fact that it’s run on the Cross-Country Course rather than either the Old or the New. Three horses have won the race more than once at the time of writing, with Garde Champetre achieving it in 2008 and 2009 and Balthazar King repeating the trick in 2012 and then again two years later.
Most famous of all double winners however is Gordon Elliot's Tiger Roll who won this race in 2018 and 2019. He followed up both Cross Country victories by winning the Grand National at Aintree the next month.
Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle
Grade 3, 2m½f
A Grade 3 event aimed at horses aged four and over, the Fred Winter is a handicap event that takes place over two miles and eighty-seven yards. Named in honour of Fred Winter, the successful National Hunt jockey and trainer, it features eight hurdles and was first run in 2005. Paul Nicholls and Gordon Elliott share the honour of being the race’s most successful trainers.
Champion Bumper
Grade 1, 2m½f
A flat race that takes place under National Hunt conditions, the Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 event that was first run in 1992. It’s for horses aged between four and six, with four-year-olds having weight information of ten stone, eleven pounds compared to the eleven stone, five pounds of five and six-year-olds. Fillies and mares are given an allowance of seven pounds.
Run over two miles and eighty-seven yards, the race has enjoyed a number of different sponsors since its inauguration. It is the National Hunt’s most prestigious flat race, with horses that do well in it often developing into strong jump races. Ruby Walsh is the race’s leading jockey, whilst Willie Mullins has won it more often than any other trainer.
Day Three Races - St Patrick's Day
Race | Grade | Length | Prize Money | Ages |
---|---|---|---|---|
Marsh Novices’ Chase | Grade 1 | 2m4f | £150,000 | 5 years old + |
Pertemps Handicap Hurdle | Grade 3 | 3m | £100,000 | 5 years old + |
Ryanair Chase | Grade 1 | 2m4½f | £350,000 | 5 years old + |
Stayers’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 3m | £325,000 | 4 years old + |
Stable Plate Handicap Chase | Grade 3 | 2m4½f | £110,000 | 5 years old + |
Mares’ Novice Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2m1f | £90,000 | 4 years old + |
Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Class 2 | 3m2f | £70,000 | 5 years old + |
Marsh Novices’ Chase
Grade 1, 2m4f
Officially registered as the Golden Miller Novices’ Chase and named in honour of the horse with the same moniker, this Grade 1 event is for horses aged five and over. The following weight information is in play:
- Horses aged 5: 11 stone 3 pounds
- Horses aged 6 and over: 11 stone 4 pounds
- Mares receive a 7 pound allowance
The race is run over two miles, three furlongs and one hundred and sixty-eight years, with seventeen fences to be jumped during that time. Established in 2011, the race was originally sponsored by Jewson but has had a number of sponsors since then. Ruby Walsh is, as with so many other Cheltenham Festival races, the most successful jockey attached to it.
Pertemps Handicap Hurdle
Grade 3, 3m
Open to horses aged five and over, this handicap race is run left-handed on the New Course and lasts for two miles, seven furlongs and two hundred and thirteen yards. There are twelve hurdles to be negotiated during the race, which was run for the first time in 1974. It replaced the George Duller Handicap Hurdle and has had a number of sponsors over the years.
Raised from Listed to Grade 3 in 2018, horses must finish in the first six places in a qualifying race in order to earn a place in the starting line-up. The wonderfully named Willie Wumpkins is the race’s most successful horse, whilst a number of jockeys have won the race three times. Only Jonjo O’Neill has won it four times as a trainer, however.
Ryanair Chase
Grade 1, 2m4½f
Officially known as the Festival Trophy, the Ryanair Chase is the youngest of the feature races during the Cheltenham Festival. In 2005 the Festival’s organisers decided to add a fourth day to proceedings, with the Ryanair Chase being one of the races to find itself on the race card to fill the spaces that had opened up. A race with a similar style called the Cathcart Challenge Cup had existed before, but it was for first and second-season chasers only, so this new race was considered to be more inclusive.
When the race was run for the first time it was a Grade 2 offering, being upgraded to Grade 1 in 2008. It was also sponsored by the Daily Telegraph during its initial running, but the Irish airline Ryanair has been its main sponsor since 2006, which is why it is better known as the Ryanair Chase than its actual title. Run left-handed over two miles and five furlongs on the New Course, it’s open to horses aged five and over. When it comes to the weight information on the race, five-year-olds have eleven stone nine pounds, whilst six-year-olds and over have eleven stone ten pounds and mares get a seven pound allowance.
Stayers’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 3m
Is the Festival Trophy the feature race on Day Three of the Festival or does that honour go to the Stayers’ Hurdle? It’s a matter of some debate, with many considering them to be pretty equal in that regard. What we can tell you is that the Stayers’ Hurdle is the National Hunt’s leading long-distance hurdle event, which may well give it the edge over the Ryanair Chase for some of you.
Inaugurated in 1912 when it was run over three miles, the then-named Stayers Selling Hurdle was a weight-for-age selling event that saw the winning horse sold for £50. Interestingly, the event had some trouble settling onto the Festival’s roster and was dropped twice before eventually coming back in to replace the Spa Hurdle in 1946. When Ladbrokes took over sponsorship of the race in 2005 it also renamed it as the World Hurdle, with the Stayers’ Hurdle name coming back in 2017.
Raced left-handed on the New Course, the race is open to horses aged four and over and lasts for around three miles, with twelve hurdles to be jumped during that time. Weight-wise, four-year-olds have eleven stone exactly whilst those aged five and over have eleven stone ten pounds and fillies and mares get a seven pound allowance. In terms of horses that have won the race, none can come close to the four consecutive wins of Big Buck's between 2009 and 2012. Those wins also helped Ruby Wash establish himself as the race’s most successful jockey.
Stable Plate Handicap Chase
Grade 3, 2m4½f
Boasting the somewhat convoluted full title of the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase, this even is run over two miles, four furlongs and one hundred and twenty-seven yards. It is a Grade 3 handicap event that is open to horses aged five and over. During the course of the race they will have to successful jump seventeen fences if they hope to win.
Established in honour of the second Baron Mildmay of Flete, the race was run for the first time in 1951. It has enjoyed a number of sponsors over the years but is often just referred to as the Stable Plate. Fred Winter is the race’s most successful jockey, whilst Bobby Renton, Nicky Henderson and Martin Pipe share the honour of being the most successful trainer.
Mares’ Novice Hurdle
Grade 2, 2m1f
Known as the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, this event is limited to female horses aged four and over. Run over two miles and one hundred and seventy-nine yards, there are eight hurdles during the course of the race. It’s for novice hurdlers and was introduced to the Festival in 2016 when the meeting was expanded to feature twenty-eight races.
There is a complex weight system attached to the event, which is as follows:
- Horses aged 4: 10 stone 8 pounds
- Horses aged 5 and over: 11 stone 2 pounds
- Horses that have won a Class 1 weight-for-age event receive a 5 pound penalty
- Horses that have won a Class 2 weight-for-age event receive a 3 pound penalty
- Horses that have won a Class 1 handicap event receive a 3 pound penalty
Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Class 2, 3m2f
The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, to give the race its full tittle, was inaugurated in 1946 and is run over three miles and two furlongs. Boasting twenty-one fences during the length of the race, it is for horses aged five and over and is a handicap event. Jamie Codd is the race’s most successful jockey, whilst no trainer has won it more times than Fred Rimmell.
Day Four Races - Gold Cup Day
Race | Grade | Length | Prize Money | Ages |
---|---|---|---|---|
Triumph Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m1f | £125,000 | 4 years old |
County Handicap Hurdle | Grade 3 | 2m1f | £100,000 | 5 years old + |
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 3m | £125,000 | 4 years old + |
Cheltenham Gold Cup | Grade 1 | 3m2½f | £625,000 | 5 years old + |
Foxhunter Chase | Class 2 | 3m2½f | £45,000 | 5 years old + |
Grand Annual Chase | Grade 3 | 2m½f | £110,000 | 5 years old + |
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m4½f | £70,000 | 4 years old + |
Triumph Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m1f
What’s interesting about the Triumph Hurdle that separates it from many of the other races that take place during the Cheltenham Festival is that it wasn’t actually established at Prestbury Park. First run at Surrey’s Hurst Park in 1939, it was moved to the Gloucestershire course in 1965 and before its move was one of the few hurdle races that famous flat racing jockey Lester Piggott enjoyed success in.
Another reason why the Triumph Hurdle is worthy of a mention is that horses that do well in it often go on to compete in the Champion Hurdle. Clair Soleil, Persian War, Kribensis and Katchit are all horses that have won both races, which is something that you might want to bear in mind.
The race is only open to four-year-olds, making it one of only a few races that are run during the Festival that have such an age restriction in place. It takes place over two miles and one furlong, with the juvenile hurdlers’ race featuring eight hurdles during its running. It is the National Hunt’s leading race for juveniles and the weight information is eleven stone, with a seven pound allowance for fillies.
County Handicap Hurdle
Grade 3, 2m1f
A Grade 3 event for horses aged five and over, this handicap race takes place over two miles and one hundred and seventy-nine yards. There are eight hurdles to be jumped in this event that was run for the first time in 1920. It was traditionally the final race of the Festival, but was moved for the 2009 race and has been the final day’s second race ever since.
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 3m
Officially known as the Spa Novices’ Hurdle but called the Albert Bartlett for sponsorship reasons, this race is aimed at horses aged four and over. It is run over two miles, seven furlongs and two hundred and thirteen yards, with twelve hurdles standing between the horses and the finish line. The following weight information is at play:
- Horses aged 4: 10 stone 9 pounds
- Horses aged 5 and over: 11 stone 5 pounds
- Mares & fillies receive a 7 pound allowance
The race was introduced to the Festival alongside several others when it was expanded to having a fourth day in 2005. Classed as a Grade 2 event, it was upgraded to Grade 1 in 2008, which is also when Albert Bartlett took over the sponsorship duties. Tony McCoy is the race’s most successful jockey to date.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Grade 1, 3m2½f
Where else to start but with the big one? There was a race with the same title that took place at Cheltenham in 1819, but it was a flat race ran over three miles and bears no relation to the race we know and love today. The jump race took place for the first time on the twelfth of March 1924 and the winning owners took home £685. Back-to-back wins for Golden Miller between 1932 and 1936 saw the race catapulted into the public imagination in a real way.
The story of the Gold Cup can, in many ways, be told through the various horses that have won it over the years. Three successive victories for the Irish-trained Cottage Rake after the Second World War began the Irish love affair with the race for example, whilst the superiority of Arkle after it had been switched to the New Course in the 1960s solidified the public’s obsession with the event. Dawn Run’s victory in both the Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle is noteworthy on account that it’s the only horse to win both races, whilst Desert Orchid’s win in 1989 remains a standout moment in Gold Cup history.
Six years before Desert Orchid’s triumph, the top five horses to finish were Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House. Not a particularly exciting set of horses at first glance, but when you realise that every single one of them had been trained by Michael Dickinson you start to get something of an appreciation for why it was a year that went down in Gold Cup folklore. The modern generation of racing fans have had plenty to get excited about over the years too, with Kauto Star becoming the first horse to regain the Gold Cup when he won it in 2009, having lost out to stablemate Denman in 2008 after winning it for the first time the year before.
Raced left-handed over three miles and two and a half furlongs, the Gold Cup features twenty-two fences that must be traversed before horses can get to the finish line. It’s a race for horses aged five and over, with weight information of eleven stone and five pounds for five-year-olds and eleven stone ten pounds for those aged six and up, whilst mares are given a seven pound allowance. It’s far from the richest race in the sport, with a pot of £650,000 available in 2020 and £351,688 of that going to to the winner. Pat Taaffe’s three wins on Arkle and one on Fort Leney make him the race’s most successful jockey, though still coming one short of Golden Miller’s five wins as the most successful horse ever to win the race.
Foxhunter Chase
Class 2, 3m2½f
Known as the St James’ Place Foxhunter Chase for sponsorship reasons, this event was established in 1904 and is run over three miles, two furlongs and seventy yards. The race is also known as the amateur Gold Cup, given that it is limited to amateur jockeys but takes place over the same distance and on the same jumps as the blue riband event. The following weight information applies:
- Horses aged 5: 11 stone 12 pounds
- Horses aged 6 and over: 12 stone
- Mares receive a 7 pound allowance
There are twenty-two fences to nee jumped during the course of the race, which is ungraded. A horse’s previous performance over a specific period of time will determine whether they are eligible to enter the race or not. Several horses have won the event twice, whilst Colman Sweeney is its most successful jockey. Both Richard Barber and Paul Nicholls have won it four times.
Grand Annual Chase
Grade 3, 2m½f
Officially known as the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, the race is for horses aged five and over and is a handicap offering. The Grade 3 event was established in 1834, making it the Festival’s oldest race. Run over two miles and sixty-two yards, the event has fourteen fences to jump during its running.
Johnny Henderson was a banker and racehorse owner, as well as being the father of the trainer Nicky Henderson. His name was added to the race in 2005, two years after his death. The race has undergone a number of changes in recent times in order to make it safer, including reducing the maximum number of runners from twenty-four to twenty in 2019.
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle
Class 2, 2m4½f
Run over two miles, four furlongs and fifty-six yards, the Martin Pipe is a race for conditional jockeys. It’s a handicap event for horses aged four and over, who have to navigate nine hurdles if they hope to win. Established in 2009, the event is named in honour of the National Hunt trainer Martin Pipe, who enjoyed thirty-four wins at the Cheltenham Festival in his career.
About the Cheltenham Festival
Just as the majority of people will think of Royal Ascot when they consider the world of flat racing, the Cheltenham Festival will be at the forefront of the mind’s of the race-going public when it come to jump racing. The meeting in Gloucestershire is one of the standout weeks in the British horse racing calendar, seeing the best and the brightest descend on the Prestbury Park course for the best jump racing anywhere in the world.
The week is unquestionably building to the running of the Gold Cup, which is up there alongside the Grand National as one of the standout moments of jump racing during the year. Yet there are countless races throughout the meeting that are exciting and noteworthy, to say nothing of moments that take place off the course but that are just as iconic as the racing itself. There are few sounds in sport as spine-tingling as the Cheltenham Roar for example, which accompanies the start of the week’s opening race.
Four Days of Brilliant Racing
We could delve into the history of the Cheltenham Festival and how the arrival of the Grand Annual Steeplechase to the racecourse is thought by many to be the defining moment for racing in the area, or how the introduction of the Gold Cup in 1924 cemented Cheltenham’s place in the annals of horse racing. Yet the races themselves have so much about them worth talking about that getting lost into a rabbit hole of history might not serve us well in importing the most useful information about the meeting.
The Cheltenham Festival offers racegoers and watchers four days of brilliant racing, with every day featuring top-class events to keep you entertained. It’s not even just limited to the duration of the Festival, either, with the more research-orientated of you having the opportunity to watch out for Festival Trials Day in January to see which horses are showing promise ahead of the main event.
Day One: Champions Day
The feature race of Day One of the Festival is the Champion Hurdle, but it would be misleading to suggest that that’s the only race worthy of your attention. There are seven races to be run during the day and they all offer something interest to the watching public.
Day Two: Ladies’ Day
There’s barely a race meeting in the world that doesn’t have a Ladies Day, letting the glamour off the course take almost as much attention as the racing on it. The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the feature race of the day, though it’s a close run thing in many respects.
Day Three: St Patrick’s Day
Cheltenham’s links to Ireland go back many years but are best summed up with the popularity of St Patrick’s Day on the course. The Irish invasion is in full swing by Day Three, with the Guinness flowing and the party seemingly never-ending. The feature race today is generally considered to be the Stayers’ Hurdle. The Festival Trophy, better known as the Ryanair Chase, is also considered to be an important race on Day Three and often seen as the co-main feature.
Day Four: Gold Cup Day
As you can tell, the rest of the Festival absolutely has plenty of top-notch racing to keep you entertained, but there’s no question that the final day of the meeting is also the one that most people have spent the week looking forward to. Day Four is when the big one happens, with the Gold Cup garnering the attention of racing fans the world over.
The Course
A final quick note for the course itself. Cheltenham Racecourse is actually more like three courses in one, with the Old Course used for the racing on days one and two and the New Course coming in to play for the final two days of the Festival. There’s also the Cross-Country Course that is used for the likes of the Cross Country Chase.
The Old Course is one mile mile and four furlongs based on an oval track, with a three hundred and fifty yard run-in. It’s left-handed and has six hurdles and nine fences on it, with open ditches on the fourth and sixth and a water jump on the third.
The New Course, in comparison, is also oval but is based over one mile and five furlongs. The run-in is a much shorter two hundred and twenty yards. The course has the flexibility to see more hurdles and fences brought in if needed. It ordinarily has six hurdles but can be expanded to nine, with the thirteen fences able to be expanded to eighteen if the race calls for it. The second is the water jump and the third and fifth are open ditches.