A Brief History Of The Festival
The history of the Cheltenham Festival dates back to the Grand National Hunt Meeting of the 19th century. It found its permanent home in Cheltenham in 1911, and since then, it’s become the premier event in British and Irish jump racing.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup, which debuted in 1924, is now regarded as the ultimate test for stayers. Over time, the Cheltenham Festival meeting has expanded into a four-day elite racing showcase, with each day centred around a feature race that determines the best in their division.
The Big Races To Follow
Across the four days, there are some huge races, with a feature race being the focus on each day of the meeting.
Champion Hurdle (Tuesday) – A fast and tactical two-mile hurdle that is more about slick jumping than it is turn of foot.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday) – The elite two-mile chase, run at a relentless pace, where jumping fences with precision is crucial.
Stayers’ Hurdle (Thursday) – A gruelling three-mile hurdle that demands stamina and resilience.
Cheltenham Gold Cup (Friday) – The blue-riband event of the Festival, run over 3m2½f. This race is the ultimate test of stamina and jumping, with the famous Cheltenham hill separating the best from the rest.
Horses Expected To Challenge
While ante-post markets can move ahead of the Festival, they offer insight into who the likely main players will be.
In the Gold Cup, Fact To File is widely considered the leading contender, alongside Jango Baie, The Jukebox Man and Gaelic Warrior.
The Champion Hurdle picture features The New Lion near the top of the early betting, with Brighterdayshead, Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth retaining support.
For the Champion Chase, Marine Nationale is heading the market alongside Jonbon.
In the Stayers’ Hurdle, Teahupoo is the early market favourite, with Bob Olinger also in the conversation.
The Trainers And Jockeys Who Dominate
Races at the Cheltenham Festival are often won in the preparation stage. Willie Mullins remains the Festival’s most successful trainer and will be sending another powerful team over. British trainers’ hopes have been led by Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls over the years, with Dan Skelton now emerging as a top trainer.
Among the jockeys, Paul Townend is the dominant force where Cheltenham is concerned, especially when you consider he will be riding the best Mullins’ horses.
The Popularity Of Betting At Cheltenham
Cheltenham and betting have long gone hand in hand. The competitive fields and big races make it the busiest week of the year for betting in Britain and Ireland. Discussions around form, ground conditions and market movements dominate, with the latest sports betting markets updated constantly ahead of and during the Festival.
Final Thoughts
To get truly stuck into the Cheltenham Festival, focus on the big races and learn everything there is to know about the runners, riders and trainers. By the time the Gold Cup comes around, you’ll not only know what’s at stake but why Cheltenham is jump racing’s biggest stage.
