{"id":4466,"date":"2023-04-07T16:46:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-07T16:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/?page_id=4466"},"modified":"2024-04-08T14:04:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T14:04:53","slug":"cheltenham-festival","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/meetings\/cheltenham-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheltenham Festival Races, Format & History"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Cheltenham<\/p>\n

Photo \u00a9\u00a0Chris Allen<\/a>\u00a0(cc-by-sa\/2.0)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The meeting that almost the entire National Hunt season is based around takes place in mid-March.<\/p>\n

The Cheltenham Festival isn\u2019t nicknamed the \u2018Greatest Show on Turf\u2019 for no reason and most of the best jumps horses in training across the widest array of races will be competing over the four days at Prestbury Park in March.<\/p>\n

Much of the build-up surrounds how open-looking many of the races are so there is great value to be had for punters at the Festival.<\/p>\n

Below we will highlight our selections for each of the twenty-eight races on show, as well as providing a comprehensive guide to the meeting and its history.<\/p>\n

Champion Day Races (Tuesday)<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Time<\/th>\nRace<\/th>\nGrade<\/th>\nDistance<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1:30<\/td>\nSupreme Novices\u2019 Hurdle Hurdle<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:10<\/td>\nArkle Challenge Trophy Novices\u2019 Chase<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:50<\/td>\nUltima Handicap Chase<\/td>\nPremier Handicap<\/td>\n3m1f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:30<\/td>\nChampion Hurdle Challenge Trophy<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:10<\/td>\nClose Brothers Mares\u2019 Hurdle<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m4f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:50<\/td>\nBoodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle<\/td>\nPremier Handicap<\/td>\n2m\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5:30<\/td>\nNational Hunt Challenge Cup Novices\u2019 Chase<\/td>\nGrade 2<\/td>\n3m5f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Style Wednesday Races<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Time<\/th>\nRace<\/th>\nGrade<\/th>\nDistance<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1:30<\/td>\nGallagher Novices\u2019 Hurdle<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m5f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:10<\/td>\nBrown Advisory Novices\u2019 Chase<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n3m\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:50<\/td>\nCoral Cup Handicap Hurdle<\/td>\nPremier Handicap<\/td>\n2m5f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:30<\/td>\nBetway Queen Mother Champion Chase<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:10<\/td>\nGlenfarclas (Cross Country) Chase<\/td>\nClass 2<\/td>\n3m6f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:50<\/td>\nJohnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase<\/td>\nPremier Handicap<\/td>\n2m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5:30<\/td>\nWeatherbys Champion Bumper<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

St Patrick\u2019s Thursday Races<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Time<\/th>\nRace<\/th>\nGrade<\/th>\nDistance<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1:30<\/td>\nTurners Novices\u2019 Chase<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m4f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:10<\/td>\nPertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle<\/td>\nPremier Handicap<\/td>\n3m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:50<\/td>\nRyanair Chase<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m4\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:30<\/td>\nStayers\u2019 Hurdle<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n3m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:10<\/td>\nTrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase<\/td>\nPremier Handicap<\/td>\n2m4\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:50<\/td>\nRyanair Mares\u2019 Novices\u2019 Hurdle<\/td>\nGrade 2<\/td>\n2m1f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5:30<\/td>\nFulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup<\/td>\nClass 2<\/td>\n3m2f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Gold Cup Day Races (Friday)<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Time<\/th>\nRace<\/th>\nGrade<\/th>\nDistance<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1:30<\/td>\nJCB Triumph Hurdle<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n2m1f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:10<\/td>\nBetMGM County Handicap Hurdle<\/td>\nPremier Handicap<\/td>\n2m1f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2:50<\/td>\nAlbert Bartlett Novices\u2019 Hurdle<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n3m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:30<\/td>\nBoodles Cheltenham Gold Cup<\/td>\nGrade 1<\/td>\n3m2\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:10<\/td>\nFestival Challenge Cup Open Hunters\u2019 Chase<\/td>\nClass 2<\/td>\n3m2\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:50<\/td>\nLiberthine Mares\u2019 Chase<\/td>\nGrade 2<\/td>\n2m4\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5:30<\/td>\nMartin Pipe Conditional Jockeys\u2019 Handicap Hurdle<\/td>\nClass 2<\/td>\n2m4\u00bdf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

About the Cheltenham Festival Meeting<\/h2>\n
\n

\"Racehorse<\/p>\n

The Cheltenham Festival is simply the biggest National Hunt racing meeting in the world. For four days the best horses over hurdles and fences gather at Prestbury Park for a collection of exciting races that includes a staggering 14 Grade 1s.<\/p>\n

Known simply as the Festival, the meeting always takes place in March, from Tuesday to Friday, and often includes St Patrick\u2019s Day. For that reason, among others, it\u2019s hugely popular with Irish racing fans and the battle between British- and Irish-trained horses is a key storyline throughout the Cheltenham Festival.<\/p>\n

Championship Races<\/h3>\n

Prestigious as they are, not all Grade 1 races are created equally. Amongst the 14 top level races at the Cheltenham Festival it\u2019s the four championship races that stand alone. These are the feature races of each day at the Festival and some of the biggest races of the National Hunt season.<\/p>\n

Champion Hurdle<\/h4>\n

The Champion Hurdle is the feature race of the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. It\u2019s the biggest hurdle race of the season and forms the third leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling alongside the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the Christmas Hurdle.<\/p>\n

Run over 2 miles and \u00bd furlong on the Cheltenham Old Course, this is a race that focuses heavily on the ability to finish strongly. It\u2019s also often a very tactical race with jockeys doing all they can to ensure they are in the perfect position after the final of the eight hurdles to kick for home.<\/p>\n

As you\u2019d expect for the biggest hurdling race, the Champion Hurdle has been won by many of the best known hurdlers of all time since its inauguration in 1927. Hatton\u2019s Grace became the first horse to win the Champion Hurdle three times in 1951 whilst Istabraq (1998, 1999, 2000) is the most recent to achieve the hat-trick. More recent years have seen the likes of Buveur d\u2019Air, Faugheen and Hurricane Fly claim the winner\u2019s share of a prize fund that reached \u00a3400,000 in 2018.<\/p>\n

Queen Mother Champion Chase<\/h4>\n

When you think of steeplechase racing, lung-busting contests like the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup immediately come to mind. Chases come in many different forms though and the Queen Mother Champion Chase is the championship race for minimum distance chasers. A much-loved contest, the thrilling speed of the horses tackling truly testing obstacles is a sight to behold.<\/p>\n

Taking place over just under 2 miles (1m 7f 199y to be precise) on the Cheltenham Old Course, the Champion Chase is among the most fascinating spectacles of the Festival. The way the race unfolds means it could almost be where the phrase \u2018jockeying for position\u2019 comes from, as this is all about being in the right position for the closing straight up the Cheltenham hill.<\/p>\n

Since being first run in 1959, the Champion Chase has been won by horses who made all and by those who burst through the pack late on. Badsworth Boy is the only horse to win the Queen Mother Chase three times but it is a race in which multiple winners and winners aged eight or over are common, so the \u201cthree-peat\u201d may well be achieved in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Stayers\u2019 Hurdle<\/h4>\n

Just as steeplechases are not all simply tests of stamina, hurdling is not all about speed. The Stayers\u2019 Hurdle is the championship race for the specialist long distance hurdling division. It\u2019s run over 3 miles on the New Course at Cheltenham on St Patrick\u2019s Thursday and includes a dozen hurdles to really test both horses and jockeys.<\/p>\n

The first running of the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle was all the way back in 1912. The winner, Aftermath, secured \u00a3100 for his connections. 100 years later and the prize fund had ballooned to more than a quarter of a million pounds. It\u2019s the combination of that lucrative prize and the prestige that comes with winning the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle that ensures high quality fields turn up year after year.<\/p>\n

Big Buck\u2019s dominated the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle (known then as the World Hurdle) with four wins on the trot between 2009 and 2012. Since then it\u2019s been much more open with winners priced between evens and 12\/1, so this is a race full of opportunity for punters.<\/p>\n

Cheltenham Gold Cup<\/h4>\n

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is not just Friday\u2019s feature race, it\u2019s the feature of the entire Cheltenham Festival. Whilst some will claim to prefer other races, for the average punter and casual racing fan, it\u2019s all about the Gold Cup.<\/p>\n

Simply put, National Hunt races do not come more prestigious than this one. They don\u2019t come much more lucrative either as this is the most valuable chase save for a select few handicaps.<\/p>\n

The Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place over 3 miles 2\u00bd furlongs. Combine that with the 22 fences that must be negotiated and you have a tough test of stamina but the best Gold Cup horses are so much more than just stayers. The likes of Kauto Star, Best Mate and L\u2019Escargot had almost the perfect combination of speed, stamina and jumping ability, which is exactly how it should be for this race.<\/p>\n

In 1959 the New Course at Cheltenham became the host for the Gold Cup. In years gone by we have seen a 100\/1 winner in the shape of Norton\u2019s Coin and a 1\/10 winner in the legendary Arkle, who dominated this race in the 1960s. More recently, fans\u2019 favourite Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup in 2009, having previously triumphed in 2007.<\/p>\n

Other Big Grade 1s<\/h3>\n

In addition to the four championship races there are several other big Grade 1 races to enjoy during the Cheltenham Festival. The following are the pick of these big contests.<\/p>\n

Supreme Novices\u2019 Hurdle<\/h4>\n

The famous Cheltenham Roar that greets the start of the Supreme Novice\u2019s Hurdle is one of the best known sounds in sport. It highlights the levels of excitement about the start of the Cheltenham Festival but this is more than just a warm up act. The Supreme Novices\u2019 Hurdle is a Grade 1 race open to novice hurdlers aged four and older.<\/p>\n

The race takes place over 2 miles \u00bd furlong and sees up to 20 horses competing for a prize fund that reached a new high of \u00a3125,000 for the 2018 renewal. Douvan\u2019s win in 2015 saw Ruby Walsh become the first jockey to ride five winners of the Supreme Novices\u2019 Hurdle and Willie Mullins the first trainer to reach the same number.<\/p>\n

Arkle Challenge Trophy<\/h4>\n

The Arkle Challenge Trophy is the second Grade 1 of the Cheltenham Festival. It\u2019s a steeplechase run over a distance of just shy of two miles, which is a specialist distance in chasing. The Arkle is also a novices chase and was introduced in 1969, with its name paying tribute to the three time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.<\/p>\n

The Arkle is often used as a stepping stone for minimum distance chasers to go on and contend the Champion Chase, so it\u2019s well worth noting the winner of the race for future reference.<\/p>\n

Mares\u2019 Hurdle<\/h4>\n

Only fillies and mares aged four and older are permitted to race in the Mares\u2019 Hurdle. This race was for a long time known as the David Nicholson Mares\u2019 Hurdle after the successful jockey and trainer and the trophy still bears his name. Run over 2 miles 4 furlongs, this is the final Grade 1 of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.<\/p>\n

Willie Mullins is the dominant trainer of the Mares\u2019 Hurdle. He won nine of the first nine editions of the race with six of those wins coming from super mare, Quevaga. Mullins and Quevaga played a vital role in the growing popularity of the Mares\u2019 Hurdle, which was promoted to Grade 1 level in 2015.<\/p>\n

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase<\/h4>\n

The Brown Advisory Chase is a Grade 1 steeplechase for novices and is run over a shade over 3 miles. The earlier editions of the race contained two divisions but it was soon amalgamated into one race.<\/p>\n

Although the novices competing in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase still have plenty of room for improvement, it\u2019s a race that has provided plenty of leading contender for more big contests including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National. That tells you a lot about the importance of stamina, whilst a certain amount of experience is also important as the vast majority of winners were older than the minimum age of five.<\/p>\n

Ryanair Chase<\/h4>\n

Registered as the Festival Trophy, the Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 open to horses aged five or older. There are 17 fences to be jumped during the 2 mile 5 furlong trip in what has become an increasingly prestigious race.<\/p>\n

The Ryanair Chase is one of the races that was added to the Cheltenham Festival when it became a four day meeting in 2005. For many racing pundits, the Ryanair is the most prestigious non-championship race of the Festival. In its relatively short history, Albertas Run is the only horse to win more than once (as of 2018), whilst it\u2019s Ruby Walsh who leads the jockey stats with four wins.<\/p>\n

JCB Triumph Hurdle<\/h4>\n

The JCB Triumph Hurdle is open only to four-year-old novice hurdlers. It is run over 2 miles 1 furlong but has produced winners of big races at longer distances including 2014 winner, Tiger Roll, who won the 2018 Grand National.<\/p>\n

The most common next step for winners of the Triumph Hurdle, however, is the Champion Hurdle. Four horses have completed the double but whatever route future winners take they tend to be horses worth following.<\/p>\n

Best of the Rest<\/h3>\n

As you can tell from the list of races above, there is tremendous variety in the races that comprise the Cheltenham Festival. In addition to those Grade 1s there are a host of other Grade level races and competitive handicaps to excite punters during the four days. Here\u2019s our pick of the best of the rest.<\/p>\n

National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup<\/h4>\n

The National Hunt Chase is a special race at Cheltenham Festival as it is open only to amateur riders. The Grade 2 contest is for novice chasers and takes in 24 fences during a monster trip of 4 miles. No race has been run more times at the Festival than the National Hunt Chase which was first held in 1860.<\/p>\n

Gallagher Novices\u2019 Hurdle<\/h4>\n

The Gallagher Novices\u2019 Hurdle has been known by a few names since being introduced in 1971 but it has continued to rise in stature and has been won by some hugely promising horses in recent years including Samcro, Faugheen and The New One. Although it\u2019s open to horses aged four and older, it\u2019s rare to find a winner aged anything other than five or six.<\/p>\n

Turners Novices\u2019 Chase<\/h4>\n

Five-year-olds and older are eligible to compete in the Turners Novices\u2019 Chase which is a Grade 1 run over 2 miles 4 furlongs. The winner must navigate 17 fences which is far from easy given the novice status of all the competitors. The big Irish yards have had a great time in the Turners Novices\u2019 Chase and Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott look set to contest it for a long time to come.<\/p>\n

Albert Bartlett Novices\u2019 Hurdle<\/h4>\n

There are 12 fences to be jumped during the 3 miles of the Albert Bartlett Novices\u2019 Hurdle. This Grade 1 contest regularly includes the best up and coming hurdlers in National Hunt racing. While some stay over the smaller obstacles, others kick on to big things over fences including Bobs Worth, who won in 2011 before winning the RSA Chase in 2012 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2013.<\/p>\n

Festival Hunters’ Chase<\/h4>\n

The crowds at Prestbury Park are still digesting the Gold Cup by the time the Festival Hunters’ Chase gets underway over exactly the same course and distance. Known as the \u2018amateur Gold Cup\u2019 because only amateur riders can compete, the Festival Hunters’ Chase is a real speciality race which punters must keep in mind when making their bets.<\/p>\n

History<\/h3>\n

The Cheltenham Festival was first held in 1860 but in those early days races were not actually held in Cheltenham. Then known as the Grand National Hunt Meeting, the Festival moved around a few different racecourses including Prestbury Park before a committee decided to settle on its current home in 1911. The National Hunt Chase is the oldest race still run in the Cheltenham Festival while the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle is the oldest of the four championship races.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until 2005 that the Cheltenham Festival became a four day meeting. That saw the introduction of a number of new races and provided a certain amount of symmetry with one championship race held on each day.<\/p>\n

There have been clamours to extend the Festival to five days but they\u2019ve so far been resisted with the emphasis remaining on ensuring the current races are as well subscribed as possible. We may see a fifth day added, so lucrative is the Festival, but regardless, we look forward to Cheltenham having a future as long and illustrious as its past.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A Complete History of the Cheltenham Festival<\/h2>\n

\"Gloucestershire<\/p>\n

Such is the popularity of the Cheltenham Festival today, it is thought the four day meeting is worth \u00a3100m to the Gloucestershire economy. It is National Hunt racing on a truly epic scale featuring, some of the most prized races on the circuit.<\/p>\n

Now a little over a 100 years old, how did the Festival become such an enormous hit? As we\u2019ve come to learn, its history is as every bit as exciting and interesting as the racing it hosts.<\/p>\n

1860 \u2013 Cheltenham Festival Origins<\/h3>\n

Although the Cheltenham Festival as we know it didn\u2019t begin until later on, its roots date back to the creation of the National Hunt Chase. The event was part of the \u2018Grand National Hunt Meeting\u2019, initially hosted by Market Harborough but later moved from racecourse to racecourse. Cheltenham staged the event once in 1861 but it wasn\u2019t until 1904 when it returned, two years after a new course was established as Prestbury Park.<\/p>\n

1911 \u2013 Cheltenham Takes Control<\/h3>\n

After a series of racecourse improvements, the National Hunt Committee decided that the two-day Grand National Hunt Meeting should move to Cheltenham, from Warwick, on a permanent basis. The inaugural edition wasn\u2019t one to remember sadly with torrential downpours rather spoiling the atmosphere and making it incredibly tough for the horses involved.<\/p>\n

While 1911 stands as the undisputed birth year of the Festival, there are two races on its current card with histories stretching further back. The St James\u2019s Place Foxhunter Chase, sometimes known as the amateur Gold Cup due to it being run over the same distance, began in 1904.<\/p>\n

Even older is the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, which is in fact the oldest National Hunt chase still in existence having been inaugurated back in 1834 when named simply the Grand Annual. It had several homes in the 19th century but has lived at Cheltenham ever since 1913.<\/p>\n

1912 \u2013 Stayers\u2019 Hurdle Founded<\/h3>\n

A year after Cheltenham secured the rights to hold the Festival they introduced the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle, then known as the Stayers Selling Hurdle. Part of the rules stipulated that the winning horse would be sold for \u00a350 after the race; imagine the bargains available if that still existed! The Stayers\u2019 Hurdle stands as the oldest Festival race still in existence that is currently a championship event.<\/p>\n

1920 \u2013 County Handicap Hurdle Underway<\/h3>\n

One of the oldest races to feature at the Cheltenham Festival, the County Handicap Hurdle, enjoyed its first running in 1920, won by a horse named Trespasser. The 4\/7 favourite saw off seven challengers that day, a tiny field compared to today\u2019s standards. Traditionally it had been the curtain closer of the entire meeting but in 2009 it became the penultimate race on the final day.<\/p>\n

1924 \u2013 Gold Cup Begins<\/h3>\n

Although a race by the name of the Cheltenham Gold Cup first took place in 1819, this was a flat contest, unrelated to jump racing\u2019s Blue Riband. The Gold Cup as we know it first featured in 1924, taking place on the Old Course while largely being overshadowed the National Hunt Chase. Its prize money of \u00a3685 at the time was less than the \u00a31,000 offered in the County Handicap Hurdle but how times have changed.<\/p>\n

1927 \u2013 The Champion Hurdle is Born<\/h3>\n

Rolled out to Cheltenham crowd for the very first time was the Champion Hurdle, offering \u00a3365 to the winning horse, Blaris. Only four horses contested the inaugural running, although this was one more than featured in the 1932 edition of the minimum distance hurdle.<\/p>\n

1928 \u2013 Stayers Hurdle Dropped<\/h3>\n

Organisers at Cheltenham take the decision to drop the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle from the Festival for the first time. It returned in 1930 but found itself outed again between 1939 and 1945.<\/p>\n

1931 \u2013 Frost Gets in the Way<\/h3>\n

March isn\u2019t a month known for being frosty but unseasonably cold conditions froze the ground at Cheltenham in 1931. Unsafe for racing, the Festival was called off for the first time.<\/p>\n

1936 \u2013 Miller Truly Golden<\/h3>\n

Golden Miller completes a truly unbelievable sequence of five straight Gold Cup victories. The Irish-bred horse initially won as a five year old and proceeded to win the next four renewals, all as the strong favourite. As if five Gold Cup wins wasn\u2019t enough, Golden Miller is also the only horse to win the Cheltenham Festival\u2019s prized race and the Grand National in the same year (1934).<\/p>\n

1937 \u2013 Flooding an Issue<\/h3>\n

If Golden Miller\u2019s connection had been weighing up a sixth Gold Cup title then they were out of luck. Although the horse only retired in 1939, flooding meant there was no running of the Gold Cup in 1937. Wet weather didn\u2019t cancel the entire meeting though with other races such as the Champion Hurdle still going ahead in the mud.<\/p>\n

1943 \u2013 War Sacrifices<\/h3>\n

During the early years of World War II the Festival largely carried on as normal but as things progressed hosting racing action proved impossible. In 1943 there was no option but to cancel the meeting, the first time non-weather factors had been responsible. The same occurred again in 1944 before action resumed the following year.<\/p>\n

1946 \u2013 Two New Races Created<\/h3>\n

Shortly after the end of the war, Cheltenham added another race to its repertoire, the Broadway Novices\u2019 Chase. The three mile contest underwent several name changes during the 1960s but we\u2019ve long known it now as the RSA Insurance Novices\u2019 Chase. From fairly humble origins the steeplechase for horses aged five years and older has become one of the highlights on day two of the Festival.<\/p>\n

The other new recruit was the Kim Muir Amateur Riders\u2019 Steeplechase, introduced by Mrs Evan Williams as a way of honouring her brother, a Calvary officer, who died during World War II. Later, in 1991, on the year of his death, the highly successfully trainer Fulke Walwyn was added to the race title.<\/p>\n

1947 \u2013 Champion Hurdle Golden Era Begins<\/h3>\n

The Champion Hurdle may be one of the great National Hunt races but even it has its highs and lows. Shortly after World War II came to an end, fans witnessed one of the highs as three horses, National Spirit, Hatton\u2019s Grace and Sir Ken, won eight consecutive renewals between them. Considered to be among the most talented hurdlers the sport has seen, it was pure chance they all featured across a small space of time.<\/p>\n

1947 \u2013 Many Other Races Postponed<\/h3>\n

National Spirit only had chance to win the 1947 edition of the Champion Hurdle thanks to the hard work of the organisers. Twice the race had been postponed due to snow but the third time proved the charm. Unfortunately for many other races, there simply wasn\u2019t space to fit them in elsewhere so the bulk of Festival races have no records for this year.<\/p>\n

1951 \u2013 Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase Established<\/h3>\n

Cheltenham creates a new steeplechase in order to honour the 2nd Baron Mildmay of Flete who tragically died months earlier. The celebrated amateur jockey rode three Festival winners during his time and the inaugural running of the race named after him couldn\u2019t have been any more exciting. Waterlogging delayed it by a month but it was fully worth the wait as Canford and Slender crossed the line at the same time, producing a rare dead heat.<\/p>\n

1954 \u2013 Local Success<\/h3>\n

The Gold Cup witnessed its first locally trained winner in the form of Four Ten. Trainer John Roberts was base in the now demolished, but then very nearby Prestbury Court.<\/p>\n

1954 \u2013 Piggott on Show<\/h3>\n

Lester Piggott\u2019s fame came strictly over the flat but the racing legend did have a try over the obstacles earlier on in his career. This year the 11-time champion Flat jockey made his Festival debut, winning the now-defunct Birdlip Selling Hurdle on 2nd March. It\u2019s the only Festival race Piggott ever won although he did also win the Triumph Hurdle before it moved to Cheltenham.<\/p>\n

1957 \u2013 Herbert Denied Spotlight<\/h3>\n

As Linwell stormed home in the Gold Cup, few would have been celebrating more than Ivor Herbet. The well-known racing journalist was the trainer of the bay gelding but a conflict of interest barred him from obtaining a trainer\u2019s licence. Charlie Mallon, head of his stable staff, therefore officially took the role as trainer and it is his name that features in the record books.<\/p>\n

1959 \u2013 Along Comes the Champion Chase<\/h3>\n

Recognising the need for a high class minimum distance steeplechase, the then National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase enjoyed its inaugural appearance in 1959. The original title hardly rolled off the tongue but it stopped being an issue in 1980 when the race changed to its present title of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.<\/p>\n

1964 \u2013 Famous Gold Cup Battle<\/h3>\n

The excitement levels were at fever pitch heading into this Gold Cup renewal as Mill House, representing England, took on pride of Ireland, Arkle. The two seven year olds couldn\u2019t have been in any better shape and what a battle they produced on the New Course. Miles clear of the trailing pack, the pair entered the home stretch neck and neck before Arkle managed to pull away as they approached the line.<\/p>\n

1966 \u2013 Arkle Completes Stunning Treble<\/h3>\n

He may not have reached the five Gold Cup wins managed by Golden Miller but Arkle\u2019s trio was far more emphatic. His five length victory in 1964 later proved to be a close call as in 1965 and 1966 the stunning nag won by 20 and 30 lengths respectively. The latter you\u2019ll not be surprised to learn is the largest winning distance ever recorded in the Grade 1 event. No wonder the bookies had him down at odds of 1\/10!<\/p>\n

1968 \u2013 Triumph Hurdle Joins the Festival<\/h3>\n

Founded in 1939, the Triumph Hurdle took its time before being included on the Festival schedule. Hurst Park in Surrey initially hosted the event but following its closure in 1962 the minimum distance event needed a new home. Cheltenham took up the reigns in 1965, scheduling it during its April meeting before bringing it a month forward in 1968.<\/p>\n

1969 \u2013 Cotswold Chase Dropped<\/h3>\n

As a way of paying tribute to three-time Gold Cup winning Arkle, the Arkle Challenge Trophy replaced the Cotswold Chase. Initially it began featuring on the second day of the Festival but found itself moved to the opening day 10 years later.<\/p>\n

1971 \u2013 Baring Bingham Novices\u2019 Hurdle Begins<\/h3>\n

The name Baring Bingham may not be overly familiar to most but it was he who purchased Prestbury Park in 1898 and organised the earlier editions of the Grand National Hunt Meeting. Created in his honour was this two mile five furlong race hurdle race won by the Ruby Walsh-Willie Mullins combination on four occasions.<\/p>\n

1972 \u2013 Supreme Novices\u2019 Hurdle Merges<\/h3>\n

For decades the Supreme Novices\u2019 Hurdle, which in more recent times has been the opening race of the entire Festival, was split into two or even three divisions. This came to an end in 1972 though as the Gloucestershire Hurdle as it was then known became a simple one race affair.<\/p>\n

1974 \u2013 George Duller Handicap Hurdle Drops Out<\/h3>\n

The Festival waves goodbye to the George Duller Handicap Hurdle and says hello to the Coral Golden Hurdle Final. For much of its early history the race went by this name but in 1992 it changed to the more familiar Pertemps Final. The contest is the culmination of eight qualifying races taking place across the country earlier in the season and in 2018 it went from a Listed to a Grade 3 event.<\/p>\n

1978 \u2013 Snow Disruption<\/h3>\n

Winter continued a little longer this year as it covered Cheltenham racecourse with plenty of snow. The adverse weather didn\u2019t complete ruin the meet but not all races managed to feature. One of these to miss out was the Gold Cup but fortunately a date was found in April to run the showpiece event.<\/p>\n

1980 \u2013 A Year of Banned Substances<\/h3>\n

Tied Cottage storms home in the Gold Cup, reaching the line eight lengths clear of Master Smudge in second. The 12 year old led from start to finish but after the race, officials found traces of the prohibited substance theobromine in a urine sample. Accidental contamination of food stuffs was blamed but as unintentional as it was, disqualification had to follow.<\/p>\n

There was disqualification in the Champion Chase too, this time Chinrullah the victim after securing an unbelievable 25 length victory. After the Mick O\u2019Toole trained horse took the unfortunate crown as the only horse to suffer two disqualifications at the Festival as he also featured in the Gold Cup the following day. Like with Tied Cottage, theobromine was the issue.<\/p>\n

1981 \u2013 Age No Barrier for Wumpkins<\/h3>\n

When winning the Pertemps Final as an 11 year old in 1979, few were expecting more success in the race for Willie Wumpkins. Not only did he win again the following year though, he completed the event\u2019s only hat-trick in 1981 at the ripe age of 13, much to the delight of the crowd. Incredibly this final victory came eight years after the fan favourite first tasted Cheltenham Festival success, making for a true comeback tale.<\/p>\n

1983 \u2013 Badsworth Boy Claims a Hat-Trick<\/h3>\n

A third consecutive win for Badsworth Boy makes him the first horse to win the Champion Chase on more than two occasions. The son of Bold Ruler was trained by a combination of Michael, Tony and Monica Dickinson. Michael had been officially noted as the trainer for the first two wins while Monica took the plaudits for the third.<\/p>\n

Although Michael wasn\u2019t credited with Champion Chase success this year, he did find his way into the history books very shortly after via another means. The Yorkshireman completed the extraordinary feat of training the first five finishers of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Dickinson Famous Five, as it was called at the time, were as follows: 1st: Bregawn, 2nd: Captain John, 3rd: Wayward Lad, 4th: Silver Buck, and 5th: Ashley House.<\/p>\n

1987 \u2013 Armytage First Female Success<\/h3>\n

At just 21 years old, Gee Armytage became the first female jockey to ride a winner at the Cheltenham Festival. She did so in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup on an 11 year old horse called The Ellier. Not willing to stop there, the daughter of successful trainer Roddy Armytage then scored another winner the following day on the aptly named Gee-A.<\/p>\n

1990 \u2013 Huge Gold Cup Upset<\/h3>\n

Fully expecting Desert Orchid to retain his Gold Cup crown, punters heaped money on Dessie who set off at an odds-on price. Seeing him finish behind 8\/1 shot Toby Tobias was surprising enough but nobody in their wildest dreams thought he would wind up behind the shock winner Norton\u2019s Coin. Despite a complete lack of form, the obscurely bred gelding won at a huge 100\/1 price, the longest in Gold Cup history.<\/p>\n

1992 \u2013 Festival Bumper Added<\/h3>\n

Unable to think of a more inspired name, the Festival Bumper emerged as the latest race to take place at Cheltenham\u2019s historic meeting. Now known as the Champion Bumper, it became the first, and remains the only, flat race to take place during the entire Festival. The name change in 1997 represents its status as the most prestigious bumper race taking place on the National Hunt calendar.<\/p>\n

The first horse to feature on the winners\u2019 list of the Champion Bumper, Montelado, returned the following year to win the Supreme Novice Hurdle. The 1997 champion, Florida Pearl, became the next to win over the obstacles on his Festival return when scoring gold in the RSA Chase.<\/p>\n

1993 \u2013 Coral Cup Established<\/h3>\n

Coral becomes the latest sponsor looking to get in on the Festival act. The popular bookie sponsored a new handicap, initially run over a distance of two miles and five furlongs. Olympian, who had won the Imperial Cup the previous weekend at Sandown, claimed glory in the inaugural renewal. For this double he scooped his connections a bonus prize of \u00a350,000 courtesy of Coral.<\/p>\n

1994 \u2013 Avro Anson Denied<\/h3>\n

A brilliant battle in the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle saw Avro Anson edge out Martin Pipe\u2019s joint favourite Balasani. The result was switched however when the stewards penalised the initial winner for causing interference.<\/p>\n

2000 \u2013 Istabraq Shows His Prowess<\/h3>\n

Although not quite able to match Golden Miller\u2019s run of five Festival victories, Istabraq did make it four on the turn of the new millennium. The Aidan O\u2019Brien trained hurdler initially won the Baring Bingham Novices\u2019 Hurdle before securing triple success in the elite Champion Hurdle.<\/p>\n

2001 \u2013 Foot-and-Mouth Crisis<\/h3>\n

An outbreak of food-and-mouth disease in 2001 not only caused a crisis in the British agriculture and tourism sectors but it had a huge impact on horse racing too. Organisers had hoped to reschedule the Cheltenham Festival to later in the spring but a confirmed case of the disease located just five miles from Prestbury Park sunk the plans. Unable to host the Festival due to the racecourse being in the exclusion zone, Cheltenham had to refund almost 150,000 badges in what was a devastating blow.<\/p>\n

To some extent, contingency plans spared the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers\u2019 Hurdle. Sandown hosted these races under a different guise during April\u2019s Whitbread Gold Cup meeting. The four events carried Grade One status and featured over similar distances as normal but they can\u2019t truly count as genuine renewals of the big Cheltenham races.<\/p>\n

2005 \u2013 The Festival Grows<\/h3>\n

To the delight of the many people who subscribe to the \u2018I wish it could be Cheltenham everyday\u2019 ethos, an extra day was added to the Festival. Traditionally the action spanned three days but the inclusion of day four allowed a championship race to feature on every day of the meeting.<\/p>\n

The extra day of racing created a need for an additional four races to ensure each day had an even six in total. The new recruits were the Festival Trophy (Ryanair Chase), Spa Novices\u2019 Hurdle, Centenary Novices\u2019 Handicap Chase, Fred Winter Juvenile Novices\u2019 Handicap Hurdle and the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. Those of you paying attention will see that five races are mentioned above, that\u2019s because the Cathcart Challenge Cup, a previous Festival feature, was scrapped.<\/p>\n

2007 \u2013 Kauto Star Wins Big<\/h3>\n

A Betfair initiative rolled out in 2005 offered a bonus of \u00a31m to any horse able to win the Betfair Chase, the King George VI and the Gold Cup, also known as the Stayers Chase Triple Crown. Kauto Star had already won the first two prior to lining up for the 2007 edition of the Gold Cup and he duly complete the clean sweep, pocketing his connections a huge jackpot in the process. By the end of his career Clive Smith\u2019s horse netted \u00a33.7m in earnings.<\/p>\n

2008 \u2013 Another Race Added in a Stormy Edition<\/h3>\n

Just three years after increasing the number of races by four, Cheltenham adds another event, the David Nicholson Mares\u2019 Hurdle. Named after the hugely successful jockey and trainer, it is available to all fillies and mares over the age of three. It would become the first of four races joining the Festival over the next eight years. Its first running coincided with some truly awful conditions at Cheltenham however, so bad in fact that day two of the meeting had to be cancelled.<\/p>\n

High winds were to blame for the disruption on the morning of the Festival\u2019s second day. Gusts on the course has been so strong that an unspecified structure had blown down. With a selection of temporary buildings present by the track, the risk of something else falling was simply too great and the day\u2019s action was abandoned. Fortunately things calmed down on Thursday and Friday and the cancelled races simply took place on these days.<\/p>\n

2009 \u2013 Martin Pipe Honoured<\/h3>\n

Martin Pipe joins Fulke Walwyn, Vincent O\u2019Brien, Fred Winter and David Nicholson as the next person who has a race named after him at the Festival. Appropriately, a handicap was chosen for what many viewed as a long-overdue honour. A humbled Pipe, who retired in 2006, predicted at the time that his son David would no doubt maintain a keen interest in the race but as of 2019 he\u2019s yet to win it.<\/p>\n

2011 \u2013 Golder Miller Novices\u2019 Chase Added<\/h3>\n

With organisers at Cheltenham keen on increasing another day to seven races, they added the Golden Miller Novices\u2019 Chase. The name may not ring a bell but that\u2019s because it\u2019s always ran under a sponsored title, initially called the Jewson Novices\u2019 Handicap Chase and then the JLT Novices\u2019 Chase. It slotted in on day three of the Festival and in 2014 enjoyed promotion to Grade 1.<\/p>\n

2012 \u2013 Big Buck\u2019s Makes it Four<\/h3>\n

For the fourth time, Big Buck\u2019s gets himself first past the post in the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle, breaking his own record as the race\u2019s most successful horse. Ruby Walsh had to push him hard in the final stages but the French-foaled horse had enough to see off Voler La Vedette. Already a true legend of the sport, Big Buck\u2019s attempted to make it five in 2013 but could only managed a fourth place finish.<\/p>\n

2014 \u2013 Quevega Proves Unbeatable<\/h3>\n

Usually one festival win is impressive enough but a solitary taste of success was not enough for the French-bred Quevega. The Willie Mullins trained mare somehow made it six wins in a row in the David Nicholson Mares\u2019 Hurdle, or rather the OLBG Mares\u2019 Hurdle as it is called for sponsorship reasons. By securing her sixth win she ended up breaking the record for the most wins at the Festival set by Golden Miller, who triumphed in the Gold Cup on five consecutive occasions in the 1930s.<\/p>\n

2016 \u2013 One Final Race Added<\/h3>\n

Bringing the total number of races up to 28 at the Festival, making it seven races on each day, is the Dawn Run Mares\u2019 Novices\u2019 Hurdle. Nicky Henderson was quick to praise the addition calling it an \u201cenormous boost to the National Hunt breeding fraternity\u201d. On its inaugural running the two mile, one furlong hurdle offered \u00a375,000 in prize money.<\/p>\n

2018 \u2013 Mullins Continues to Bump<\/h3>\n

After a four year drought, Willie Mullins gets back on top in the Champion Bumper by claiming his ninth win in the prestigious flat race. With this latest win, courtesy of the five year old Envoi Allen, Irish trainer became responsible for more than a third of all winners in the race.<\/p>\n

2019 \u2013 Record Breaking Attendance<\/h3>\n

Despite the presence of stormy weather threatening to delay the start of the Festival, droves of spectators came in their numbers to view the action live. Undeterred by the poor weather, a record breaking crowd of 67,934 attended the opening day of the Festival.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo \u00a9\u00a0Chris Allen\u00a0(cc-by-sa\/2.0) The meeting that almost the entire National Hunt season is based around takes place in mid-March. The Cheltenham Festival isn\u2019t nicknamed the \u2018Greatest Show on Turf\u2019 for no reason and most of the best jumps horses in training across the widest array of races will be competing over the four days at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":3988,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2024-05-05 22:02:39","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4466"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4466"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6654,"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4466\/revisions\/6654"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horseracingbettingsites.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}