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The Cheltenham Festival
15th - 18th March 2011
22 Mar 2010: Riding To Glory – Cheltenham’s Top Jockeys
22 Mar 2010: Cheltenham’s Top Trainers – Schooling Champions
22 Mar 2010: Cheltenham Day 4 – Results! Results! Results!
Dubbed 'The Olympics of Horse Racing' this four day event is the most anticipated National Hunt Races meeting of the year. Taking place in the third week of March each year, the Cheltenham Festival attracts enormous crowds and sees millions of pounds exchange hands in a lively betting scene. No matter whether novice or seasoned jumper, every available great chaser and hurdler aspires to make his or her mark in Cheltenham.
The first day's feature race is the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, a two mile hurdling event. The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle is arguably the most prestigious hurdles race of the British Jump Racing season, with the winner sure the be remembered. In recent years the Kappa was dominated by the Irish-trained hurdlers until Katchit reclaimed the British honour in 2008.
The main event on the second day of Cheltenham Festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, a two-mile obstacle course over the infamous Cheltenham fences. This is the holy grail of Steeple Chase racing, awarding the most coveted trophy of the British steeplechasing season. A legendary winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase was British thoroughbred Badsworth Boy, who managed to win the prestigious steeple chase three consecutive times in 1983,1984,and 1985.
Day three is the famed Ladies' Day, the perfect day to marvel at the racing attire of the affluent and outrageous. It is also the day of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, a long distance hurdles race - spanning a gruelling three miles -, which is said to be one of the most testing jump races to test a horse's ability. The second main event of the Ladies' Day is the Ryanair Chase, a make-it-or-break-it race over two miles and five furlongs.
The fourth and last day sees the most anticipated event of the British Jump Racing year; the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase, an epic contest over three miles and three and a half furlongs. The Gold Cup was the scene of the most dramatic showdown in jump racing history in 2009, when previous winners Kauto Star (first in 2007) and Denman (Winner of 2008) went head to head in a bid to reclaim the title.
Of course the Cheltenham Festival also includes much anticipated novice events and some of the most exciting handicap races of the season.
The 2010 Cheltenham Festival Days:
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Day One
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Day Two
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Day Three
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Day Four
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