The Cheltenham Festival in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire is an embodiment of everything which is great about this event. The Cheltenham Festival is four days of atmosphere, anticipation, and action played out in the National Hunt Racing Calendar on a sporting arena which is one of its kinds. The Festival second only to the Grand National in race prize money is attended by many of the British and Irish trained horses which are rare to see in rest of the racing season.
The Festival a fixture for March which coincides with St. Patrick’s Day is noted for gambling of large sums of money and the atmosphere most notably the “Cheltenham roar” which refers to the noise which the crowd generates at the mark of the start of the first race in the festival. The festival a true racing extravaganza features the best and bravest horses and jockeys, trainers who are excited and who are queasy, people who come together every year to have the time of their lives. The Festival glory creates life-long memories and defines career for racing practitioners and for others who come into contact with it gives unparalleled joy of award-winning drama, sporting excellence and much more.
The Cheltenham Festival starts off with the Champion Day which features the Stan James Champion Hurdle which is the most important hurdle of the season. Six other cracking races and the electrifying first day atmosphere make it a sporting highlight of the season. The second day at the Festival is another highlight with a seven race card featuring the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The third day of the Festival coincides with St Patrick’s day which has been hosting St Patrick’s Derby in association with Cancer Research UK charity racing along with other races on card.
The last and final day of the Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup Day which is also the centerpiece race of the day was first staged in 1924. In the next five decades races were added the last being Stayers Hurdle which was first run in 1972. Until the mid 2000’s the festival was a three day affair to which a fourth day was added for each day to have a championship race climaxing with the Gold Cup. The Festival also includes one of the two biggest Hunter Chases of the Season, the Foxhunters’ which is run on the same course on the same day as the Gold Cup and sometimes referred as the “amateurs’ Gold Cup”.
The fitting finale of the Cheltenham Festival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt race having a racing distance of 3 miles 2 ½ furlongs and 22 fences to be jumped in the race. The steeplechase is open to horses aged five and above and one of the most notable National Hunt event. The Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain and since 2012 it is sponsored by Betfred with prize money of 491,850GBP. The prize money at Cheltenham Festival 2014 can make some interesting horse racing news! Why anticipate for the next year, have a preview of Cheltenham 2014 at http://www.horseracegame.com/famous_horse_race.php
Looking back at the early years of the Gold Cup, the race was first run as a flat race in July 1819. The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run as jump race in 1924 on what is at present called “old course” in Cheltenham. In the following years, the event was cancelled, changed venues till it opened finally opened in 1959 on “New Course” which is the site of the event till date. Some interesting instances can be cited in the running of the Gold Cup, one of which is Arkle the shortest price-winner in races’ history which remains till date.
The most remarkable feat in the history of the Gold Cup by a trainer came in 1983 when Michael Dickinson’s horses were the first five to finish the race. The 1986 winner of the race Dawn Run is the only horse to have won this race and another leading hurdle event, the Champion Hurdle. The entire Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. A replacement event the Gold Trophy Chase was contested instead which lacked any strength in depth and was no substitute for the racing post – as quoted by Racing Post.
The Festival a fixture for March which coincides with St. Patrick’s Day is noted for gambling of large sums of money and the atmosphere most notably the “Cheltenham roar” which refers to the noise which the crowd generates at the mark of the start of the first race in the festival. The festival a true racing extravaganza features the best and bravest horses and jockeys, trainers who are excited and who are queasy, people who come together every year to have the time of their lives. The Festival glory creates life-long memories and defines career for racing practitioners and for others who come into contact with it gives unparalleled joy of award-winning drama, sporting excellence and much more.
The Cheltenham Festival starts off with the Champion Day which features the Stan James Champion Hurdle which is the most important hurdle of the season. Six other cracking races and the electrifying first day atmosphere make it a sporting highlight of the season. The second day at the Festival is another highlight with a seven race card featuring the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The third day of the Festival coincides with St Patrick’s day which has been hosting St Patrick’s Derby in association with Cancer Research UK charity racing along with other races on card.
The last and final day of the Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup Day which is also the centerpiece race of the day was first staged in 1924. In the next five decades races were added the last being Stayers Hurdle which was first run in 1972. Until the mid 2000’s the festival was a three day affair to which a fourth day was added for each day to have a championship race climaxing with the Gold Cup. The Festival also includes one of the two biggest Hunter Chases of the Season, the Foxhunters’ which is run on the same course on the same day as the Gold Cup and sometimes referred as the “amateurs’ Gold Cup”.
The fitting finale of the Cheltenham Festival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt race having a racing distance of 3 miles 2 ½ furlongs and 22 fences to be jumped in the race. The steeplechase is open to horses aged five and above and one of the most notable National Hunt event. The Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain and since 2012 it is sponsored by Betfred with prize money of 491,850GBP. The prize money at Cheltenham Festival 2014 can make some interesting horse racing news! Why anticipate for the next year, have a preview of Cheltenham 2014 at http://www.horseracegame.com/famous_horse_race.php
Looking back at the early years of the Gold Cup, the race was first run as a flat race in July 1819. The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run as jump race in 1924 on what is at present called “old course” in Cheltenham. In the following years, the event was cancelled, changed venues till it opened finally opened in 1959 on “New Course” which is the site of the event till date. Some interesting instances can be cited in the running of the Gold Cup, one of which is Arkle the shortest price-winner in races’ history which remains till date.
The most remarkable feat in the history of the Gold Cup by a trainer came in 1983 when Michael Dickinson’s horses were the first five to finish the race. The 1986 winner of the race Dawn Run is the only horse to have won this race and another leading hurdle event, the Champion Hurdle. The entire Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. A replacement event the Gold Trophy Chase was contested instead which lacked any strength in depth and was no substitute for the racing post – as quoted by Racing Post.
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