Cheltenham Festival Races

This opening race on Day four of the Festival at Prestbury Park, was won last year by Defi Du Seuil. This year’s race on Friday, 16^th March 2018 at 13.30 GMT is specifically for horses aged four years. Run over two miles over hurdles, this Grade 1 National Hunt race is taking place on the New Course.

 

Defi Du Seuil won the 2017 race at (5-2f) ridden by Richard Johnson the jockey, and trained by Philip Hobbs. Second place was Mega Fortune (7-1) and third Bapuame at (10-1). Apple’s Shakira is named as the favourite to win this year’s Triumph Hurdle, after winning three races at Cheltenham for Nicky Henderson after moving to Seven Barrows from France.

 

As this race is only for horses at four years of age, it’s never been won twice by the same runner, however jockey Barry Geraghty has five victories to his name in this race, Ivanovich Gorbatov in 2016, Peace And Co in 2015, Soldatino in 2010, Zaynar in 2009 and Spectroscope in 2003.

 

This race, sponsored by JCB, has had the field size reduced in recent years, with currently 28 horses going to the post. There have been many outstanding horses beginning their jumping careers taking part in this Triumph Hurdle, where punters will watch with interest to see which novices have a promising future.

 

 

This Grade 2 race on Thursday 15^th March 2018 at 16.50 GMT is the youngest of all the races held over the four day festival at Cheltenham, having taken place for the first time in 2016. This 2 mile and 1 furlong Hurdle race is sponsored by Trull House Stud, hence the name of this Mares’ Novices Hurdle race.

 

This race is run on the New Course at Prestbury Park, and its run left handed across eight hurdles. Competitors are mares and novice fillies and for horses aged four and older, who haven’t won a race before this season began.

 

The 2017 winner of this Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle race was Let’s Dance trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh, with a prize purse of £80,000. As the race is only in its third year, it was also won by the same jockey, Ruby Walsh on Limini in 2016, once again trained by Willie Mullins.

 

The race is named after Dawn Run, who first won the Champion Hurdle in 1984, and then the Gold Cup in 1988 at the Cheltenham Festival. With the claim to fame as being the most successful racing mare in the history of National Hunt racing, this Irish Thoroughbred had this Novices’ Hurdle race named after her.

 

 

This Ungraded handicap race is run as the seventh on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival. Taking place on Thursday, 15^th March at 17.30 GMT, the handicap chase is for horses over five years of age, and is run over 3 miles and one and a half furlongs over fences. This Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup is only open to amateur jockeys, and takes place on the New Course at Prestbury Park.

 

The 2017 winner was Domesday Book, at (40/1), with Pendra in second place at (16/1) and Premier Bond at (9/1) in third place.

 

Interesting facts about this Challenge cup are that there has not been, for more than 30 years, an Irish Trained winner of this race, while 10 of the previous 13 winners were unplaced in their earlier races. This year’s race has 74 scheduled runners, with the prize fund to the winning rider standing at £41, 972.00. Looking back at past winners, it obviously takes a very determined, tough, strong horse to win this race, especially given the distance of three miles and almost two furlongs.

 

Favourites have yet to be announced, but Jamie Codd, who has ridden 4 winners in recent years looks to have high stakes. Other contenders could be Abolitionist, Squouateur and Tintern Theatre.

 

This National Hunt Chase, a Grade 3 handicap race open to horses of five years and older. A distance of 2 miles and 5 furlongs, its run on the New Course, with 17 fences to be tackled. The race was founded in the memory of an amateur National Hunt Jockey, the 2^nd Baron Mildmay of Flete who was the champion rider of 3 winners at Cheltenham before his death by drowning in 1950.The initial race in his memory, took place in April 1951, as the scheduled race due to be held in March of that year, was abandoned as a result of the course being waterlogged.

 

The race sponsorship was taken over by Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable in 2015. The prize fund for this challenge Cup is £100,000 with the winner receiving £51,255. The Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup will take place on Thursday 15^th March, at 16.10 GMT. Previous winners have been Road to Respect in 2017 ad Empire of Dirt in 2016.

 

This is a wide open race, due to the handicapping of the runners, meaning that almost anyone could be the winner. At this stage in the game, there are three possible entrants to look out for – Village Vic (14/1), Annacotty (16/1) and Champagne West (16/1), although it could be anyone’s race on the actual day at the Cheltenham Festival.