Cheltenham Festival 2026: Essential Guide To Jump Racing's Big Week

12 March 2018


By.
Cornelius Lysaght


BBC horse racing reporter


Cheltenham Festival


Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse Date: 13-16 March


Coverage: Full protection on BBC Radio 5 live; advanced BBC Radio 5 live sports additional; live text updates on BBC Sport site


It's upon us: the Cheltenham Festival, the most important week of the jump racing year when most of the finest national hunt horses do battle for champion honours.


These days, nevertheless, the Festival is no longer simply a significant horse racing occasion; it has actually protected its own significantly considerable position in the British sporting calendar as a whole.


One illustration: I am commemorating my 35th anniversary of working there. Back in 1983 fitness instructor Michael Dickinson pulled off what was considered a barely credible 1-2-3-4-5 in the Gold Cup - the order's a good one for specific club tests, so here goes: Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House - and, that year, the average participation was only about 24,000 per afternoon over three days.


In 2018, the 14th Festival arranged to be staged over four days, that average will be more than 60,000 people. Additionally, the quantity of airtime given over by radio and TV, plus the area for editorial and promotions online and in newspapers, has outgrown all acknowledgment.


Perhaps the biggest single change from 1983 is the amount of success for Irish stables. Then it was five wins from 18 races, although that figure wasn't equated to for ten years, and in 1989 the visitors endured 'nil points'. Today, hopes of an improvement on 2017's success in the BetBright Anglo-Irish challenge, with a record 19 wins from 28 races, is thought about practical.


Podcast: 5 live Cheltenham preview


Cheltenham race schedule & BBC protection


Here's my guide to the week ahead ...


First things first: the weather


It is typically stated that because of its position nestling in the foothills of the Cotswold Hills, the medical spa town of Cheltenham has its own micro environment.


That may in some cases be the case, but it didn't use when the 'Beast from the East' and Storm Emma had their current encounter in Britain; as elsewhere, snow wanders gathered, some five-feet deep around the fences and obstacles, and temperatures at one point plunged to -17 C.


It's estimated 500 tonnes of snow needed to be cleared from the track and public locations combined, and the results of that rainfall, plus additional rain, suggests the Festival is set to begin on the softest racing surface area seen for the first day in more than 25 years.


The storm from Ireland: Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott look more powerful than ever


Willie Mullins is the champion trainer of Irish jump racing, while his arch-rival Gordon Elliott was the titleholder at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival for the very first time, with 6 of his home nation's successes. Between them, the pair have 15 of the 19 Irish-trained likely favourites this time.


The Elliott group - many with jockeys using the maroon and white silks of the Gigginstown House Stud operation, owned by airline tycoon Michael O'Leary - includes Gigginstown's Samcro, who appears at arrivals with the thickest cloud of buzz.


The horse was intentionally called Samcro by his breeder - after the Sons Of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original from the US tv series Sons of Anarchy - in an effort to bring in O'Leary, who is said to like names with powerful connotations.


Unbeaten in 7 races, including a point-to-point, Samcro is an Irish 'banker' in day 2's Ballymore Novices Hurdle as he heads the list of Elliott runners along with - trained by Mullins prior to a prominent fallout with O'Leary in 2016 - who opts for a repeat in the OLGB Mares Hurdle (the first day).


Meanwhile, Mullins has something of a 'lender' of his own in Getabird, all the rage for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle, the opening race of the entire week, the moment when that famous 'Cheltenham holler' goes up from the crowd as months of anticipation lastly concerns an end.


Like a bulk of the stable's greatest hopes, Getabird will be the mount of Ruby Walsh, the Festival's most effective jockey with 56 wins, and leading rider for 11 of the last 14 years; he's just back from a lack of more than three months due to the fact that of a broken best leg.


The Mullins difficulty also consists of three prominent runners wanting to regain their mojos: Faugheen, Yorkhill (both Unibet Champion Hurdle) and Douvan (Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase).


Faugheen, the injury-ravaged Champion Hurdler of 2015, has actually suffered two recent defeats and will use cheek pieces to help concentration; Yorkhill, last season's JLT Chase winner, has actually rather lost his way; while Douvan, twice a Celebration winner, will be racing for the very first time given that tumbling in the 2017 Champion Chase, when clashing with Altior in the race this time or lining up in the Ryanair Chase.


Altior simply one star in Henderson obstacle


Just as Messrs Elliott and Mullins control the Irish assault, the stable of Nicky Henderson, based at Lambourn in Berkshire, has a majority of the infantryman manning the home defences.


Henderson, who's won more Festival races than any other fitness instructor - 58 - has the significant players in 3 of the week's 4 principal functions, and is fancied to finish what would be an unmatched treble.


Buveur D'Air, owned by JP McManus, looks exceptional as he safeguards his Champion Hurdle title, although Henderson and McManus are likewise represented by serial runner-up in the race My Tent Or Yours; Altior and jockey Nico de Boinville seek their third Festival successes together in the Queen Mother Champion Chase; while Might Bite and de Boinville effort to join an elite band who've won leaping's King George VI Chase and Timico-sponsored Gold Cup in the same season.


To blend metaphors, Might Bite, owned by the Knot Again Partnership headed by Kent County Cricket Club chairman Simon Philip, is a great all-rounder, although is prone to near run-outs.


The nine-year-old has twice nearly got defeat from the jaws of success when diverting off a straight line late on at Cheltenham, significantly in the RSA Chase of 2017; were these antics ensured not to be repeated, his big-race odds would be considerably much shorter as he handles Native River, Our Duke and co. - although not last year's winner Sizing John, who is hurt.


Broaching the Gold Cup, here's a stat for you: Willie Mullins, who is because of run in 2015's 4th Djakadam, Total Recall and the well-touted Killultagh Vic, has never ever won the race, and has - quite extremely - had horses finish runner-up six times including Djakadam two times.


Day 3: move over St Patrick, the people's horses remain in town


They call it St Patrick's Thursday, but, not least because it's on 15 March, day three might practically be re-named 'old heroes' Thursday this year as Cue Card and The New One strut their stuff at their seventh Festival.


For Cue Card, a two-time Festival winner - although perhaps best-known for falling at the third-last fence in the last two Gold Cups - his look in the Ryanair Chase is most likely to be his swansong at the fixture.


The dive racing public has actually taken the 12-year-old to their hearts for his success in landing a total of 16 races, of course, however also for his capability to get better in the face of adversity, like the falls.


Success for the veteran, trained by Colin Tizzard for octogenarian owner Jean Bishop, and the install of jockey Paddy Brennan, against protecting champ Un Des Sceaux and the rest would, as they say, raise the roofing.


Unlike Cue Card, who missed out on a number of years, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained The New One, who lines up with the fitness instructor's jockey son Sam in the Sunbets Stayers Hurdle, has not missed out on a Festival because taking in his very first in 2012; his CV consists of a newbies' difficulty success and form figures of 3-5-4-5 in succeeding Champion Hurdles.


Any other service


Britain's youngest trainer Amy Murphy, 26, does not have ammunition to equate to some of her rivals, but she does have up-and-coming hurdler Kalashnikov, among the favourites for the Supreme Novices Hurdle (the first day).


Rising-star jockey Bryony Frost is because of renew her prolific collaboration with Black Corton in the RSA Chase (day 2).


Some bookmakers' price quotes of how much will be wagered throughout the Festival seem a bit wild, and ₤ 350m is most likely an affordable call: the bookies seem to the majority of fear Footpad, well-backed for the Racing Post Arkle Trophy (day one).


Champion racehorse-turned-stallion Frankel has his very first runner at the Cheltenham Festival when the Dan Skelton-trained Solo Saxophone lines up in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle (day 2).


In a year controlled by the larger names, owners Caron and Paul Chapman, fitness instructor Jedd O'Keeffe and jockey Joe Colliver fly the flag for those with a lower-profile, with Sam Spinner in the Stayers Hurdle (day 3).


Sam Spinner and Gold Cup hope Definitly Red (named by a bad speller, apparently), both Yorkshire-trained, look for to continue the current revival of dive racing's northern circuit.


And finally...109-year-old racing fan Ralph Hoare finally gets the possibility to tick the Cheltenham Festival off his pail list of things to do when he attends Gold Cup day.


Coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio live sports additional and the BBC Sport website all week.


Joseph O'Brien targets Cheltenham


10 March 2018


Cheltenham Festival 2018 day-by-day round-up


16 March 2018


2017 winner Sizing John out of Gold Cup


8 March 2018


5 live Sport Special: Cheltenham Festival Preview