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 coverage on BBC Radio 5 live; advanced BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; live text updates on BBC Sport website


It's upon us: the Cheltenham Festival, the most important week of the dive racing year when the majority of the best nationwide hunt horses do fight for championship honours.


Nowadays, however, the Festival is no longer just a significant horse racing occasion; it has protected its own progressively substantial 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 managed what was thought about a hardly credible 1-2-3-4-5 in the Gold Cup - the order's a good one for specific pub tests, so here goes: Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House - and, that year, the average participation was just 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 individuals. Additionally, the quantity of airtime provided over by radio and TV, plus the area for editorial and promos online and in papers, has actually grown out of all acknowledgment.


Perhaps the biggest single modification from 1983 is the amount of success for Irish stables. Then it was five wins from 18 races, although that figure wasn't equalled for 10 years, and in 1989 the visitors endured 'nil points'. Today, hopes of an enhancement on 2017's success in the BetBright Anglo-Irish obstacle, with a record 19 wins from 28 races, is considered reasonable.


Podcast: 5 live Cheltenham preview


Cheltenham race schedule & BBC protection


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


First things initially: the weather condition


It is often stated that due to the fact that of its position nestling in the foothills of the Cotswold Hills, the spa town of Cheltenham has its own micro climate.


That might in some cases be the case, however it didn't apply when the 'Beast from the East' and Storm Emma had their current encounter in Britain; as in other places, snow drifts collected, some five-feet deep around the fences and difficulties, and temperatures at one point plunged to -17 C.


It's approximated 500 tonnes of snow needed to be cleared from the track and public locations combined, and the results of that rainfall, plus further rain, implies the is set to start on the softest racing surface area seen for day one in more than 25 years.


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


Willie Mullins is the champ trainer of Irish dive 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 country's successes. Between them, the set have 15 of the 19 Irish-trained likely favourites this time.


The Elliott team - numerous with jockeys wearing the maroon and white silks of the Gigginstown House Stud operation, owned by airline magnate Michael O'Leary - consists of Gigginstown's Samcro, who appears at arrivals with the thickest cloud of hype.


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


Unbeaten in 7 races, consisting of a point-to-point, Samcro is an Irish 'banker' in day 2's Ballymore Novices Hurdle as he heads the list of Elliott runners together with Apple's Jade - 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 'banker' 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 roar' increases from the crowd as months of anticipation lastly pertains to 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 3 months because of a damaged best leg.


The Mullins difficulty also includes 3 high-profile runners seeking to restore their mojos: Faugheen, Yorkhill (both Unibet Champion Hurdle) and Douvan (Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase).


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


Altior just one star in Henderson difficulty


Just as Messrs Elliott and Mullins dominate the Irish assault, the stable of Nicky Henderson, based at Lambourn in Berkshire, has a bulk of the foot soldiers manning the home defences.


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


Buveur D'Air, owned by JP McManus, looks outstanding as he protects 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 attempt to join an elite band who've won jumping's King George VI Chase and Timico-sponsored Gold Cup in the same season.


To mix metaphors, Might Bite, owned by the Knot Again Partnership headed by Kent County Cricket Club chairman Simon Philip, is an excellent all-rounder, although is susceptible to near run-outs.


The nine-year-old has two times nearly grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory when diverting off a straight line late on at Cheltenham, notably in the RSA Chase of 2017; were these shenanigans guaranteed not to be repeated, his big-race chances would be considerably shorter as he handles Native River, Our Duke and co. - although not in 2015's winner Sizing John, who is hurt.


Broaching the Gold Cup, here's a stat for you: Willie Mullins, who is because of run last year's fourth Djakadam, Total Recall and the well-touted Killultagh Vic, has never won the race, and has - quite extraordinarily - had horses complete runner-up six times consisting of Djakadam twice.


Day 3: relocation over St Patrick, individuals's horses are in town


They call it St Patrick's Thursday, but, not least because it's on 15 March, day 3 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 likely to be his swansong at the component.


The dive racing public has taken the 12-year-old to their hearts for his success in landing an overall of 16 races, of course, however also for his capability to recover in the face of hardship, like the falls.


Success for the veteran, trained by Colin Tizzard for octogenarian owner Jean Bishop, and the install of jockey Paddy Brennan, versus safeguarding champion Un Des Sceaux and the rest would, as they state, raise the roof.


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


Any other company


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


Rising-star jockey Bryony Frost is due to restore her prolific partnership with Black Corton in the RSA Chase (day 2).


Some bookmakers' estimates of just how much will be wagered throughout the Festival appear a bit wild, and ₤ 350m is probably an affordable call: the bookmakers seem to the majority of fear Footpad, well-backed for the Racing Post Arkle Trophy (the first day).


Champion racehorse-turned-stallion Frankel has his 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, trainer 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, obviously), both Yorkshire-trained, look for to continue the current revival of jump racing's northern circuit.


And finally...109-year-old racing fan Ralph Hoare lastly gets the possibility to tick the Cheltenham Festival off his container 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