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; continued on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; 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 nationwide hunt horses do fight for championship honours.


These days, nevertheless, the Festival is no longer just a significant horse racing celebration; it has actually protected its own significantly significant 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 considered a hardly reputable 1-2-3-4-5 in the Gold Cup - the order's an excellent one for certain pub quizzes, so here goes: Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House - and, that year, the average attendance was only about 24,000 per afternoon over 3 days.


In 2018, the 14th Festival scheduled to be staged over four days, that average will be more than 60,000 individuals. Additionally, the amount of airtime offered over by radio and TV, plus the area for editorial and promos on-line and in newspapers, has grown out of all recognition.


Perhaps the biggest single modification from 1983 is the quantity of success for Irish stables. Then it was 5 wins from 18 races, although that figure wasn't equalled for ten years, and in 1989 the visitors withstood 'nil points'. Today, hopes of an enhancement on 2017's success in the BetBright Anglo-Irish difficulty, with a record 19 wins from 28 races, is considered realistic.


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 since of its position nestling in the foothills of the Cotswold Hills, the spa town of Cheltenham has its own micro environment.


That might often hold true, however it didn't use when the 'Beast from the East' and Storm Emma had their recent encounter in Britain; as elsewhere, snow drifts collected, some five-feet deep around the fences and obstacles, and temperature levels at one point plunged to -17 C.


It's estimated 500 tonnes of snow needed to be cleared from the track and public locations integrated, and the effects of that rainfall, plus additional rain, indicates the Festival is set to start 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 champ fitness instructor of Irish dive racing, while his arch-rival Gordon Elliott was the titleholder at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival for the first time, with 6 of his home country's successes. Between them, the pair have 15 of the 19 Irish-trained likely favourites this time.


The Elliott group - numerous with jockeys wearing 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 hype.


The horse was deliberately 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 attract O'Leary, who is stated to like names with powerful undertones.


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 together with Apple's Jade - trained by Mullins prior to a high-profile fallout with O'Leary in 2016 - who opts for a repeat in the OLGB Mares Hurdle (day one).


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 popular 'Cheltenham holler' goes up from the crowd as months of anticipation finally concerns an end.


Like a majority of the stable's greatest hopes, Getabird will be the install of Ruby Walsh, the Festival's most successful jockey with 56 wins, and leading rider for 11 of the last 14 years; he's simply back from a lack of more than 3 months since of a damaged right leg.


The Mullins difficulty likewise consists of three prominent runners seeking 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 beats and will use cheek pieces to aid concentration; Yorkhill, last season's JLT Chase winner, has actually rather lost his way; while Douvan, two times a Celebration winner, will be racing for the very first time since flopping 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 difficulty


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


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


Buveur D'Air, owned by JP McManus, looks outstanding as he defends 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 sign up with 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 an excellent all-rounder, although is prone to near run-outs.


The nine-year-old has two times almost got defeat from the jaws of triumph when diverting off a straight line late on at Cheltenham, notably in the RSA Chase of 2017; were these antics guaranteed not to be repeated, his big-race odds would be substantially 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 extraordinarily - had horses end up runner-up six times consisting of Djakadam twice.


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


They call it St Patrick's Thursday, but, not least since 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 maybe best-known for falling at the third-last fence in the last 2 Gold Cups - his appearance in the Ryanair Chase is likely to be his swansong at the fixture.


The jump racing public has taken the 12-year-old to their hearts for his success in landing an overall of 16 races, naturally, but also for his capacity to recuperate in the face of misfortune, like the falls.


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


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


Any other service


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


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


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


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


In a year dominated 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 resurgence 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 pail list of things to do when he participates in Gold Cup day.


Coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio live sports extra and the BBC Sport site 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