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Cheltenham Festival – Stayers’ Hurdle

Sponsored by Sun Bets, this 12 Hurdles race over 3 miles is a Grade 1 feature race on the 3rd day of the Cheltenham festival. This Stayer’s Hurdle, is very much a specialist race, for the stayers, horses over four years old, with a distance of only 3 miles.

 

Growing in stature and popularity over recent years, this Stayers’ Hurdle has turned out three horses in the last ten years who have remained prominent as multiple winners, Inglis Drever(three), Big Buck’s (four)and Baracouda(two). It’s more difficult this year to predict who will win the Stayer’s Hurdle race, with favourites including Supasundae and Sam Spinner looking promising.

 

Taking place as the feature race on St Patrick’s Day, March 15th, at 15.30 GMT, all eyes will be on the leading Trainer, Paul Nicholls, with Big Bucks. The 2017 winner of this race was Nichols Canyon ridden by Walsh for trainer Willie Mullins. Jessica Harrington is on form to complete a victory of championship wins with Supasundae, after previously winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Chase and the Champion Hurdle, during her training career, currently at favourite odds of 7/2.

 

This feature race at the Cheltenham Festival is eagerly anticipated by participants and spectators alike. The Stayer’s Hurdle race has an enormous amount of prestige and you can guarantee that the horses will fiercely battle things out up to the final furlong.

 

 

February 16, 2018 by Cheltenham Festival Races

Arkle: Simply The Best

Over five decades have passed since Arkle beat Dormant by 30 lengths to win his third Cheltenham Gold Cup, but he remains the yardstick by which all National Hunt horses, especially steeplechasers, are measured. His remarkable Timeform of 212 – 30lb superior to that of Best Mate, the only other horse since 1966 to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times – has rightly been questioned in recent years. However, as jockey Ruby Walsh said, “Ratings are only people’s opinions”, and the general opinion is that Arkle is the foremost steeplechaser in the history of National Hunt racing.

 

Owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster, trained by Tom Dreaper and ridden by Pat Taafe, Arkle not only won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in three successive years, but the King George VI Chase, the Irish Grand National, the Hennessy Gold Cup (twice), the Whitbread Gold Cup and a further 14 of his 26 races over fences. Perhaps his defining moment came in the Gallaher Gold Cup in 1965 when, carrying 12st 7lb, he beat Rondetto by 20 lengths, conceding 26lb. Rondetto had previously won the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham under 11st 10lb, so he was no slouch. The race time, 17 seconds faster than the previous course record, has yet to be surpassed in 50 years. According to the Sporting Life, “there never was such a day and no one present will ever forget the experience”.

Unfortunately, Arkle was to run his last race in the King George VI in 1966, during which he fractured the large bone in his foot, known as the pedal bone, but still finished second, beaten half a length. Despite initial optimism about his injury, Arkle was officially retired in 1968 and spent the rest of life at Bryanstown, Co. Kildare, a 700-acre estate belonging to his owner, where he was euthanised two years later after suffering crippling arthritis.

A true Cheltenham legend – phenomenon, wonder, call him what you will – the horse popularly known as ‘Himself’ is commemorated with statue overlooking the parade ring at Prestbury Park and his skeleton is on display at the Irish National Stud in Co. Kildare.

 

February 13, 2018 by Cheltenham Legends

Cheltenham Festival – Festival Trophy

This Grade 1 race, with a distance of 2 miles 5 furlongs over 17 fences on Turf, is for horses over 5 years old. Registered as the Festival Trophy Chase, but sponsored by Ryanair, the total prize money is £300,000, with the first prize winning fund at £148,070 in 2018. To be held on St Patrick’s Thursday, at 14.50 GMT.

 

Since this Ryanair Chase was introduced in 2015 to the Cheltenham Festival, it appears to be a race for the punters, with 9 winners out of 12 coming from the top 3 in the betting stakes. This Chase is meant for competitors that normally find that any longer a distance than 2 miles and 5 furlongs is beyond their stamina proficiencies.

 

Recent winners of this Ryanair Chase have been Un De Sceaux -Willie Mullins at 7/4f in 2017, Vautour, again Willie Mullins at Evens in 2016 and Uxizandre by A King at 16/1 in the year 2015.

 

As with the other Day Three races, this one is also run on the New Course, and is a left handed race. With a weight restriction for horses aged 5 years of 11 stone 9lbs, and for horses aged over 6 years, 11 stone 10lbs, while Mares have a 7 lbs allowance.

 

The Irish connection to this race at Cheltenham, especially as its held on St Patrick’s Day, proves that this Ryanair Chase, sponsored by this Irish company, is always a favourite with the punters.

 

 

February 11, 2018 by Cheltenham Festival Races

Cheltenham Festival – Pertemps Final

This Listed handicap race takes place on Thursday, 15th March, the third day of the Cheltenham Festival, at 2.10pm GMT. This competitive race over 3 miles and 12 hurdles, allows only runners that have previously qualified during several trial races in the preceding season. Open to horses aged five and above, many outsiders have taken the first place glory, while Jonjo O’Neill is joint leader with three wins under his trainer’s cap. Jane Pilkington is another trainer with victories during 1979-1981.

 

This year, one of the hotly tipped challengers is Who Dares Wins. His owner, Henry Ponsonby has said that he is expecting a good performance, after he took third place in the Coral Cup in 2017. Number one favourite for the 2018 Pertemps Final is The Organist for Stephen Harris, currently at odds of 20.1, with second favourite, again for Stephen Harris, Forza Milan at 15.0. This novice has had a three month break since taking second place at Newbury, and here he is ready for the challenge of the Pertemps.

 

In recent years, the Pertemps Final has produced several high priced winners, and since 2000, the average SP has been at 20/1, yet this race is always a difficult prize for punters to predict.

 

 

February 9, 2018 by Cheltenham Festival Races

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