Editor

The Cheltenham Festival never fails to serve up an intoxicating blend of drama, excitement and tension. The leading trainers, jockeys and owners from across the UK and Ireland descend upon Prestbury Park in the hope of landing a winner and seizing a share of the impressive prize purse. That ensures a competitive field in every race and the resulting action is often exhilarating. These are the seven key things to look out for in 2020:

A Tiger Roll Hat-Trick

Tiger Roll will be the toast of punters across the land if he can win the Cross Country Chase for the third year in a row. The diminutive bay gelding announced himself as a force to be reckoned with when he battled to a thrilling three-length victory in this race in 2018. He then shot to superstardom by winning the Grand National the following month.

Tiger Roll was the hot favourite at last year’s Cross Country Chase and he delivered upon that status by finishing 22 lengths clear of his closest rival. He then won the Grand National again, and this year he will bid to become the first horse in history to make it three in a row at the Aintree showpiece.

First he will strut his stuff at Prestbury Park and he is sure to be one of the most popular selections among punters. He has proven his stamina and durability over several epic battles, he jumps beautifully for such a small horse and it is easy to see him securing another famous victory.

The Demise of Altior

Altior is a Cheltenham Festival legend after winning the Champion Chase for the past two years. Trainer Nicky Henderson then took a gamble by deciding to step him up in trip this season and pointing him towards a crack at the King George on Boxing Day.

That punt has seemingly backfired, as Altior was comprehensively beaten by Cyrname in the Christy Chase. That was his first ever defeat over obstacles and he was then withdrawn from the King George, a race in which Cyrname struggled badly.

Now Henderson has provided another surprise announcement by declaring that Altior will go back down to 2 miles and try to win a third consecutive Champion Chase. It sounds like a tall order. He has been the best in the business over that distance for the past couple of years, but the decision to go for a longer trip was an admission that he may now lack the pace to thrive over 2 miles.

He could run at the Betfair Exchange Chase at Newbury next month, which might give a better indication of his Cheltenham chances, but right now he looks a shadow of his former self. He suffered a bad abscess on his wither and that has affected his progress this season. The field for the Champion Chase looks extremely strong, featuring the likes of Defi Du Seuil, Chacun Pour and A Plus Tard, and those young guns could push Altior towards retirement.

A Better Showing from Lostintranslation

Lostintranslation will go straight to the Gold Cup after his disappointing performance in the King George. He went off as the 15/8 second favourite, but Robbie Power had to pull him up, much to the chagrin of many punters.

It turned out he was hampered by a palate issue and he has since had it cauterised, leading trainer Colin Tizzard to suggest he will be back to his best by March. He was phenomenal in winning the Betfair Chase in November and he also blitzed the field at the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April, so we know he has the potential to vanquish lauded opponents in big races.

The Gold Cup is the biggest race of the festival and there is no standout favourite this year. Defending champion Al Boum Photo lost out to Kemboy in May and he has not been seriously tested since, while Clan Des Obeaux, Santini, Delta Work and Presenting Percy have all been somewhat inconsistent.

Lostintranslation could fly under the radar a little and the price may drift out from the current mark of 7/1. He could make an interesting each-way option – read about the different bet types in more detail here if you are unsure about each-way wagering – as he has fantastic pedigree and great stamina.

Sweeping Changes to the National Hunt Chase

The National Hunt Chase was a disaster last year. Just four of the 18 runners finished the race on soft ground, Ballyward suffered a fatal fall in front of the Best Mate enclosure and four jockeys were suspended for continuing to race “contrary to the horse’s welfare”.

The British Horse Racing Authority has announced sweeping changes for 2020. The race has been reduced by two furlongs and it will now have a minimum rating of 120 for all entrants, meaning eight of the 18 runners that competed in the Grade 2 race last year would now no longer qualify. The number of fences will also be reduced from 25 to 23.

The changes come following a review of a decade’s worth of race data and considerable participant input. It should make the race a lot safer, but it is still likely to provide an entertaining spectacle.

More Glory for Andrew Gemmell

Paisley Park’s owner was the star of the show on day three of the festival last year. He was born blind, but discovered a love of racing when he visited Cheltenham in 1983. His dream was to own a winner at the famous festival, and it finally became a reality when Paisley Park clinched the Stayers’ Hurdle.

He was the well-supported favourite for the big race, and the crowd roared him home as he overwhelmed Sam Spinner and Faugheen to spark scenes of jubilation. Paisley Park nearly died of a serious illness two years previously, so it was remarkable to see him pull off a heart-warming triumph.

Gemmell backed his star stayer at 33/1 in the ante post markets last year, but this time around he is the clear favourite to defend his crown. You can still find 5/4 on him winning the race, and that is sure to be a popular bet.

Confirmation of Envoi Allen’s Prowess

Envoi Allen will be one of the most hyped horses at Cheltenham this year after enjoying a remarkable rise to prominence in Ireland. He has won back-to-back Grade 1 races in supremely comfortable fashion, confirming his status as the top novice hurdler on the Emerald Isle.

He has entries for the Champion Hurdle, the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Connections say the horse will guide their decision regarding his ultimate destination, but the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle looks like the best option for Envoi Allen.

He is the favourite to win the race and he looks perfectly capable of achieving that feat. Last year he stormed to victory in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and now it is time for him to deliver upon his promise and take a top honour.

Ireland to Clinch the Prestbury Cup

The Prestbury Cup is awarded to the country that secures the most winners at the Cheltenham Festival. Last year it was shared after a 14-14 draw between Great Britain and Ireland, a result that ended a period of Irish dominance.

Yet the Irish look well placed to return to winning ways this time around. Willie Mullins was the top trainer at Cheltenham last year, and a Brit has not secured that accolade since 2012 thanks to the dominance of Mullins and Gordon Elliott.

That duo will lead the charge for Ireland once again this time around, while Henry de Bromhead also has a number of exciting runners heading to Prestbury Park.

Britain’s greatest hope is Nicky Henderson, but his stable does not look quite as formidable as it has in recent years. Altior’s powers appear to be waning, Buveur d’Air is out injured and there are question marks over Santini.

Colin Tizzard and Paul Nicholls should be good for a few winners, but Mullins and Elliott will have the strongest hands in many races and they are expected to battle it out for the top trainer honour. That should lead to another Irish triumph in the Prestbury Cup.

Prestbury Park, Cheltenham is home to three separate racecourses but, with the exception of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, which is run on its own specialist course, all the races at the Cheltenham Festival are run on the Old Course or the New Course. Both courses are left-handed, undulating and galloping in character, with stiff fences and a taxing uphill finish, but there are some significant differences between them, which may not be immediately obvious to the casual observer.

 

Old Course

The Old Course is used, with the aforementioned exception, for all the races on Day One and Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival, which include the Champion Hurdle, Champion Bumper, and Queen Mother Champion Chase. The Old Course is an oval, approximately a mile and a half in circumference, with nine fences to a circuit, just one of which is in the home straight. It is, in fact, just half a furlong, or 110 yards, shorter than the New Course, but is, without doubt, the tighter and sharper of the two.

From its highest point, which is also the furthest from the stands, the Old Course takes a direct route to the winning post, typically favouring horses that race prominently, travel within themselves and have a turn of foot. Horses do, of course, tie up on the run-in, but the lead changes less often in the closing stages than might be expected. On the steeplechase course, the second-last fence, which was originally positioned before the final turn, was moved into the home straight in 2010 and has since been moved further past the bend, on more than one occasion, in recent years, but remains notoriously tricky.

 

New Course

The New Course – which, incidentally, was first used in its current guise in 1967, so is only relatively new – is used for all the races on Day Three and Day Four of the Cheltenham Festival, which include the Stayers’ Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup. The New Course is slightly longer than the Old Course, with ten fences to a circuit, two of which are in the home straight.

The New Course runs alongside the Old Course for much of the way but, from its highest point, takes a parallel, but wider, route to the winning post. Consequently, the emphasis is more on stamina and hold-up horses, who may need to be manoeuvred into a position to improve, have a little more time to make ground from off the pace. On the hurdle course, which features just two flights in the final seven furlongs, the tendency is for horses to start racing too far from home, which, once again, plays into the hands of those ridden with more restraint. On the steeplechase course, the position of the fourth-last fence, at which Kauto Star came to grief in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010, has been adjusted in recent years to reduce the number of fallers at the obstacle. Nowadays, like the second-last on the Old Course, it is a portable fence, which affords the Clerk of the Course the flexibility to move its position, if necessary.

 

The history of the Cheltenham Festival is littered with hard luck stories of horses that, through mistakes, poor judgement or just plain misfortune, managed to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

One of the unluckiest losers of recent times was Oscar Delta, ridden by 18-year-old amateur Jane Mangan, in the Foxhunter Chase in 2013. Having taken a 4-length lead over the favourite, Salisfy, at the second-last fence, Oscar jumped the final fence in front and was maintaining the advantage as he set off up the famous Cheltenham hill. However, about 150 yards from the winning post, the 10-year-old jinked inexplicably to his left, through a length of tape stretched across a gap in the running rail, and unseated his teenage jockey. Salsify swept by to win, unchallenged, by 20 lengths, leaving Mangan in tears.

Of course, unlucky losers are by no means the preserve of amateur riders, as amply demonstrated by Ruby Walsh – by far the most successful jockey in the history of the Cheltenham Festival – in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle on Annie Power in 2015. Following the victories of Douvan, Un De Sceaux and Faugheen – all hot favourites, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Walsh – earlier in the day, Annie Power lined up at prohibitive odds of 1/2, with bookmakers facing an estimated liability of between £50 million and £100 million in the event that she won. Annie Power travelled well throughout the race and took the lead at the second-last flight, but took off too soon at the final flight, hit the top bar on the way down and crashed to the ground.

Occasionally, redemption awaits for a hapless loser – Annie Power, for example, returned to Cheltenham to win the Champion Hurdle in 2016 – but other horses are just, well, unlucky. Tied Cottage, trained by Dan Moore and ridden by Tommy Carberry, made all the running in the 1979 Gold Cup until pitching on landing, and falling, after the final fence, handing the race to the ill-fated Alverton. Twelve months later, he again made all the running, beating Master Smudge by 8 lengths, only to be later disqualified after testing positive for theobromine, a banned substance, believed to have come from a contaminated batch of feed.