Cheltenham Festival 2018 Guide and Preview

2018 is just around the corner, which means that the Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching. At least those who enjoy watching horse racing will have something to smile about come next year. Bryn Terfel and CBSO amongst the first names announced the incredible Cheltenham Festival 2018. Members booking opens 30 Nov from 1 pm; Public booking opens Friday 2 Dec from 1 pm.

Cheltenham event is regarded as one of the top horse races around the world. It is only behind the Grand National when it comes to the events with the biggest prize money in the United Kingdom. Held annually at the Cheltenham racecourse, this event consists of only the very best horses, jockeys, and trainers. The Irish and British based horses form the major chunk of major runners at this festival, giving birth to numerous Cheltenham betting tips, and it is not a surprise that the event attracts a huge number of Irish horse racing fans as it coincides with the Saint Patrick’s Day.

The festival will be held over four days with fans craving Cheltenham tickets to watch some of the top races like Queen Mother Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup, and World Hurdle. Fans who visit or even watch the races will be able to experience more than 250 years of racing history. The horse racing extravaganza is all set to take place from March 13, 2018 and continue all the way to March 16, 2018. Even though it may only take four days, these are regarded as highly important races in the whole world. Cheltenham race schedule is rather tight. Let’s see our Cheltenham Festival preview.

The Cheltenham Festival is probably one of the biggest horse racing events. It is able to consistently attract some of the top horses in the world, as a result, boasting more than £4 million in prize money. At the same time, more than 250,000 fans go through the gates over the four dates to watch professional jockeys, horse trainers, and the owners compete for the honours in the world of horse racing. The widespread popularity of this event means that fans from around the world come to the UK only for the race. Apart from the traditional horse races, there are also other events found at the Cheltenham Festival like the Prestbury Cup. This is an annual challenge that takes place between Ireland and Great Britain in order to determine the festival winners. They will all come together in this exhilarating event to enjoy yet another action-packed edition of sports extravaganza that features explosive horse jumping races and other events. Make sure you book your Cheltenham accommodation as soon as possible because the rooms are being booked at record speed.

Cheltenham Festival Dates

The middle of March is once again a major date in the calendar of any horse racing enthusiast. This is due to the highly sought-after Cheltenham Festival. In the case of the 2018 Cheltenham Festival, the events start on March 13 and conclude on March 16. Even though the racing action is only four days long, punters have the opportunity to bet on several high-profile races.

The whole festival is scheduled to last for 4 days, starting from 13th to 16th March 2018, and it promises lots of fun and excitement for those who will attend.

Race schedule

• Champion Day
• Ladies Day
• St Patrick’s Day
• Gold Cup Day

Cheltenham Festival Preview

The Cheltenham Festival is also an opportunity to delve into other activites, not just horse racing. The Best Mate section allows you to find legends cast in bronze who stand around the enclosed, including Golden Miller, Dawn Run or Mate and Arkle. In addition to this, the Trophy Room boasts spectacular trophies which are on display before they are given to the winners. On a similar note, the Hall of Fame is open to both Tattersalls and Club ticket holders, and showcases Cheltenham Gold Cup winners and plenty of information about champions.

The Guinness Village is an exceptional experience for all Tattersalls and Club ticket holders, as well as Annual Members or hospitality guests. The atmosphere there is electric and visitors are entertained by bands throughout the day.

When you get bored with the other attractions, the Trade Stands provide a great shopping experience for those looking to buy souvenirs or just create some memories. Th McCoy Wall is another great piece of attraction where you can spend time. It’s a wall that celebrates the achievements of this incredible jockey and it boasts thousands of signatures. The Final Flight Bar is the post-racing place at Cheltenham for all party lovers. It boasts a gorgeous cocktail bar, live music and much more. Moving further, the Jockey Club Wi-Fi provides everything you would need for a stellar experience at the Cheltenham event. In addition, you can bet on any races, odds comparison on the betting sites.

Day One: The Champion Day

The first day of the festival features the important Champion Hurdle which involves 6 races. Here is the race schedule for the Champion’s day:

• The Supreme Novice’s Hurdle Race is categorised as grade one race, and the race jockeys compete in just over 2 miles distance. The event is set to take place at 13:30 on 14th March. Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – A Grade 1 race that probably kicks off the huge races at 13.30. Champion Hurdle is a hurdles event, which starts at 15.30, has been around since 1927. It carries a significantly higher prize money at £400K. It is one of the most sought after Cheltenham Festival races.
• Racing Post Arkle challenge Trophy Steeple Chase is the second race of the festival. It was named after one of its legendary competitors, Mr Arkle. The race covers just about 2 miles, and it is scheduled to start at 14:10, the same day.
• Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase is a grade 3 race and it is run slightly over 3 miles. Originally, it was titled the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase. It is scheduled to start at 14:40, same day.
• Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge is a grade one racing contest and it is set for 2 miles. The event takes place at 15:20, the same day.
• The OLBG Mares Hurdle is also a grade 1 contest covering slightly over 2 miles. It has nine hurdles. The race is scheduled to start at 16:10.
• National Hunt Chase is one of the unique competitions in the festival. The interesting fact is that it not only runs for 4 miles, but all the competing horses are ridden by amateur jockeys. The race is set to begin at exactly 16:40.
• Novice Handicap Chase is the last race of the Champion Day. It features many horses set to compete. It starts at 17:30 concluding the first day of the festival. The race is often quite thrilling.

Day Two: Ladies Day

Today, the focus falls heavily on the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase and Coral Cup Hurdle. Apart from experiencing a significant amount of sponsorship on these two races, it is also possible to find some of the finest horses from the world. The Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase especially tops the charts and it starts at 15.30. It will feature several competitions, and these are:

• Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle race is run slightly over 2 miles as a grade 1 contest. It is scheduled to start at 13:30.
• RSA Steeple Chase is a grade one race and is run over 3 miles. It is scheduled to begin at 14:10. The significance of this race is that it is considered a stepping stone to competing in the Champions Gold Cup. It is an important event in the Cheltenham horse racing calendar.
• Coral Cup Hurdle race is run slightly over 2miles. It is one of the prominent handicap hurdle races in the festival. It is ranked a grade three contest. It is scheduled to start at 14:50.
• BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase is run over a 2-mile distance with twelve fences for jumping over. The race is scheduled to begin at 15:30.
• Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase race is run slightly over 3 miles with 32 obstacles. Only horses aged 5 and over are eligible to race. The contest begins at 16:10.
• Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle is a handicap race run slightly over 2 miles and is reserved only for horses that are 4 years old. The race is set to begin at 16:50.
• The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Open NH Flat Race) is open to horses that are 4-6 years old. It covers a distance of slightly above 2 miles and is ranked a grade 2 contest. It is scheduled to start at 17:30.

Day Three: St. Patrick’s Day

This day is the reason for the presence of a large number of Irish fans. Today, the event will witness Grade 1 races like the RSA Chase and JLT Novices’ Chase. The former begins at 14:50 and it will be preceded by the latter at 13.30. Set to correspond with St Patricks Thursday Day, the event will be marked with celebration. The festival will feature the Landbrokes World Hurdle, which is a collection of 7 racing events. They are as follows, respectively:

• JLT Novices Steeple Chase is a 2m5f Grade 2 chase run listed weight-for-age. The prize-pool is £100,000. Should not be confused with the old Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase – because that one was renamed the Pulteney Land Investments Novices’ Handicap Chase
• Pertemps Final Handicap is a Class A listed hurdle run over 3m. Only horses aged at least five are allowed and they have to qualify for this in different races in Britain and Ireland.
• Ryanair Chase is a Class A Grade 1 chase run over 2m5f. Horses aged at least five are allowed and the total prize will be near the figure of £275,000. It replaced the Cathard Chase, but it restricts novices and 2nd season chasers.
• World Hurdle – 15:30 – A Class A Grade 1 hurdle run over 3m and open to horses aged at least four. The total prize fund in 2018 will be £275,000.
• Byrne Group Plate Handicap steeple chase is a Class A grade 3 handicap chase run over 2m5f for horses aged at least five. The total prize fund will be about £90,000. Formerly named The Festival Plate, it has proved to be a really successful race in recent years for the likes of David Pipe and Nicky Henderson.
• Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase is a Class B handicap chase run over 3m1/2f which is open for horses aged at least five years old. The total prize fund will be about £60,000. Recent winners include Spring Heeled and Same Difference.
• St. Patrick’s Derby (Charity Race)

Day Four: Cheltenham Gold Cup Day

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is regarded as one of the greatest horse racing events in the world. Apart from being the climax of the festival, it also brings multiple top events which are dominated by the Gold Cup. The Gold Cup will start at 15:30. This is the final day of the festival, and it features an explosive set of Cheltenham events. These racing competitions are listed below in their respective orders:

• JCB Triumph hurdle is a Class A Grade 1 hurdle run over 2m1f. Only horses aged at least four years old are accepted (novices). The prize fund will be about £120,000.
• Vincent O’Brien county handicap hurdle is a Class A Grade 3 hurdle run over 2m1f. It is open to horses at least five years old. The total prize fund will be about £80,000. Recent winners include Lac Fontana and Ted Veale.
• Albert Bartlett novices’ hurdle is a Class A Grade 1 hurdle run over 3m. Only novices aged at least four have access. The total prize fund will be about £120,000.
• Betfred Cheltenham gold cup steeplechase is a Class A Grade 1 chase run over 3m and 2.5f. Only horses aged at least five have access. The total prize fund will be a staggering £550,000.
• Fox hunter steeplechase is a Class B chase run over 3m and 2.5f. There are special qualifying criteria to enter this race and is open only to horses aged at least five. The total prize fund is £40,000.
• Marting pipe conditional jockeys handicap hurdle is quite a new addition to the Cheltenham Festival, being run over 2m and 4½f. The total prize fund is £50,000. Recent winners include Don Cossack (2016), Don Poli (2014) and Salubrious (2013).
• Johny Henderson grand annual steeplechase is a Class A Grade 3 handicap chase run over 3m and 1/2f which is open to horses aged at least five. The total prize fund is £90,000. Recent winners include Savello (2014) and Alderwood (2013).

The Cheltenham festival offers loads of fun for horse race fanatics. The four days will be packed with exciting races. You cannot afford to miss this one so remember Cheltenham festival dates and watch your favourites closely. By clicking on the link you can find the latest Horse Racing Betting Odds information and all the best Horse Racing betting offers.