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 BBC Radio 5 live sports additional; live text updates on BBC Sport site


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


Nowadays, however, the Festival is no longer simply a significant horse racing occasion; it has actually protected its own significantly considerable position in the British sporting calendar as a whole.


One illustration: I am celebrating my 35th anniversary of working there. Back in 1983 trainer Michael Dickinson pulled off what was thought about a barely trustworthy 1-2-3-4-5 in the Gold Cup - the order's a good one for specific pub quizzes, so here goes: Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House - and, that year, the average presence was only about 24,000 per afternoon over 3 days.


In 2018, the 14th Festival scheduled to be staged over 4 days, that average will be more than 60,000 individuals. Additionally, the quantity of airtime provided over by radio and TV, plus the space for editorial and promos on-line and in newspapers, has outgrown all recognition.


Perhaps the most significant single change from 1983 is the amount of success for Irish stables. Then it was 5 wins from 18 races, although that figure wasn't equated to for ten years, and in 1989 the visitors endured 'nil points'. Today, hopes of an enhancement on 2017's success in the BetBright Anglo-Irish challenge, with a record 19 wins from 28 races, is considered realistic.


Podcast: 5 live Cheltenham sneak peek


Cheltenham race schedule & BBC protection


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


First things initially: the weather condition


It is often stated that because of its position nestling in the foothills of the Cotswold Hills, the medspa town of Cheltenham has its own micro environment.


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


It's 500 tonnes of snow had to be cleared from the track and public locations combined, and the effects of that rainfall, plus further rain, implies the Festival is set to start on the softest racing surface 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 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 six of his home nation's successes. Between them, the pair have 15 of the 19 Irish-trained most 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 company 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 tv series Sons of Anarchy - in an attempt to attract O'Leary, who is said to like names with effective connotations.


Unbeaten in seven 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 along with Apple's Jade - trained by Mullins prior to a prominent fallout with O'Leary in 2016 - who chooses 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 minute when that famous 'Cheltenham holler' increases from the crowd as months of anticipation finally pertains to an end.


Like a majority of the stable's biggest 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 just back from an absence of more than 3 months because of a damaged best leg.


The Mullins challenge likewise consists of 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 actually suffered two current beats and will wear cheek pieces to aid concentration; Yorkhill, last season's JLT Chase winner, has rather lost his way; while Douvan, twice a Festival winner, will be racing for the very first time considering that tumbling 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 obstacle


Just as Messrs Elliott and Mullins control the Irish attack, 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 major players in 3 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 impressive as he protects his Champion Hurdle title, although Henderson and McManus are also represented by serial runner-up in the race My Tent Or Yours; Altior and jockey Nico de Boinville seek their 3rd Festival successes together in the Queen Mother Champion Chase; while Might Bite and de Boinville attempt to join an elite band who have actually won jumping's King George VI Chase and Timico-sponsored Gold Cup in the very same season.


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


The nine-year-old has twice nearly grabbed defeat from the jaws of triumph when veering off a straight line late on at Cheltenham, especially in the RSA Chase of 2017; were these shenanigans guaranteed not to be duplicated, 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.


Talking of the Gold Cup, here's a stat for you: Willie Mullins, who is due to run last year's 4th Djakadam, Total Recall and the well-touted Killultagh Vic, has actually never ever won the race, and has - quite extremely - had horses complete runner-up six times including Djakadam two times.


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


They call it St Patrick's Thursday, however, not least because it's on 15 March, day three could 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 fixture.


The dive racing public has actually taken the 12-year-old to their hearts for his success in landing an overall of 16 races, naturally, but likewise for his capacity to bounce back 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, against 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 trainer's jockey kid Sam in the Sunbets Stayers Hurdle, has not missed a Festival given that taking in his very first in 2012; his CV includes a beginners' difficulty success and type figures of 3-5-4-5 in successive Champion Hurdles.


Any other business


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


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


Some bookmakers' price quotes of just how much will be bet throughout the Festival appear a bit wild, and ₤ 350m is most likely a sensible call: the bookies 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 very 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 dominated by the bigger 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, obviously), both Yorkshire-trained, seek to continue the recent resurgence of jump racing's northern circuit.


And finally...109-year-old racing fan Ralph Hoare lastly gets the opportunity to tick the Cheltenham Festival off his pail list of things to do when he goes to Gold Cup day.


Coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio live sports extra and the BBC Sport website all week.


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Cheltenham Festival 2018 day-by-day round-up


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2017 winner Sizing John out of Gold Cup


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5 live Sport Special: Cheltenham Festival Preview