THE 2023 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL I

f you’re a keen follower of the UK’s equestrian scene, you’ll already be well aware of the excitement that’s just around the corner. March welcomes the Cheltenham Festival, one of the most noteworthy gatherings in the Great Hunt racing calendar. It’s known for having an unbeatable atmosphere, with the crowd’s Cheltenham Roar becoming a thing of legend. There’s an argument to be made for Cheltenham being the second biggest horse racing event we have—in terms of prize money, only the Grand National is more significant!

Last year’s Cheltenham Festival was ground breaking in many ways. First of all, the total attendance across all four days was the highest in the festival’s history, with 280,627 horse racing fans gathering to witness the action. What’s more, we also saw the monumental achievement of Rachael Blackmore, who became the first female jockey to win the prestigious Gold Cup. (This came after making history with her Grand National win in 2021.) We’re looking forward to this year’s festival, and hoping that we see similarly huge turnouts and great moments. Here’s a little more about the history of the Cheltenham Festival, and some guidance for this year’s festivities, so that both seasoned viewers and budding racing enthusiasts can get stuck in!

A Brief History

The Cheltenham Festival was started in 1860, but it has not always been the event we know and love today. Originally, the event was called the Grand National Hunt Meeting, and the first iteration was run in Market Harborough. Since then, its location frequently changed, with most Meetings being held at Warwick Racecourse. However, thanks to significant investment in the infrastructure of the racecourses at Prestbury Park, the Meeting was moved permanently to Cheltenham starting in 1911. It is unclear when the name of the event was officially changed.

As we mentioned previously, the Gold Cup is the most prestigious prize to be won at Cheltenham. It was created in 1924 with the purpose of being a supporting race for the County Hurdle, but over time it became more highly regarded, eventually becoming the most highly anticipated race of the event. The Stayers’ Hurdle, however, is the oldest existing race to have championship status, having first been run in 1912.

In 2005, the Cheltenham Festival began to span four days, doubling the original duration. It now features a total of 28 races—7 on each day— with at least one championship race per day.

Get ready for one of the most exciting weeks in the racing season!

How To Watch

Guide

Let’s now take a look at the order of events for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. In the interest of space we will only cover the championship races, but we highly recommend tuning in to watch the others too! Championship races are the pinnacle of prestige at Cheltenham, attracting the best competitors and highest prize pots. In official terms, they are ‘Grade 1’—the highest calibre of jumps race you can get. Each day’s main event will be highlighted.

Day 1: Champion Day

1:30pm Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race

2:10pm Arkle Challenge Trophy

3:30pm Champion Hurdle

4:10pm Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Race

Day 2: Festival Wednesday (Ladies Day)

1:30pm Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Race

2:10pm Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase 3:30pm Queen Mother Champion Chase 5:30pm Champion Bumper

If you’re not attending the Festival, don’t worry! You’ll be able to watch most of the important races on ITV, which continues to build its reputation as the home of racing in Britain. Not all races will be televised, however, so make sure you check for yourself to avoid disappointment.

Preview

Let’s look at some noteworthy names and favourites that will be competing at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

First up, Facile Vega is a very prominent horse that is booked to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, after already winning the Champion Bumper last year. Some say he is yet to reach his full potential, however, so there’s a chance it doesn’t play out as planned.

Next, the star of last year’s Festival is back. Constitution Hill will be running the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, and is set to continue his unbeaten streak with another statement victory.

Finally, we have the reigning champion defend his title in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday. Energumene will have some tougher competition this time around, but experts are still convinced he is the horse that will lead the pack.

2:50pm Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 3:30pm Cheltenham Gold Cup