Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Champion Chase is a Grade 1 event run over 2 miles (12 fences) for 5 year-olds and upwards. The race is the feature on the Wednesday of the Cheltenham Festival and attracts the very best 2 mile chasers in training.
It’s run at a fast-neck pace and therefore jumping ability over the tricky Cheltenham racecourse fences is of paramount importance and horses that are well fancied in the betting tend to run well.
Winners of the Arkle in previous years usually progress to go on and run well in this race with lightly raced older horses having the best record of recent times.
The race captures the racegoers interest year after year as top class horses renew their rivalry and has produced some historic finishes and results over the years with horses like Deep Sensation, Viking Flagship, Edredon Bleu & Direct Route in the 90’s and more recently Well Chief, Azertyuiop & Moscow Flyer.
Other popular winners of the race were the much loved One Man who after failing to stay the Gold Cup trip put in a spectacular winning performance in 1998 and in the last ten runnings trainers Paul Nicholls and Jessica Harrington have been the most successful trainers winning the race twice each.
Champion Hurdle
The highlight of the opening day, Tuesday, the Champion Hurdle is run over 2m 1/2f (8 hurdles), and is a true speed test for experienced hurdlers.
A Grade 1 Cheltenham race for 4 year-olds and upwards, in which potential winners will need to have consistent top class hurdling form, and a high level of jumping ability under extreme pressure in their armory if they want to run well.
Past winners of the Supreme Novices’ hurdle usually go on to run well in this race and with the stiff Cheltenham finish horses that have good hurdling form over further than the 2miles have also run well in the past.
Favorites in the betting have gone well in the past and in the last ten years the race has been won back-to-back on numerous occasions with the talented Irish trained Istabraq the highlight winning the race in 1998, 1999&2000 for his popular owner JP McManus. This year that record will try to be emulated by recent Irish winner Hardy Eustace.
World Hurdle
A race that used to be run as a supporting act on Gold Cup Day, but due to its popularity and Cheltenham extending the Festival is now classed as a championship race in its own right, becoming Thursday’s feature race.
The Ladbroke World Hurdle (formerly known as Stayers’ hurdle), a Grade 1 event run over 3m (12 hurdles) provides the ultimate stamina test for experienced hurdlers on day three of the festival.
Fillies and mares are allowed to carry a 5lb allowance with 4 year-olds carrying 11 stone and 5 year olds and older lumping round 11st 10lb.
With the demanding trip and stiff uphill finish stamina and good hurdling form are the main attributes if you want your horse to run well, with the Grade 1 Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle run just short of 3 miles usually producing horses that go on to run well in the World Hurdle in later years.
In recent times the French trained Baracouda has made the race his own winning in 2002 & 2003 and finishing in the frame on two other occasions. With champion jockey Tony McCoy riding for his retained owner JP McManus this talented staying hurdler will bid to win this race a record three times as he lines up again in 2006 at the age of 11.
Gold Cup
Friday, the final day, plays host to the Blue Ribband event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a Grade 1 steeplechase run over 3m 2 1/2f (22 fences) and the ultimate test of speed and endurance for the best chasers around.
The show piece of the week which is now run on the Friday after Cheltenham added a further day to Festival in 2005. Seasoned staying chasers that are proven at the highest level are on show with recent results showing that outsiders in the betting are not without a chance, and with the grueling Cheltenham hill the picture of the race in the closing stages is often known to change catching out potential winners.
Mares receive a 5lb allowance with 5 year-olds carrying 11st 4lb and 6 year-olds a stamina sapping 12st.
The Grade 1 Sun Alliance Novices Chase over 3m 1/2f is the novice equivalent and can often provide a stepping stone to the Gold Cup itself in future years.
Past results saw the ill-fated Best Mate capture racegoer’s hearts by winning the race an amazing three times from 2002 a feat not matched since the mighty Arkle took 3 Gold Cup’s in the 70’s.
* All prices correct at time of writing.
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