Everything you need to know about the Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is the grand event for jumping races in the United Kingdom (UK). It has a total of 28 races across four days. This is where the best horses, jockeys, and trainers go head to head to see who are the best athletes of the season.
The event is set on Cheltenham Racecourse at Prestbury Park. It is scheduled from 15 March (Tuesday) to 18 March (Friday) with at least one featured race on each day. Ticket sales, hospitality, and concessions will require cashless transactions so please prepare an online bank or electronic wallet. On-course bookmakers may accept cash but you can also stake on these events at crypto betting websites.
Cheltenham Festival featured races
14 out of 28 scheduled races are Grade One events so keep your eyes peeled for intense competitions. Out of those 14 races, there are 5 featured events which are the climax of each of the four days. There is one in each day except Thursday with two then Friday will host the main event. Bet on horse racing with Bitcoin on your favourite bookmaker with the following events.
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is the championship race for the two-mile hurdlers. It is the highest-rated hurdle event in the world with 2 miles and ½ furlongs, scheduled at 3:30 PM on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. Only horses 4-years-old and up may compete.
2021 Champion Hurdle champion, Honeysuckle, returns to the paddocks to defend her title. This 8-year-old mare is currently the favourite among bookmakers but the roster is not yet complete as of January 2022.
Queen Mother Champion Chase
The featured race on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the championship for the two-mile chaser series. It’s a steeplechase race that is only 2 furlongs shy from 2 miles. The race is scheduled for 3:30 PM and only 5-year-old horses or older may enter.
The favourites of the event are two champions. Shishkin is an Irish champion trained by Nicky Henderson while Energumene is a French powerhouse trained by Willie Mullins. Both of them placed first in most of their races, making them both the top two favourites of the upcoming Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Ryanair Champion Chase
The Ryanair Champion Chase is an event for 5-year-old horses and older with a distance of 2 miles and 4½ furlongs. It’s a prestigious steeplechase race that is just a bit lower in rank than the Queen Mother Champion Race. It’s scheduled for 2:50 PM on the third day of the meeting.
The top two contestants are Allaho trained by Willie Mullins and A Plus Tard trained by Henry de Bromhead. Allaho has a great standing across eight chases of the highest level where he won three. A Plus Tard, on the other hand, had a gradual climb upwards in G1 standings. Both racers are 8 years old and among the oldest of this running’s contestants.
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle is the second featured event on Thursday and it is scheduled for 3:30, right after the Ryanair Champion Chase. It is considered the ultimate stamina test for hurdlers with a 3-mile distance and all 5-year-old or older horses carry 11st 10lb weight. 4-year-old contestants only carry 11st 1lb while fillies and mares get a 7lb allowance.
7-year-old gelding Flooring Porter is the champion of the 2021 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and is set to defend his title. However, 10-year-old Champ is considered this running’s favourite thanks to his higher win rate and stronger figure. 8-year-old gelding Thyme Hill is also considered a great challenger in the event.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup
The main event of the festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup scheduled for 3:30 PM on Friday. It’s the most prestigious steeplechase race in the world with a distance of 3 miles and 2½ furlongs. The race is only for 5-years-old and above with an 11st 9lb weight requirement, 11st 10lb for 6-years-old or older.
A Plus Tard is also competing in this event where he’s marked as the favourite. Champ and Allaho are here, too, but they are counted as the underdogs. The 8-year-old gelding, Galvin, is also counted as a good contender for 1st place.
All Cheltenham Festival events are major races. Thus, you can be sure to find them at any online casino and bookmaker. This is a great opportunity for crypto traders to bet on horse racing with Bitcoin before the market skyrockets in 2022.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.