A Guide To Cheltenham Festival 2024
One of the greatest horse racing events on the planet is primed to begin next month; the Cheltenham Festival. This will gather some of England’s best jockeys, trainers, and horses.
Of course, all the bookmakers are ranting and raving about this event and so are their customers, with online bettors now searching for the best Cheltenham free bets. This article caters to everyone visiting this year’s event, as it covers all they need to know.
What Is the Cheltenham Festival All About?
The Cheltenham Festival is a yearly horse racing event that began in 1860. This event was originally held at Market Harborough before changing to Warwick Racecourse and later to Cheltenham.
In 2024, the Cheltenham Festival will be a bit special as it will celebrate 100 years of the Gold Cup. More than 260,000 people will grace the festival with live music, an open air theatre, and other events.
With prestige comparable to the Kentucky Derby, the Cheltenham Festival is significant for many professional and amateur jockeys in the area. So, in 2024, many champions will return to defend their titles, while challengers will be eager to steal the limelight.
Location
Since the National Hunt Committee in 1911 decided that Prestbury Park’s development was enough to satisfy this event, its location has never changed. The 2024 festival will be held at Cheltenham Racecourse at Evesham Road, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH.
The Races
Each day, the gate for the festival opens at 10:30 am, and the first race begins at 1:30 pm. The races continue until the last one is held at 5:30 am. Below is a list of the various races that’ll occur on each day of the event.
Day One (Tuesday)
● Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race
● Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase
● Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase
● Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
● Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
● Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race
● National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
Day Two (Wednesday)
● Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
● Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
● Coral Cup
● Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
● Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
● Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
● Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Day Three (Thursday)
● Turners Novices’ Chase
● Pretemps Network Final
● Ryanair Chase
● Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
● The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate
● Mares Novices’ Hurdle
● Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
Day Four (Friday)
● JCB Triumph Hurdle
● The McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle
● Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
● The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup
● St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
● Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Top Winners for the Cheltenham Festival in Recent Years
The top winners at this festival are those that won the most races, and the jockeys with that honour are detailed below:
● 2011: Ruby Walsh
● 2012: Barry Geraghty
● 2013: Ruby Walsh
● 2014: Ruby Walsh
● 2015: Ruby Walsh
● 2016: Ruby Walsh
● 2017: Ruby Walsh
● 2018: Davy Russell
● 2019: Nico de Boinville
● 2020: Paul Townend
● 2021: Rachael Blackmore
● 2022: Paul Townend
● 2023: Paul Townend
The Food
This is one of the best parts of the Cheltenham Festival; the dining options are first-class. Over 3,500 catering teams take over to create more than 45,000 meals for the crowds that’ll be gathered for the event. Of course, tea and coffee won’t be absent, as over 9000 gallons of them will be consumed during the event.
Everyone that’s visiting for the Cheltenham Festival 2024 can also look forward to cuisine from Clare Smyth. The Michelin-starred chef graced the 2023 edition of this event, and she’ll be back again this year. Her six-course tasting menu will be served alongside wines specifically prepared by Gareth Ferreira, the head sommelier.
Other eating venues to look forward to at the event include:
● Chez Roux
● The Horse and Groom Pub
● The Centenary Restaurant
Dress Code
Although formal clothing rules the day at the Cheltenham Festival, there’s no dress code in place. So, anyone who’s eager to appear for this event can go ahead and dress as they wish. However, two-thirds of the car parks at this festival are on grass, so boots and other suitable footwear for grass are necessary.
Conclusion
The Cheltenham Festival is an event that every England-based jockey, trainer, horse racing bettor, and horse racing fan looks forward to. This festival will last four days, from March 12th to March 15th, 2024, with racing events occurring each day.
Apart from being a heaven for horse racing fanatics and bettors, there will also be pure theatre for an exciting event. There will also be shops and restaurants for visitors to purchase souvenirs and taste the English cuisine. Anyone interested in visiting Cheltenham in March can purchase a ticket to this festival for £57 at thejockeyclub.co.uk.
