The Cheltenham Festival 2010

/ Editor / 01 January 2010 / Leave a Comment

The natural amphitheatre that is Cheltenham is very much a mecca for jump racing fans the world over, particularly those looking to place a bet.

Many jumps fans plan their annual holidays or leave an empty week in their diary so as to be sure to be there to view the four-day spectacular that seems to grow from year to year. The whole town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire comes alive during the week of the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March, a week that is also eagerly anticipated by the betting industry. Cheltenham racecourse stages the most popular betting meeting of the whole jumps calendar and many millions of pounds and euros are wagered during the course of the event.

The memories of all true jumps racing fans are full of amazing equine battles that have taken place on the hallowed Cheltenham racecourse turf. Back in the 1930s, the mighty Golden Miller won five Cheltenham Gold Cups, a record that not even the legendary Irish champion Arkle could surpass during his dominance of the sport in the 1960s. In more recent years, Best Mate has been the horse to come closest to making Cheltenham his own, with three successive victories in the Gold Cup from 2002-2004.

In 2010, the racing world will once again look to the Cheltenham Festival in March, as the mouth-watering clash between the Paul Nicholls-trained stablemates Kauto Star (twice a Gold Cup winner) and 2008 champion Denman could be one of the hottest betting events of the whole sporting year.

Then, there are the great hurdlers whose talents have become the stuff of Cheltenham history. Since the inaugural running in 1927, each decade has seen at least one standout hurdler who has managed to upset the odds. Hatton's Grace and Sir Ken both won three consecutive championships during the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1968, Persian War won the first of his three consecutive championships and ushered in a vintage era with great names like Bula, Comedy of Errors, Night Nurse, Monksfield and Sea Pigeon all carving their names in Cheltenham history and stoking a betting frenzy at the same time.

The Champion Chase has also seen great winners, a number of whom have won the race twice. Only Badsworth Boy managed to win it three times in the mid-1980s, but Master Minded could add his name to the list of great Cheltenham Festival horses if he succeeds in landing his third win in the race in 2010.

It seems a safe bet that part of the magic of Cheltenham racecourse is the unique nature of the track itself. The course is a particularly undulating test with the famous downhill run to the home straight followed by a stiff uphill climb to the line from the home turn. The outcome of the race can change beyond recognition in just a few strides as horses apparently traveling strongly suddenly find themselves running out of gas as they begin the homeward climb. Add to this the testing fences that have caught out many a great horse and jockey as the landing side of the obstacle can be higher or lower than the take-off side.

Cheltenham race course is the ultimate test of agility and ability in a thoroughbred jumping racehorse.

The other major feature that draws massive crowds year after year is the amazing Cheltenham atmosphere. 50,000 or more mainly British and Irish racing fans roaring on their favourite horses in an attempt to help them upset the odds, creates a cacophony of sound almost unrivalled in any sporting arena.

Cheltenham racecourse is the home of National Hunt racing and will surely remain so forever.

For all the latest on the 2010 Cheltenham Festival then please click here and check out our dedicated Cheltenham Festival Betting and Tips page