By Breandán Ó hUallacháin
The Cheltenham Festival 2024 is fast approaching. For jumps racing fans in Europe it is the pinnacle of the sport, the Olympics of jumps racing.
Prestbury Park in Gloucestershire, England, is the home of the world-renowned Cheltenham Racecourse, and for four days in March, the National Hunt [jumps] racing fraternity descend on this part of England. Many accents from Ireland and France will be heard in Gloucestershire, as well as an array of British accents from Tuesday, March 12th to Friday, March 15th inclusive.
With a dedicated 4-day programme of jumps racing – over hurdles, steeplechase fences, cross-country obstacles, and one race on the flat – a ‘bumper’ or National Hunt flat race – each day will have 7 competitive races.
Past The Wire takes an early look at each day’s highlight race.
Tuesday
The opening day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival will be highlighted by the Champion Hurdle, a race over two miles for the fastest hurdlers. This season’s race for so long seemed to be barely a ‘penalty kick’ for the reigning champion Constitution Hill, until he disappointed in a recent workout at Kempton Racecourse. Subsequently scoped, he was found to be unwell, and his trainer Nicky Henderson is now racing against time to have his stable star ready for the highlight of the hurdling season.
State Man, trained in Ireland by the Cheltenham Festival’s most successful trainer, Willie Mullins, is now favourite with bookmakers. Runner-up in the race last season to Constitution Hill, State Man is a multiple Grade 1-winning gelding, who on his recent racecourse appearance won the Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown at the beginning of February.
Wednesday
The premier race on day two is the Champion Chase over two miles. This race is for the faster steeplechase horses.
The aforementioned Willie Mullins is responsible for the hot favourite in this event, El Fabiolo, also a recent winner at the Dublin Racing Festival, when successful in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase. The seven-year-old gelded son of Spanish Moon has won his last seven contests, including the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last season. His biggest rival in the betting market, at least, is Jonbon, who finished five and a half lengths behind El Fabiolo in last year’s Arkle Novices’ Chase.
Thursday
For most followers this day is the weakest of the four in terms of quality, where the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle, run over just short of three miles, is the day’s main prize.
Irish handler Gordon Elliott trains the top two contenders in the current betting, Teahupoo and Irish Point, both interestingly in the same ownership of Robcour. Teahupoo won the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grade Hurdle at Fairyhouse on 3 December 2023. The son of Masked Marvel has not been seen on a racecourse since, with Co Meath-based Elliott saving the seven-year-old for his big season target at Cheltenham. The Grade 1 Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle winner at Leopardstown at Christmas, Irish Point, looks to currently be his stable companion’s main rival, but it will be interesting to see if both line up on the big day.
Friday
Jump racing’s blue riband, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, contested over 3 miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards, is the day’s, the week’s, and arguable the National Hunt season’s highlight.
The reigning champion, the French-bred Galopin Des Champs, trained in Ireland by the country’s perennial champion handler, Willie Mullins, will be ridden by main stable jockey Paul Townend.
Despite a lacklustre start to his 2023-‘23 season at Punchestown when only third of six rivals in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, the now eight-year-old son of Temos looked back to his sublime best when claiming the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December 2023 by 23 lengths, and then the Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival on 3 February 2024. In the latter race, he defeated Fastorslow, currently perceived as being the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner’s main rivals for this season’s major prize. Fastorslow defeated Galopin Des Champs in the Punchestown Gold Cup last April, and also won the previously mentioned John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase at the beginning of this season.
With a lot of action ahead at the Cheltenham 2024, stay with Past The Wire for coverage in the lead up to, and during, the Festival.
