Cheltenham Festival

While we in Australia focus on the sensational Australian Cup program in Melbourne and the Chipping Norton Stakes card in Sydney, one of the truly great carnivals begins early next week.

England has the Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot and Grand National as its high points of the season but for the purists, the Cheltenham Festival is racing at its best.

Held over four days at the Gloucestershire course, not all that far from the Welsh border, there are highlight races on each day. Day One has three Grade 1s with the Champion Hurdle over two miles, 110 yards the big one.

The second day has as its feature the Queen Mother Champion Chase while on the next afternoon, the World Hurdle and Ryanair Chase duel for top billing.

But the big one of the entire carnival is on Friday when the £550000 Cheltenham Gold Cup is run over the gruelling three miles two furlongs and 110 yards. Legends are made here.

A couple of the most anticipated jumps races of all time were the Gold Cups of 2010 and 2011 as legends Kauto Star and Denman were pitted against each other. They had won three Cups between them but both would be bowled over by firstly Imperial Commander and then Long Run. But let’s relive the 2009 clash of the champs.

Kauto Star actually ran at the Festival every year from 2006 to 2012, including five attempts at the Cup with two wins and two placings while Denman was retired one year shy of the same feat in terms of Cheltenham longevity.

Watch the preview of the Gold Cup from the At The Races team.

And you can check out all the Ante Post Previews here at Racing And Sports on our RSTV library of videos