Fun, Fans and Furlongs: The 2010 Cheltenham Festival
Hundreds of millions of pounds, Euros, and Dollars will be on the
line as one of the most exciting and prestigious events in all of
National Hunt racing is set to begin Tuesday, March 16th, with the
annual running of the world famous Cheltenham Festival.
Set in the capital of National Hunt racing, Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire, the beautiful Cheltenham Racecourse promises to provide
four exciting, action-packed days of horse racing. Starting with the
Supreme Novices Hurdle on Tuesday and ending with Johnny Henderson
Grand Annual Chase on Friday, the four-day affair will feature a total
of 26 races, 11 of which are Grade one races. Over 200,000 spectators
attended the races, with millions more around the globe watching and
wagering online.
A championship event highlights the race card on each day of the
festival, beginning with The Champion Hurdle on day one. Open to horses
four and older, the race is run on the Old course, at a distance of 2
miles and a half a furlong in length, with eight hurdles to be jumped.
Early favorites include Dunguib, Zaynar, last years winner Punjabi,
and the impressive newcomer Solwhit. Because of his big wins in two
recent races, another leading contender, Go Native, will earn a one
million pound bonus should he outlast his competitors and win the
Champion Hurdle.
St. Patrick's Day won't be the only thing race fans will be
hoping to celebrate on March 17th - day two of the
festival. The Queen Mother Champion Chase highlights the days card of
seven races. A Grade One National Hunt chase, the Queen Mother Champion
Chase has always a smaller field compared to other Cheltenham Festival
races. It features horses age five years and older running and jumping
over the twelve fences that are spread out on a course approximately two
miles in length. Many bettors find this race to be the most exciting
event, as the shorter distance and lighter field tends to make for a
lightening quick pace.
Having won the Queen Mother Championship two years running, Master
Minded is the banker of the field, as he tries for a historic
three-peat. Although Master Mindeds performances haven't been all
that impressive lately, (specifically a disappointing third earlier at
Cheltenham contest), most observers expect him to return to his brillant
2008 form. Potential challengers standing in his way include Twist
Magic, Kalahari King, and Big Zeb
The most prestigious long distance hurdle event on the National
Hunt schedule takes place on day three of the Cheltenham Festival, when
the increasingly popular World Hurdle takes centre stage. All the
bucks seem to be flowing towards the undefeated (in hurdles) Big
Bucks in this 3 mile and one fulong race of 4 year olds and older.
Early bettors clearly expect the 7 year old to repeat last years
impressive win in the World Hurdle. History may not be on his side
however, as only 11 favorites have won the World Hurdle since 1972.
Tidal Bay is one horse to watch, and has been moving up the board,
coming off a five lengths win at the Cheltenham Trials in January over
Katchit, the 2008 Hurdle winner whose stock seems to be fading amongst
some.
Yet despite the popularity and prestige of the World Hurdle, one
shouldn't overlook an early race in the card, the Ryanair Chase.
Although a relatively newer event, (it began in 2005), this Grade one
National Hunt chase has had an exciting run this far. Its lineup of five
year olds and up usually consists of both past and potential Gold Cup
horses, providing interesting opportunities in the betting market. The
intermediate distance course of 2 miles and five furlongs features 17
fences. Tranquil Sea and Poquelin are leading contenders. Barbers Shop,
who held his own for awhile with Kauto Star in the King George, is also
an early favourite.
Friday, March 19th marks the fourth, and final day of this widely
watched event. It features seven exciting races, including the crown jewel of the Cheltenham Festival, the Gold Cup.
Second only to the Grand National in terms of importance in the
National Hunt calendar, the significance of the Gold Cup has improved
exponentially since its humble origins in 1924. The prize pool has
improved somewhat also, from the 700 pounds dispersed at the inaugural
running, to the 475,000 pounds awarded in this years event. The
festivals marquis race is a celebration of the stamina of the five
year old and older horses, and its challenging 3 mile, 2 BD furlong
course with 22 fences is notoriously unforgiving.
Most expect this years Gold Cup to be another two horse race
between 2008 champion Denman, and two time Cup winner and defending
champion Kauto Star. Either way, trainer Paul Nicholls looks to have yet
another wildly successful day. The handler for both horses, Nicholls is
looking for his fourth consecutive Gold Cup winner, and fifth overall.
With over three million pounds in lifetime winnings, Kauto Star is
the only horse to have won the King George VI chase four consecutive
times. He took home his first cup in 2007. The following year saw Denman
edging out a victory over his second place finisher Kauto Star. However,
Kauto Star responded with an incredible performance in the 2009 Cup,
trouncing his stable mate and the second place Denman by 13 lengths.
With this history in mind, punters can anticipate this heavyweight
matchup as having the potential to be one of the all-time steeplechase
classics. Yet with these two former champions overwhelmingly dominating
the odds board, those looking for more upside in their bets may want to
consider last year Ryanair Chase winner Imperial Commander. And
although long shots in this tough field, Taranis and Cooldine are also
worth consideration.
With twenty-six races and over 3.4 million pounds in prize money in
this yeas edition, the Cheltenham Festival looks to be busier than
ever. Last years Gold Cup alone saw a record 150 million pounds
wagered locally, and observers expect this years betting to easily
shatter that mark. So grab your form and pencils, a pint of Guiness, and
prepare for another exciting four days of horse racing excellence.
