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Cheltenham Festival Getting Closer

CheltenhamCheltenham
© Photo Healy Racing

It’s fair to say that the 2019 Cheltenham Festival is still a long way off with plenty of top class racing to take place between now and then. But it is only common sense to presume that the Irish trained horses will be back to plunder rich pickings again. Irish trained horses, jockeys and trainers have been dominant at Cheltenham in recent years although two of the biggest races — The Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup — were won by British trained horses in 2018.

There has been talk of the British Horseracing Authority searching for ways to implement barriers to bring the Irish domination of the Cheltenham Festival to an end. These are mainly aimed around the handicaps rather than the Championship races as there is a perception that some Irish runners go to the Festival on more lenient marks than their British trained counterparts. The BHA is also expected to also continue to push their Irish equivalent, The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, to carry out more out of competition testing of horses. In advance of this year’s Festival the BHA sent their own representatives to several leading yards in Ireland to test horses and this measure may be repeated ahead of March’s renewal. The Festival’s valued status as the Olympics of jump racing is underpinned by the Irish involvement which is the basis of its success. The Irish have made it across the sea to Cheltenham for generations. Up to 8,000 people make the journey annually; their massive presence is an essential part of the atmosphere.

Cheltenham Festival Fun Statistics

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the UK’s premier jump race, where it offers a dazzling climax on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival. Gold Cup day is sold out well in advance of the Festival each year and the average attendance on each of the four days is in excess of 65,000 people. The total attendance in 2018 was a record for the meeting at 262,637.

10,000 cars are parked at the course each day and almost 6,000 staff are employed at the festival each year.

Chelteham ActionChelteham Action
© Photo Healy Racing
In total, the Cheltenham Festival is estimated to be worth £100m to the Gloucestershire economy. With the rise of online bookmakers, every year there is more than £150,000,000 wagered on the Cheltenham Festival races. To find the best Irish online casinos and bookmakers, it is recommended to first begin with trusted licensed British operators, due to the tight regulations and security that were brought in recently for those companies trading in the UK .

Our 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup Predictions

The defending Champion Native River is currently the top pick when looking at the Gold Cup this far in advance. Both Native River and last year’s runner-up Might Bite were beaten at Haydock on their seasonal reappearance by Bristol De Mai but are expected to be different propositions come March. Any horse that manages to outdo Colin Tizzard’s charge will most likely take home the Blue Riband. If all the leading contenders do line up for the 2019 Gold Cup Native River will still be the one to beat and as a nine year old he should now be reaching his peak as a staying chaser. Quick ground would be the one concern for Native River in his bid to win back-to-back Gold Cups.

Presenting Percy and Davy RussellPresenting Percy and Davy Russell
© Photo Healy Racing

Current Gold Cup betting is headed by the up and coming Irish Challenger Presenting Percy at odds of around 9/2. Trained by Pat Kelly, Presenting Percy has come a long way from his debut victory in a Ballinrobe Bumper in April 2016 and with memorable wins at the last two Cheltenham Festivals he has gained a strong following amongst racing fans but the Gold Cup will be a significant step up in class from his RSA victory over the course in 2018.