Cheltenham Pageant is a four-day racing occasion held in March yearly and is seen because the premier jumps racing meet within the UK. The competition dates again to 1860 and has hosted many champion jumpers over its wealthy historical past. This 12 months’s competition runs from March 12 to fifteen. Final Phrase on Sports activities brings you all that you must know in regards to the 2024 version.
What Are The Main Races
The competition has lately elevated the variety of races to twenty-eight over the four-day interval, with 14 of them being grade 1 customary. However every day has its function race. The primary function is the Unibet Champion Hurdle, a two-mile grade 1 race. Wednesday hosts one other two-mile race, the Betway Queen Mom Champion Steeple Chase. The penultimate day performs host to 2 options, RyanAir Steeple Chase and the Paddy Energy Stayers’ Hurdle.
The ultimate day is highlighted by the premier race of the competition, The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. A 3-mile and two-furlong race that has its a hundredth working in 2024.
Who To Maintain An Eye On
Embed from Getty PicturesNot like many different festivals within the UK, Cheltenham doesn’t appeal to many worldwide ‘raiders’ other than these crossing the Irish Sea. As a result of variety of Irish trainers bringing their horses over a rivalry has begun, now formalised within the type of the Prestbury Cup. It’s awarded to the nation with essentially the most winners all through the competition. The 2023 version noticed Eire take it dwelling with an emphatic 18-10 victory over Nice Britain. The British haven’t been in a position to take dwelling the cup since 2015 and are heavy underdogs for this 12 months’s version.
Willie Mullins has been the highest coach at Cheltenham for the previous decade. He has been the main coach for eight of the final ten years. The Irishman has 94 wins over his profession at this competition and shall be seeking to break the century in 2024. He additionally has three of the final 5 Gold Cup victories and has Galopin Des Champs within the function this 12 months, a 5/4 ($2.25 / +125) favorite. Some essential Cheltenham day 3 ideas will assist punters make good on their wager.
Champion jockey Paul Townsend is the person everybody needs using their horse. The Irishman has been the highest jockey for 3 of the final 4 years and has been on the prime of all of Mullins Gold Cup victories. He’s the go-to jockey for the steady, the dynamic duo may once more be the highest performers this 12 months.
Key Horses In The Pageant
Cheltenham Pageant exhibits off the premier jumps horses within the UK and Eire. The aforementioned Galopin Des Champs goes up towards rival Fastorslow within the Gold Cup. The horses have confronted off 3 times over the past 12 months with the latter popping out on prime twice. The Martin Brassle-trained bay gelding is at the moment 5/1 ($6 / +500) and is tipped by many to cease a second straight Gold Cup victory for Galopin Des Champs.
The primary function race of the competition, the Unibet Champions Hurdle, is headlined by State Man. Presently a 4/11 ($1.36 / -275) favorite, the seven-year-old gelding is part of the Mullins/Townsend combo and will don’t have any match on this race. It’s going to look to win a race that has had 5 favourites win over the past decade.
The duo of Mullins and Townsend are additionally favoured within the Betway Queen Mom Champion Steeple Chase as they appear to win it for the third 12 months in a row. El Fabiolo has gained in all of its six steeple chase races and punters have backed it as such. It’s one other seven-year-old gelding from the Irish steady and is priced at 8/15 ( $1.53 / -188). The horse can also be at the moment favoured within the RyanAir Chase at 6/4 ( $2.5 / +150).
The Paddy Energy Stayers’ Hurdle is an 18-horse race headlined by a duo from Irish coach Gordon Elliot. Teahupoo, priced at 2/1 ($3 / +200), and Irish Level, 9/2 ($5.50 / +450), lead the sphere in a race that has seen a 33-1 and 50-1 winner over the past 5 years. This race is comparatively extensive open and may very well be one to again a roughie.