Cheltenham Festival - Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle

The Fred winter takes place on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. Racehorses aged four years rush out of thegates in a bid to complete the two miles and half a furlong (3319 m) in the
fastest time. And boy is this race interesting; you wouldn’t tell it’s a grade three race from a mere look.

Despite being a young race (established in 2005) it has meshed well with other races run on the Old course. The left handed nature of this turf surface make it necessary to race with maximum concentration. Horses that win here are oft billed to go big in the horseracing career.

And it does carry its own fair share of surprises too. In 2017, for instance, Flying Tiger raced to victory despite lying on the outside of the favourites circle at the start. Nube Negra has been
pinpointed as the favourite to win the 2018 edition, but can he go the distance.

No single jockey has had a repeat win at the race named after famous jockey/trainer Fred Winter. Paul Nicholls has, however, seen horses trained at his stable sweep top honours three times (2010,
15 & 16) and will once again be looking to extend that dominance.

Cheltenham Festival - Foxhunter Chase

Three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs (5331m) make the Foxhunter Chase one of the most taxing races at the Cheltenham Festival. It is an exact replica of the main event- The Gold Cup- running over
the same distance and a similar 22 fences. That it is ungraded is thus of little consequence.

The major differences are the pedigree of the competing horses and the £40,000 purse that pales in comparison to that of the Gold Cup.

The race has been in existence since 1904 and not once has its popularity dipped. It is so loved that it has earned itself the name amateur Gold Cup.

To get the Foxhunter’s competitiveness in perspective, consider that not a single horse has been able to win it three times. The record stands at two wins, shared by eight horses. The four-win trainer record set by Richard barber stands to date. Colman Sweeney made it three wins for a single jockey in 2013 and still stands a chance to extend the record.

Cheltenham Festival - Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle

This is an extremely green event at the festival, having been run for the first time in 2016. This prospect makes it an attractive slot for all stakeholders who want to be part of its early history.

The hurdle race brings together horses of minimum four years of age to compete through a distance of two miles and a furlong (3240 m) that is dotted by eight hurdles. The purse is also a humble offering of £65,000.

Ruby Walsh (jockey) and Willie Mullins (trainer) have won both events of the race that is often referenced by sponsor Trull House Stud’s title.

The race’s characteristics ensure it has a large field, and more horses are likely to grace the 2018 event. Fayonagh has been heavily tipped to go the distance this year going by her performance at
the Champion Bumper in the season go by. This will be a great avenue for mares to prepare to get into competition against male horses.

Cheltenham Festival - County Handicap Hurdle

This weighted race is run on the closing day of the festival, when five years and older horses line up to compete over within a distance of two miles and one furlong on the New Course.

It is ranked grade three by the National Hunt and has eight hurdles along the path to the lion’s share of a £90,000 purse.

How the race has remained a grade 3 event is interesting given its popularity among viewers and the tight qualifications required for horses coming into it. Big names like Trespasser have featured in
the County Handicap. It is also so tough that no horse has won it twice since 1946.

Ruby Walsh holds a record jockey record of four wins, while Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls hold a trainer record of a similar number of victories. Max Dynamite ranks ahead of Arctic Fire who won
last year’s event as 2018’s favourite. Both horses are trained by Mullins.

 

Cheltenham Festival - Champion Bumper

The Champion Bumper is considered one of the most prestigious National Hunt races because of the level of interest in people and the kind of participation showcased by jockeys and their horses. It takes place on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival and happens at the Old Course. Established
in the Year 1992, this event allows entry for horses of ages 4 to 6. For this specific race, horses will run over 2 miles and 0.5 furlong.

In 2017, this race was won by Fayonagh, with Jamie Codd at the reins. The horse is trained by one Gordon Elliot. In the same fete, Debuchet came in second.

When it comes to smashing records, some jockeys and trainers have fared far better than others. For example, Ruby Walsh has beaten other jockeys to the punch three different times while riding three different horses. Willie Mullins has come out top as a trainer a whopping 8 times.