The Cheltenham Festival’s Top Four Races
It’s that time of year again. The best racehorses in jump racing are about to converge on Cheltenham, England, for the biggest spectacle of the sport, the Cheltenham Festival.
With 28 races run over 4 days, the Cheltenham Festival is a must-watch for both avid fans and those with just a passing interest in jump racing.
The best trainers, jockeys, and equine talent will go head to head in a mixture of top-level races throughout the week, but there are four races in particular that are the most coveted by all those involved. Below we take a look at all four and give you the lowdown on the main challengers for 2023.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the jump racing world. It is the prize that everyone involved in the industry wants to win, but one that even the greatest trainers and jockeys fail to achieve.
If you are thinking of betting online on horse racing for the 2023 renewal, one horse stands above the rest. Gallopin Des Champs is the superstar of the chasing division and is currently the 6/4 favorite for the highlight of the week. There are some slight worries over his ability to see out the lung-bursting distance of over 3 miles, but he is fancied by many to win easily for top Irish trainer, Willie Mullins.
The Champion Hurdle
If the Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the chasing division of jump racing, then the Champion Hurdle is the equivalent of the smaller obstacles. Just like in this year’s Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle is dominated by one horse. Constitution Hill is arguably the best racehorse in training right now and is the seemingly unbeatable 4/11 favorite for the 2023 renewal.
The Champion Chase
The big race for the 2-mile chasers, the Champion Chase is a much speedier affair than the Gold Cup and requires a different list of attributes for potential winners. This year’s race is a wide-open contest, with the likes of, Edwardstone, Energumene, and Editeur Du Gite, all in with a shout.
The three actually met in their last race, with the latter coming out on top in a very exciting finish. Regardless of that result, it is his other two rivals that head the betting market as 7/4 joint favorites.
The Stayers’ Hurdle
The Stayers’ Hurdle is the Championship race for horses with the required stamina to see out the over the 3-mile trip, all the while negotiating hurdles at a high speed.
The 2023 renewal is one of the most open contests there has been in many years, with very little separating Blazing Khal, Teahupoo, Maries Rock, Flooring Porter, and Home By The Lee, in the betting market.
Flooring Porter is looking to retain the title he has won for the past two years, but he is up against some talented youngsters who will be going all out to take his crown.
This collection of races is known as the Championship races at the Cheltenham Festival, but there will also be some tantalizing tussles elsewhere at the biggest meeting on the jump racing calendar.
The Cheltenham Festival is awaited with bated breath each year and it is not long to go now until the curtain is raised in 2023.
