The Cheltenham Gold Cup starts on March 16
The Cheltenham Gold Cup Tournament starts on March 16 and runs through to the 19th. During these four days there will be twenty-six different horse races and the event will draw crowds in excess of two hundred thousand visitors. The thrill of the competition and the festival atmosphere are part of the Cheltenham tradition. This year’s prize money, just over £3.5 million will ensure that the best horses and the finest jockeys are in contention. An event of this magnitude will also offer more than few opportunities to wager on the races. Look for this year’s March Tournament to see bettors laying down a half-million pounds over all twenty-six races. Whether you visit in person or watch it on the tube, the Cheltenham Tournament scheduled in March is by far the place to be for horseracing fans alike.
Tuesday Opening Day and Wednesday’s St. Patrick’s Day themes give way to more serious racing programs as the week progresses. The last two days of the four day tournament are particularly interesting due, in equal measure, what race is being raced, who is racing in it and how much you can win if you wager correctly.
Thursday, March 18, has been christened as “Ladies’ Day.” The focus will be on the females in the crowd and in the stables. The event is a festival atmosphere which includes among many other lady-like things an opportunity for one very lucky, very fashionable lady to win the car of her dreams, an Alfa Romeo Mito! The fashion awards is a nice touch and sure to hit with the women, with their male companions at the Cheltenham festival for the races. This year the tournament has announced that there is a new Charity Race for lady jockeys exclusively. The proceeds of the race are estimated to be in the neighborhood of £60,000 in a donation to benefit Cancer Research in the United Kingdom. While this is a worthwhile event and certainly a big part of the day, the highlight of Thursday is undoubtedly the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. This year’s Hurdles is expected to be a crowd pleaser with a horse named Big Bucks favored to defend his 2009 championship with another win.
In total there will be six races held on Ladies’ Day with Thursday’s racing line including:
Jewson Novices' Handicap
Pertemps Final
Ryanair Chase
World Hurdle
Byrne Group Plate
Kim Muir Challenge Cup
With Friday being the final day of the March Tournament it will feature some of the most exciting horse racing of the races, known as the Gold Cup Day. This is what everyone is waiting and anticipating for all year. The top race and perhaps this years most talked about is the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Clash. The contest is expected to become something of a two-horse race, one that is dominated by a pair of horses from the same stable, Denman and Kauto Star. Kauto Star has already won two Gold cups and is looking to take home a third. Denman on the other hand won in 2008 and hopes to repeat that performance. In fact, some venues for this race are already sold out to early prospectors waiting to see a victory from their favorite horses and jockeys in a clash of the titans.
The complete racing line up for Friday, the final day of the four-day Cheltenham March Gold Cup Tournament will be as follows:
JCB Triumph Hurdle
County Hurdle
AB Novices' Hurdle
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Foxhunter Chase
MP Conditionals Hurdle
JH Grand Annual Chase
The wait to see who will take home the Gold Cup is always one that gets the crowd fired up and the finish is never short of thrilling. This year’s stage is set and the line up of horses and riders are practically chomping at the bit to be off and running. Still, the build up of anticipation drives not only the betting frenzy, but also lures in more visitors to the scenic venue.
Whether you are heading out to see the races in person, or are planning on watching them on the television or at your favorite sports bar, you will not want to miss any of the action. Tuesday through Friday will be four days of horseracing fun for the serious fan, the devoted gambler and for those who love to watch the horses run and jump. The field is one of the finest in the sport and the venue is a jewel.
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