In the cut and thrust world of UK and international horse racing, the Cheltenham Festival continues to capture the imagination of horse racing fans, punters and enthusiasts all over the world.
National Hunt racing is a vocation under threat in the UK sporting structure, but the Cheltenham Festival provides a vital platform for the kingmakers in the sport to portray the action in a positive light.
The inevitability of huge sums of money laid on each and every race at the festival feels like annual clockwork and the magnitude of horse racing betting in the UK is always highlighted in huge racing events such as the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals.
Ante-post betting markets are always heavily ploughed into by punters in the know all year round, with all of the biggest trainers, jockeys and punters centering their attention on winning a Cheltenham Festival race.
2025 sees some big changes afoot at the Gloucestershire festival showpiece, which will take place from March 11th to 14th , yet the essence and appeal of Cheltenham continues to resonate in the UK sporting calendar.
The Greatest Show on Turf
With 28 races across the 4 days of racing at Cheltenham, the blockbuster action always delivers for all levels of punter and most sportsbooks in the UK and beyond look to heavily invest in the Cheltenham Festival.
Every racing yard worth their salt both in the UK and abroad tend to centre their plans for the year around Cheltenham and having horses at the top of their game at the right time, is the key objective for every trainer.
Bumper crowds are expected once again in 2025, with the famous Cheltenham track able to house at least 80,000 punters every day and people from all walks of life descend at the festival, chasing big wins and a good time.
One of the key appeals of Cheltenham is the array of horses that take part, both domestically and internationally, with some of the very best horses on the planet having to meet eligibility criteria, just to take their place in the field.
That, coupled with the huge field sizes, with sometimes as many as 30 horses participating in each race, make for an incredible racing spectacle and for the horses that are lucky enough to come out on top, the glory and prestige that comes with winning a Cheltenham race is incomparable to most achievements in the sport.
Schedule shuffling
The British Horse Racing Authority has been tasked with moving the Cheltenham Festival forward for the next generation and curating a meeting that appeals to the wants and needs of all consumers.
Each day now features seven races, with the key race scheduled at 4 pm (UK time) to cater to a broader audience on terrestrial television.
Big races such as the Stayer’s Hurdle and The Champion Chase are also in the key time slot and having them as the 5th race on the card, is a model used across plenty of Australian and American meets of a similar stature.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup inevitably captures the imagination of most fans on Friday afternoon, as each and every trainer and horse looks to each their name into British racing folklore.
Who will taste Gold Cup glory?
As ever, some of the best horses in the country assemble – all chasing Cheltenham Gold Cup glory and Galopin Des Champs will once again be the pace setter for Willie Mullins.
The Irish training juggernaut was in fine fettle throughout 2024 at the Cheltenham Festival and very little appears to have changed over the past few months, with Galopin Des Champs set to go off as one of the shortest odds favourites for a Gold Cup in recent memory.
Stablemate Fact To File is also highly thought of and should relish the trip here at Cheltenham and all eyes do look to be pointing towards yet another historic Willie Mullins triumph.
Challengers such as Gerri Colombe for Gordon Elliott and Banbridge for Joseph O’Brien add to the anticipation, with conjecture, drama, and intrigue dominating the build-up to the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
