Cheltenham Racecourse is seen as the spiritual home of jump racing. Each year, the racecourse hosts the Cheltenham Festival, which is the pinnacle of the sport.
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Forge Valley Lad took his C&D record up to 4 wins from 8 starts with another victory here just 4 days, always travelling strongly before getting up in the final strides.
He appears to be in good heart of late, with form figures of 324 in the build up to his win, and turned out just 4 days on, connections clearly feel he still has more to give - the David Simcock stable have a mightily impressive record of 7 winners from 8 runners in which they’ve turned out runners off breaks of less than 7 days.
Admittedly, he has a different scenario on his hands here with a lack of pace on up top, however he has won race here from both prominent and leading postions in the past, and against what appears to be a lacklustre field he appears well placed for further enhancing his record over this C&D.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/01/25 | LIN | 12 | St/Slw | 9-6 | 1 |
| 22/12/24 | LIN | 10 | St | 9-2 | 4 |
| 16/12/24 | WOL | 12 | St | 9-9 | 2 |
| 03/12/24 | LIN | 10 | St | 9-7 | 3 |
| 13/11/24 | LIN | 10 | St | 9-2 | 8 |
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/12/24 | NAA | 20 | Y | 11-12 | 1 |
| 01/05/24 | PUN | 24 | Gd/Y | 11-10 | 5 |
| 15/03/24 | CHL | 24 | Hy | 11-7 | 5 |
| 12/01/24 | NAA | 20 | Sft | 11-12 | 3 |
| 09/12/23 | NAV | 20 | Hy | 11-3 | 2 |
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/05/24 | TIP | 16 | Gd/Y | 10-13 | 1 |
| 15/03/24 | CHL | 17 | Hy | 11-2 | 6 |
| 18/04/23 | AUT | 15 | Hy | 10-8 | 2 |
Located in Gloucestershire in the South West of England, Cheltenham Racecourse has been used for professional horse racing since 1815. It now hosts some of the best and most prestigious races on the British racing calendar. In fact, no horse can be considered a true champion of National Hunt racing without proving itself in a blue riband event at Cheltenham, such as the Gold Cup or the Champion Hurdle.
Racing has been popular at Cheltenham ever since the racecourse opened its doors for the first time. In fact, the crowds at Cheltenham races grew to as many as 30,000 in the space of a decade. This led to the introduction of a two-day July meeting that featured what would eventually become the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Today, around 700,000 people visit Cheltenham Racecourse each year. Almost half of these visit during the Cheltenham Festival, which is held in March.
For trainers and jockeys, owning or riding a winner at the Festival is seen as one of the sport’s greatest achievements. The biggest prizes are the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup, but riding any winner at the Cheltenham Festival is viewed as a great honour. Unsurprisingly, the setting has played host to some of the greatest names in jump racing history; from Kauto Star and Denman to Long Run and Best Mate.
But, there’s a lot more going on at Cheltenham Racecourse than just the Cheltenham Festival. The racecourse’s opening meeting in October is viewed by many as the unofficial start of the jumps season, whilst the standard of racing at the November and December Cheltenham race meetings is almost as high as it is at the Festival itself.
In total, Cheltenham Racecourse hosts eight meetings and 16 days of racing. Cheltenham horse racing events in 2024 include:
The Festival may be the big one, but regardless of which of the Cheltenham race meetings you attend, you’re guaranteed to witness some top-class racing.
Each day of the Cheltenham Festival, around 65,000 punters descend on Cheltenham Racecourse to watch the action unfold live. Millions more watch on TV and bet on the live action.
If you’re attending the Cheltenham Festival or any of the Cheltenham race meetings, then betting is a time-honoured tradition. As a result, betting facilities are available across all of the enclosures.
Plus, when you’re at Cheltenham races, you’ll have the option to place bets via your phone using the free Wi-Fi, via the Totepool or the bookmakers. Many of the bookmakers at the course still accept cash, but some also now accept debit cards. That said, there are no cash machines at Cheltenham Racecourse, so if you’d like to bet using cash then you’ll need to bring it with you.
Within each betting ring, you’ll find all the information you need to make an informed bet, including the odds and the list of runners. Each bookmaker will also clearly display their minimum stake value, as well as whether they’re taking on Each Way or Win Only bets.
Totepools are slightly different. They still allow you to place a range of bets, but the amount you’ll win is calculated differently. Rather than fixed odds, the amount you’ll win is instead determined by the total amount staked on the race and on the particular horse that wins.
Finally, Cheltenham Racecourse also has its own on-site betting shops. These function just like high-street betting shops do, so you can bet on anything you like.
Cheltenham Racecourse has two separate courses that run alongside each other and are known as the Old Course and the New Course. Since 1995, the racecourse has also been home to a Cross Country Steeplechase Course.
The Old Course is used for the first two days of The Cheltenham Festival, The November Meeting and The Showcase, which takes place in October.
It’s left-handed, undulating and features stiff fences that place a premium on good jumping. The last half a mile is uphill, so a fair amount of stamina is required.
As for the new course, it’s used for Christmas and New Year meetings, Festival Trials Day and the third and fourth days of The Cheltenham Festival, as well as further race meetings over April and May.
The New Course has a tricky downhill fence and a longer run-in for steeplechases than the Old Course. Hurdle races over two miles on the New Course are slightly peculiar because most of the hurdles are jumped early on in the race. In fact, only two hurdles are jumped in the last seven furlongs.
Cheltenham Racecourse is also home to a Cross Country Course. Formed through obstacles such as water, timber rails, banks, ditches and hedges, it was designed by Mike Etherington-Smith, who also designed the cross-country course that was used in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The Cheltenham Cross Country Course is used during day two of the Cheltenham Festival, as well as the November meeting and the Christmas meeting.
Cheltenham Racecourse doesn’t just attract those in fancy hats and expensive frocks. Unlike most racecourses, the Cheltenham races dress code isn’t limiting. Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t a specified Cheltenham Gold Cup dress code and there’s no requirement to wear a suit or a dress during the Cheltenham Festival.
Instead, Cheltenham Racecourse asks racegoers to come “dressed to feel your best”. This is mainly due to the fact that most of the Cheltenham horse racing meetings take place in winter. The course only asks that attendees do not wear the kits of sports teams when attending one of their race days.
That said, suits are still commonplace for men and ladies will usually adorn a hat. However, the winter months do tend to dictate how much highbrow fashion occurs during any Cheltenham race meeting.
If you’re looking to visit the racecourse in the coming months, you’ll be able to see all of the current ticket availability for Cheltenham horse racing in 2024 on their website.
You can book your Cheltenham tickets in advance, with smaller racing days being priced as low as £10 and Cheltenham Festival tickets usually being priced around the £50-£100 mark, depending on the enclosure.
Purchasing a ticket couldn’t be much easier, but the only obstacle is how quickly they could sell out. So, if you want to see some of the Cheltenham horse racing in 2024, then it’s always advised to get yours as early as possible.
Thousands of people from across the UK, Ireland and the rest of the world flock to Cheltenham Racecourse to be part of the year’s key horse racing events. Choosing to use public transport is a common occurrence, with Cheltenham Racecourse Train Station situated close to the grounds.
If you’d rather drive, then there’s plenty of parking available. This is usually free, but you must pay for parking during the Cheltenham Festival and the Saturday of the November meeting.
It’s always advised to arrive early to beat the traffic, with pre-booked parking preferable in order to assure your space as you arrive. Coach travel is also available online, as well as a pick up and drop off point if you’re able to catch a lift from someone who isn’t attending.
Here’s the information for your sat nav:
