• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cheltenham Betting Offers

  • Home
  • Free Bets
  • Meetings
    • New Year’s Day Meeting
    • Festival Trials Day
    • Cheltenham Festival
    • April Meeting
    • Race Night
    • Showcase Meeting
    • November Meeting
    • International Meeting
  • News
  • Articles
    • Stats & Trends

St. Patrick’s Thursday 2022 At Cheltenham Is Also St. Patrick’s Day!

January 17, 2022

guiness village at cheltenham racecourseSt. Patrick’s Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival is always an exciting day, filled with drinking, celebrations and horse races. In 2022, though, things are likely to be that little bit more wild on account of the fact that it falls on the 17th of March, which is actually St. Patrick’s Day. Usually the day just takes the name of St. Patrick’s Day in celebration of the relationship that the Festival has with the Irish, but this year the date has actually coincided with the day itself to mean that Prestbury Park will be painted green.

It is the fourth time that St. Patrick’s Thursday has fell on the 17th March since the Festival was expanded to four days in 2005 and the day was added.  The previous times were in 2016, 2011 and for the inaugural version in 2005, which is pretty much where the day got its name from.  In the past, though, the Irish were nowhere near as dominant at Cheltenham as they are now so extra celebrations, especially in light of the 2021 version taking place behind closed door, are expected for 2022.

Though it might be something of a cliché, the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t take much to encourage the Irish to have a party. There has been a relationship with the Cheltenham Festival ever since Arkle, the Irish bay gelding, won the Gold Cup three times between 1964 and 1966. In more recent years, Irish horses, trainers and jockeys have put a vice-like grip on races, ensuring their success at the expense of British trainers in order to take home the Prestbury Cup year after year. In 2021, there were 23 Irish winners compared to five from Great Britain.

What This Year Will Look Like

thursdayThe powers that be at Cheltenham Racecourse believe that this year is likely to see a record number of tickets sold for the Festival. The hope is that people are desperate to get back into Prestbury Park after the event was held behind closed doors last time out, meaning that the Cheltenham Roar is likely to be louder than ever before. Bettors are chomping at the bit in order to get into the course and take up their position to see the action take place in front of them, so the likelihood is that the atmosphere will be on another level before St. Patrick’s Day even comes around.

The Festival’s position in the calendar means that it is always close to St. Patrick’s Day, but the fact that this year the penultimate day of racing falls on the day itself means that you can expect a party like never before. The Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, which sponsors a number of races during Festival week, including the new Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase, will likely have plans in place to make the most of the coincidence of timing, whilst the hope for the Irish trainers, owners and jockeys will be that they can win as many races as possible on the day itself to give the crowd something to cheer about.  You can see any details of promotions they have on our home page.

st-patricks

There is no news as of yet about any special events planned by the racecourse, but given the fact that an Irish person could start a party in a phonebox, there isn’t anything to worry about. Certainly the bars are expecting more Guinness to be sold than ever before, which will take some doing when you consider that as many as 265,000 pints are sold over the course of the four-day meeting every year. Even those that don’t normally enjoy a pint of the black stuff will engage with it this time around though, just to get into the swing of things.

Those working at Cheltenham Racecourse are expecting there to be even more of an Irish invasion to Gloucestershire than usual this year, precisely because of the fact that St. Patrick’s Day falls at such a convenient time. The hospitality suites will be sure to take advantage, so don’t be surprised if you hear the melodious sounds of Irish music emanating from tents and rooms all around the racecourse. If you can play a traditional Irish instrument like a fiddle or a drum, you wouldn’t go too far wrong if you headed off to Cheltenham just in case.

The Irish & The Cheltenham Festival

rachael blackmoreWhether it was Cottage Rake’s triple success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup between 1948 and 1950 that first got the Irish engaged with the Cheltenham Festival or the love was kick-started a few years later when Arkle repeated the trick, the one thing that can’t be questioned is the love that the Irish have for the Cheltenham Festival. It is clear that the fact that the Festival always takes place at around the time of St. Patrick’s Day helps matters, but the success of trainers and jockeys from the Emerald Isle is a big part of the allure.

For a time, the Irish were winning the Top Jockey honour every year, with it only being released as the 2000s wore on. Horses like the aforementioned Arkle and others such as Istabraq encouraged Irish punters to take a keen interest on the Festival, which was then doubled-down on thanks to the success of jockeys such as Ruby Walsh, A. P. McCoy and Barry Geraghty. The ever-increasing success of Rachael Blackmore at Prestbury Park has won over a whole new generation of Irish fans to the Festival in recent years, too.

willie mullins get a trophyThere were more Irish winners in 2021 than ever before with 82% of races going the way of the Irish-trained, but don’t be shocked if this year sees an increase even on that. Can there be a clean sweep for Irish jockeys on St. Patrick’s Day itself? That’s the sort of market that bookmakers are likely to offer and with the success of the Irish in recent years, who would bet against it? With Willie Mullins still considered to be the King of Prestbury Park, you’d be a fool to expect anything other than Irish eyes to be smiling on day three of the Festival.

Do the organisers of the Cheltenham Festival regret trying so hard to woo Irish competitors back to the racecourse during the 1980s? It is difficult to say, but it’s unlikely that even they knew quite how impressive the Irish would perform in the years that followed their return to Gloucestershire. There is a joke about how the land level of Ireland raises a touch every March, such is the extent to which the Irish fly over to England to see their fellow Emerald Isle residents perform at Prestbury Park. This year, it might end up floating away.

Primary Sidebar

Cheltenham Free Bets

Meetings at Cheltenham

  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Champion Day
    • Ladies Day
    • St Patrick’s Thursday
    • Gold Cup Day
  • Festival Trials Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • November Meeting
    • Countryside Day
    • Gold Cup Day
    • November Meeting Sunday
  • Race Night
  • Showcase Meeting
    • The Showcase Friday
    • The Showcase Saturday
  • The April Meeting
    • April Meeting Day One
    • April Meeting Day Two
  • The International Meeting
    • International Friday
    • International Saturday

Race Types

  • Amateur Races
  • Championship Races
  • Conditions Races
  • Cross Country Races
  • Cup Races
  • Fillies' Races
  • Grade 1 Races
  • Grade 2 Races
  • Grade 3 Races
  • Handicap Races
  • Hurdle Races
  • Juvenile Races
  • Listed Races
  • Maiden Races
  • Mares' Races
  • Novices' Races
  • Premier Handicap Races
  • Standard Open Flat Races
  • Steeplechase Races
  • Trial Races
  • Trophy Races
  • Discontinued Races

Latest News

  • Aintree & Cheltenham Amongst Jockey Club Courses To Drop Dress Code
  • What Can Be Done To Combat Race Fixing In Horse Racing?
  • Jockeys Are Struggling With The New Whip Rules
  • Cheltenham Festival Trials Day Likely To Go Ahead As Temperatures Rise This Week
  • BHA Whips Rules Changed At The Last Minute Following A Jockey Backlash

Articles

  • Who Are The BHA?
  • Origins Of Steeplechasing
  • Is Horse Racing Too Traditional? Why Is It So Confusing?
  • Robot Horse Racing
  • Are There More Fatalities On Hard Ground In Horse Racing?
  • Types Of Jump Racing Fences
  • Biggest Comebacks In Horse Racing
  • Difference Between A Hurdle & A Fence In Jump Racing
  • What Are Hurdles & Fences Made From?
  • Why Are Race Distances Measured In Miles, Furlongs & Yards
  • Stag And Hen Do's At Cheltenham
  • Each-Way vs Place Betting: Which Is Better?
  • What Are Final Declarations
  • Does Illegal Horse Racing Still Happen?
  • What Is Pony Racing? How Is It Different To Horse Racing?
  • Ladies At The Races
  • What Do Nose, Head, Neck and Length Mean?
  • What Is A Furlong?
  • When Is A Race Declared Void?
  • False Starts In Horse Racing
  • What Are Official Ratings in Horse Racing?
  • Can You Run A Race With Only One Horse?
  • What Is Point To Point Racing
  • Best Day Of The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Buy and Train a Racehorse?
  • Cheltenham Festival Ticket Types
  • How Much Does Racing Make From The Betting Levy?
  • Are There Less Horse Deaths In Racing Today?
  • Origins Of Jockey Silks In Horse Racing & Rules
  • Can A Jockey Remount A Horse?
  • What Happens If No Horse Wins A Race?
  • Why Do Horses Jump Fences?
  • How High and Far Can A Horse Jump?
  • Use Of The Whip In Horse Racing
  • What Are The Different Types Of Racehorses?
  • Who Sponsors Cheltenham Races
  • How Do Racehorse Owner Syndicates Work?
  • How Much Do Racehorses Weigh?
  • How Does Travelling Affect Racehorse Performance?
  • What PPE Do Jockeys Wear And Why?
  • Can Racehorses Overheat?
  • Benefits Of Owning Race Horses
  • What Is The Top Speed Of A Racehorse?
  • Do Racehorses Have Special Diets & Nutrition?
  • How Are Racehorses Transported & What Are The Rules
  • What Happened To All-Weather Jumps Racing?
  • What Was Tic Tac? The Sign Language For On-Course Bookmakers
  • The Road To Cheltenham
  • Retraining of Racehorses
  • What Happens To Retired Racehorses?
  • Horse Racing Mix-Ups
  • Youngest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • What Are Blinkers & Why Do Race Horses Wear Them?
  • How Long Do You Have To Claim A Winning Bet At A Racecourse?
  • Female Jockey Pioneers
  • Oldest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Record Jockey Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Record Trainer Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Races Record Horse Wins
  • Biggest Prize Money Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • The Life Of A Racing Jockey
  • Races With The Most Fences At The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Often Do Mares' Win At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Average Winner Age Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Longest Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Newest Races
  • How Often Does the Favourite Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
  • Average Winner Odds Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Stats & Trends
  • Veganism & Horse Racing
  • Horse Doping In Horse Racing
  • Most Feared Fences In Horse Racing
  • Jockey Injuries
  • How To Become A Jockey
  • Horse Injuries
  • What Is Going In Horse Racing
  • Richest Races In Horse Racing
  • What Is The Starting Price In Racing
  • When Is The Best Time To Bet Ante-Post
  • Impact Of Wetter Winters On UK Jump Racing
  • How Long Do Racehorses Live For?
  • How Much Do Jockeys Weigh?
  • Rules For Naming Race Horses
  • What Is A Dead Heat In Horse Racing?
  • Who Would Win A Race Between A Horse And A Dog?
  • What Makes A Good Jump Stayer?
  • What Is A Stewards Enquiry?
  • Why Are Horses Disqualified and Who Decides?
  • Courses At Cheltenham: Old, New and Cross Country
  • How Are Jump Horses Trained Differently To Flat Horses?
  • Longest Odds Winners In Horse Racing History
  • How Much Money Is Bet At Cheltenham?
  • How Much Is Cheltenham Worth To The Economy?
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Owners
  • Accessibility At Cheltenham The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Oldest Race Still Running
  • Biggest Female Trainers
  • Celebrity Race Horse Owners
  • Can Jockeys, Trainers & Owners Bet?
  • British vs Irish Trainers And Stables At Cheltenham
  • Things To Do & Places To Visit In Cheltenham
  • The Royal Family And The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Be An On-Course Bookmaker?
  • How Much Money Do Race Horse Owners Make?
  • How Much Money Do Trainers Make?
  • Cheltenham Race Types
  • Cheltenham Hotels & Cheltenham Festival Accommodation
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Trainers
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Jockeys
  • Top 10 Cheltenham Festival Horses
  • How Much Money Do Jockeys Make?
  • Richest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Getting To Cheltenham Racecourse
  • Cheltenham Festival vs Grand National, Which Is Better?
  • Cheltenham Racecourse History
  • Why Is The Cheltenham Festival So Big?
  • Cheltenham Festival History
  • The Prestbury Cup
  • Cheltenham Festival Quiz
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey
  • Cheltenham Racecourse During The War
  • Ante-Post Betting - Risk vs Reward
  • Jump Racing Distances
  • How to Read a Race Card
  • How To Bet On Horse Racing
  • Disqualification, Non-Runners and Rule 4
  • Age, Sex and Weight in Horse Racing
  • History And About National Hunt Racing
  • A-Z Glossary Of Horse Racing Terms
  • Horse Racing News, Statistics & Blogs
  • Live Streaming of Horse Racing
  • Live Betting In Play On Horse Racing
  • Cash Out And Partial Cash Out On Horse Racing
  • Grades and Classes In National Hunt Jump Racing

Offers

  • Acca Offers For Horse Racing
  • Extra Places Each-Way & Enhanced Each Way Terms Cheltenham Festival 2023
  • Horse Racing Loyalty Free Bet Clubs
  • Horse Racing Money Back
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For The Cheltenham Festival
  • Tote and Totepool Betting
  • Lucky Bets and Bonuses For Horse Racing
  • Non-Runner No Bet
  • Free Bets And Bonuses For Winners
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For Horse Racing
  • Faller & Fail To Finish Insurance For Horse Racing

Copyright © 2023 CheltenhamBettingOffers.com | 18+ Gamble Aware | Privacy & Cookie Policy