The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most thrilling and exciting events on the National Hunt calendar. It’s a time when the horse racing world comes together to see the best in class go up against one another, testing jockeys and trainers alike. There’s virtually nothing in jump racing as prestigious as seeing your horse win at Prestbury Park.
The Festival is also the only meeting run at Cheltenham Racecourse with Grade 1 races on offer. It’s almost as though the organisers have decided to hoard them, with 14 Grade 1s run during Festival week and none during the rest of the year. Here we’ll have a look at each of them, giving you a bit of information about all of the races so you know what they each entail.
Grade 1 Races At The Cheltenham Festival
| Race | Distance | Grade | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cheltenham Gold Cup | 3m 2f 70y | Grade 1 | £615,000 |
|
Spa Novices' Hurdle
The Spa Novices' Hurdle |
2m 7f 213y | Grade 1 | £128,000 |
|
JCB Triumph Hurdle
The Triumph Hurdle |
2m 179y | Grade 1 | £128,000 |
| The Stayers' Hurdle | 2m 7f 213y | Grade 1 | £320,000 |
|
Ryanair Chase
The Festival Trophy |
2m 4f 127y | Grade 1 | £345,000 |
|
Golden Miller Novices' Chase
The Golden Miller Novices' Chase |
2m 3f 168y | Grade 1 | £147,500 |
| Champion Bumper | 2m 87y | Grade 1 | £74,000 |
| Queen Mother Champion Chase | 1m 7f 199y | Grade 1 | £392,500 |
|
RSA Novices' Chase
Novices' Chase |
3m 80y | Grade 1 | £172,000 |
|
Ballymore Novices' Hurdle
The Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle |
2m 5f | Grade 1 | £122,000 |
| The Champion Hurdle | 2m 87y | Grade 1 | £463,000 |
|
Mares' Hurdle
The David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle |
2m 3f 200y | Grade 1 | £120,000 |
| Supreme Novices' Hurdle | 2m, 87y | Grade 1 | £123,000 |
| Arkle Challenge Trophy | 1m 7f 199y | Grade 1 | £172,500 |
Grade 1 Races At Other Cheltenham Meetings
| Race | Distance | Grade | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballymore Novices Hurdle | 2m 5f | Grade 1 | £20,000 |
Rules For Grade 1 Races
The simple key to Grade 1 races is that they’re the top championship races that you’ll see at the biggest Festivals and meetings in jump racing. The weight that is carried by the horses is determined by their gender and their age, differing from race to race.
In 2017 the British Horseracing Authority introduced minimum ratings for Grade 1 races. It was decided that those races that were not for novices would require a minimum rating of 130, which dropped to 120 for novice steeple chases.
Those rules were already used by Cheltenham and Aintree, but were spread out to racing as a whole. The feeling remains that Grade 1 races are those believed to be of international importance. They tend to attract the best horses and therefore the top jockeys and trainers as well.
There aren’t any specific things about the races that have to be met, in the sense that it’s not as though all Grade 1 races are run over hurdles. The Champion Bumper, for example, takes place at Cheltenham on the flat but is still a Grade 1 race. It is the only Grade 1 flat race at the time of writing, alongside 20 over fences and 19 over hurdles.
Grade 1 races are all Weight-For-Age, which is to say that the weight a horse carries will be dictated by how old they are. The amount of weight older horses carry is more than younger horses, but that decreases as the season wears on and horses age. Fillies and mares are always given an allowance of 7 pounds.
The Races
With 14 Grade 1 races to choose from, the Cheltenham Festival is a punters dream as well as a time for bookmakers to hope that they’ve done their sums correctly. Here’s a look at the Grade 1s that you can enjoy each time the Festival rolls around.
Gold Cup
Where else to start but by looking at the Gold Cup? It’s the most prestigious race of the entire Festival, which is saying something when you consider how many brilliant events there are during the meeting. Run over 3 miles, 2 furlongs and 70 yards, only the Grand National can come close to it in terms of how beloved it is.
It’s for horses aged 5 and over, with the following weight information in place:
- 5-year-olds: 11 stone 8 pounds
- 6-year-olds and over: 11 stone 10 pounds
- Mares are given a 7 pound allowance
If you want to know how important the Gold Cup is to the world of racing then you only need look at the list of winners. Names like Best Mare, Kauto Star and Arkle feature on it, which might help to explain why it’s the most valuable chase in Britain that isn’t a handicap. First run in 1924, it has been run on the New Course since 1959. It is of course run on Gold Cup Day.
Champion Hurdle
Open to horses aged 4 and over, the Champion Hurdle has weight information of 11 stone and 2 pounds for 4-year-olds and 11 stone 10 pounds for horses aged 5 and over. Fillies and mares are given an allowance of 7 pounds, with the race run over 2 miles and 87 yards and featuring 8 hurdles during its running.
It is the key hurdling event in the National Hunt calendar, with the likes of Istabraq, Hatton’s Grace and National Sprint having won it in the past. First run in 1927, it has enjoyed sponsorship since 1978 from numerous different companies. It is the final leg of the Triple Crown Of Hurdling, coming after the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park.
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Usually run on the second day of the Festival, the Queen Mother Champion Chase has been part of the meeting since 1959. The leading minimum distance chase during the jump racing season, it takes place over 1 mile and 7 furlongs and is open to horses aged 5 and over. The weight is 11 stone and 10 pounds, with fillies and mares given a 7 pound allowance.
Originally known as the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase, the race was renamed in 1980 in honour of the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday. With three successive wins between 1983 and 1985, Badsworth Boy is the race’s most successful horse to date. There are 13 fences to be jumped over the course of the race.
Stayers’ Hurdle
The National Hunt’s leading long-distance hurdle event is the feature race of Day Three of the Festival, though the Ryanair Chase is also on the list. Run over 2 miles, 7 furlongs and 213 yards, the race is open to 4-year-olds and over with the following weight information:
- 4-year-olds: 11 stone 0 pounds
- 5-year-olds and over: 11 stone 10 pounds
- Fillies and mares are given a 7 pound allowance
There are 12 hurdles in place that the stayers need to negotiate. The race was inaugurated in 1912 as a Selling Hurdle that was Weight-For-Age in nature. The winning horse was sold for £50. It has had something of a tumultuous existence, though things have remained pretty much the same since it was moved to the Thursday of the Festival in 1993.
Triumph Hurdle
Open to horses aged four and boasting weight information of 11 stone 0 pounds, the Triumph Hurdle gives fillies an allowance of 7 pounds. It is run over 2 miles and 79 yards and is aimed at novice hurdles. There are 8 hurdles in the race and it is traditionally the opening race of the final day of the Festival.
Established in 1939 at Hurst Park in Surrey, the race was moved to Cheltenham in 1965 having not taken place since the 1962 closing of its previous home. It has been part of the Festival since 1968 and has enjoyed numerous sponsors over the years. Horses that do well in this one often go on to compete in the Champion Hurdle.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
If you’ve ever heard about the ‘Cheltenham Roar’ then it’s this race that people are referring to, given that it is traditionally the opening event of the Festival and the crowd offers its vocal approval. Run over 2 miles and 87 yards and boasting 8 hurdles for the horses to get over, the following weight information applies:
- 4-year-olds: 10 stone 13 pounds
- 5-year-olds and over: 11 stone 7 pounds
- Fillies and mares are given a 7 pound allowance
Originally known as the Gloucestershire Hurdle, Lloyds Bank took on sponsorship of it in 1974 and retitled it as the Lloyds Bank Champion Novices’ Hurdle. No trainer has won the race more often than Willie Mullins.
Arkle Challenge Trophy
Named in honour of the three-time winner of the Gold Cup, the Arkle Challenge Trophy was introduced to the Cheltenham Festival as a replacement for the Cotswold Chase when that race was discontinued in 1969. It has been run on the opening day of the meeting since 1980. Horses that do well in this often go on to compete in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Run over 1 mile, 7 furlongs and 199 yards, the race is for horses aged 5 and over. The weight is 11 stone 4 pounds, with mares given a 7 pound allowance. There are 13 fences to be negotiated for the novice chasers that take part in the race.
David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle
Open to fillies and mares aged four and up, the Mares’ Hurdle has a weight of 10 stone and 10 pounds for 4-year-olds and 11 stone 5 pounds for horses aged 5 and up. It is run over 2 miles, 3 furlongs and 200 yards and has 10 hurdles to jump. Established in 2008, it was a Grade 2 race until being upgraded to Grade 1 in 2015.
The race is named in honour of David Nicholson, who was a successful National Hunt jockey and trainer. It was run on the first day of the Festival when it was first introduced, but has taken place on the third day since 2009 so that it can be run on the New Course.
Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle
Inaugurated in 1971 and open to horses aged 4 and over, the Novices’ Hurdle is run over 2 miles and 5 furlongs and has 10 hurdles. The weight information is as follows:
- 4-year-olds: 10 stone 12 pounds
- 5-year-olds and over: 11 stone 7 pounds
- Fillies and mares are given a 7 pound allowance
Known as the Aldsworth Hurdle when it was created, the race has had numerous sponsors since 1974. The race’s official name is in honour of Baring Bingham, who was a developer who bought Prestbury Park back in 1898 and then organised the first Festival four years later.
RSA Chase
This race is for novice chasers and is run over 3 miles and 80 yards. There are 20 fences to be jumped and the event is open to horses aged 5 and over. Those aged 5 have weight information of 11 stone and 2 pounds, whilst those aged 6 and up have 11 stone 4 pounds. Mares receive an allowance of 7 pounds.
Formerly known as the Broadway Novices’ Chase, this race has been run under numerous different sponsored titles since the middle of the 1960s. This event is seen as something of a trial for the Gold Cup, with winners often going on to do well in the Festival’s most prestigious race. One such example is Lord Windermere, who won this in 2013 then the Gold Cup the following year.
Champion Bumper
The only flat race of the Festival, the Champion Bumper is run over 2 miles and 87 yards and is for horses aged 6 and up. The following weight information is at play:
- 4-year-olds: 10 stone 11 pounds
- 5-year-olds and over: 11 stone 5 pounds
- Fillies and mares are given an allowance of 7 pounds
Established in 1992 and the Festival Bumper, the Champion Bumper is the National Hunt’s most prestigious flat race. Just because it’s a flat race, though, that doesn’t mean that the horses that do well in it won’t go on to be successful over jumps. No trainer has won this race more often than Willie Mullins.
Golden Miller Novices’ Chase
The Golden Miller Novices’ Chase was first run in 2011 and features 17 fences during the 2 miles, 3 furlongs and 168 yards of its running. It’s open to horses aged 5 and over, with the weight information for 5-year-olds being 11 stone 3 pounds, whilst for 6-year-olds it’s 11 stone and 4 pounds. As with so many other races, mares are given an allowance of 7 pounds.
Despite being a relatively young race, the Novices’ Chase has enjoyed numerous sponsors over the years. Its official name was given in honour of Golden Miller, the thoroughbred horse that won the Gold Cup five years in a row between 1932 and 1936, making him the race’s most successful ever horse. It has been a Grade 1 race since 2014.
Festival Trophy (Ryanair Chase)
Whilst the Festival Trophy is this race’s registered name, it is better known to most people as the Ryanair Chase on account of the fact that it has been sponsored by the Irish flight company since 2006. Run over 2 miles and 4 furlongs, it features 17 fences and is open to horses aged 5 and over with the following weight information:
- 5-year-olds: 11 stone 9 pounds
- 6-year-olds and over: 11 stone 10 pounds
- Mares are given an allowance of 7 pounds
This race was one of a number that were introduced to the Festival when a fourth day was added to the calendar in 2005. It is similar in nature to a race called the Cathcart Challenge Cup, which had been run at the Festival between 1938 and 2004. The major difference was that that race was restricted to first and second season chasers.
Spa Novices’ Hurdle
Known to many as the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle because of sponsorship by vegetable growing company Albert Bartlett, this race is similar to the Festival Trophy in the sense that it was introduced in 2005 when an extra day was added onto the Festival. It has held Grade 1 status since 2008 and is run over 2 miles, 7 furlongs and 213 yards.
There are 12 hurdles to be jumped during the race, which is open to novice hurdlers aged 4 and over. The weight for 4-year-olds is 10 stone and 9 pounds, with 5-year-olds having 11 stone and 5 pounds. Fillies and mares receive an allowance of 7 pounds. Though not one of the Festival’s feature races, it is nevertheless a popular one with race goers.