Cheltenham Festival - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

The Martin Pipe hurdle race is an ungraded race run on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival every year. It is a race that lines up horses of age four years or more to compete over a distance of 4,124 metres at the new course of the Festival’s Cheltenham venue.

It is a unique race in that only conditional jockeys are allowed to ride the competing horses. These are jockeys who must fulfil certain age and win conditions. They are required to be national Hunt Racing apprentices, under the age of 26 and not have won more than 75 rule races. The condition side-lines most of the pro jockeys but also gives a chance for jockeys of their future to showcase their ability at the highest level.

It is a race that is almost a decade old having been run for the first time in 2009. It was given the official name in honour of Martin Pipe, a seasoned trainer in the National Hunt circles who
had retired a few years earlier.

Handicap balancing applies to balance the race out.

In the nine editions of the race up to 2017, no single horse or jockey had managed to win the race more than once. The race has, however, attracted some big names in the horseracing circles.
Paul Nicholls, Willie Mullins, and Nicky Henderson are some of the notable trainers that have had their horses competing in the Martin Pipe.

Mullins has an early record lead of three wins in 2011, 2014 and 2015. All these big name trainers are still actively involved in racing and stand the chance to continue the record battle into
2018.

Despite being open to horses of all ages above four years, only five and six-year-olds have won here. This could be as a result of the owners and trainers of experienced horses not wanting to
leave them in the hands of inexperienced jockeys.

Cheltenham Festival - Foxhunter Chase

The Foxhunter Chase is one of seven races run on the fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival. It admits racehorses of five years and above of age. These complete to finish top over a
torturous stretch of 5,331 metres (3 mi 2  furlongs) with 22 fences lined up as obstacles.

It is an ungraded race- the only one of the day- and is usually referred to with the attached of the sponsor attached- The St. James’ Place Foxhunter Chase. The race has just but a little purse of £40,000 of which the winner pockets around £23,000.

The small prize does not, however, have a negative effect on its profile. Some of the bets novice horses are chosen to give the attending audience a spectacle to behold as the annual festival comes to a close. A horse has to take first or second place in select races for it to qualify to compete in the Foxhunter.

The same New Course that hosts the Gold Cup hosts this race. As a result, it is fondly referenced as the amateur Gold Cup.

This race is over a century old. The first edition was run in 1904. It has been run with sponsors in some editions and without any support in others.

Eight horses hold a joint winning record of two races each. 11-year-old On the Fringe joined the class of record holders in 2016 when he took a second consecutive win. On both occasions, the horse was ridden by Nina Carberry and trained by Ender Bolger. There is little chance of making another strong showing at the age of 13, so it is expected the two-win record will stand at least for the next few years.

Salsify, who won two races in 2013 and 2014, would also be 13 years old in 2018 and thus not a very strong contender.

Cheltenham Festival - The Cheltenham Gold Cup

The Gold Cup is Cheltenham’s main race. All races that take place over the four days are meant to set the stage for this premier race.

It is a Grade 1 National Hunt competition that takes place over a stretch of 5,331 metres (3 mi 2 furlongs) by horses of a minimum of five years of age. The challenging run is dotted by a massive 22 fences that require the horses and jockeys to be at their best levels of skill and concentration.

An explosive crowd always gathers on the viewing stands to witness this race. Immediately it is time for the Gold Cup, a palatable change in the atmosphere occurs.

This steeplechase has been in existence since as early as 1819. That will be two centuries in 2019! Then, it was a flat race and the inaugural edition was won by famous horse Spectre. A winning prize of 100 Guineas was awarded to Spectre’s owner.

Being the biggest race, the Gold Cup definitely attracts a big prize. The winner pockets up to £327,000 of an available £575,000. A lot of fanfare forms part of the race’s build-up, including the honour roll for massive winners who have graced the event such as Bet Mate, Arkle and Mill House.

The race was initially run on the Old Course but was moved to the New Course in 1959.

Most of the Gold Cup’s standing records were set before 1970. Golden Miller's record of five consecutive wins between 1932 and 1936 is yet to be broken. Jockey part Taafe’s record four
wins- three atop Arkle- was set in 1968, the same year trainer Tom Dreaper set a record of five wins.

The race has for most years been won by experienced horses who have had dominant runs in jump races. In 2015, however, eight-year-old Coneygree broke a record that stood for over 40 years
by winning the race as a novice. Coneygree had only started three fence races previously before Nico de Boinville rode him to a storming victory in the 2015 event.

Cheltenham Festival - Golden Miller Novices' Chase

The Golden Miller is one of the races that
make up the third day of the Cheltenham festival. As the festival progresses towards the Friday climax, more and more challenging races come up to build up the tempo. This race is run by horses of five years and above over a course of
4,023 meters (2 mi 4 furlongs) in a chase style that included seventeen fence obstacles. This is one of the few races that take place on the turf,
left-handed New Course of the famed Great Britain venue.

It is a very young race at the festival, having only been introduced in 2011. There is an attractive purse of around £130,000 with the winner taking close to £70,000.

It often takes up a different prefix to denotethe current sponsor. As of 2017, it was known as the JLT Novices’ Chase. Insurance brokers JLT has been the most stable sponsor of this race.

Seven-year-old horses do love the Golden Miller. Horses of this age have won a whopping five of its seven editions since Tony McCoy ridden Noble Prince won the inaugural event in 2011.

This has also been a fertile hunting ground for the jockey-trainer partnership of Ruby Walsh and Willi Mullins. Mullins-trained Sir Des Champs won the second edition ridden by Davy Russell. The trainer was however not able to grab first honours for the next two years. He partnered with Ruby Walsh in 2015 and it has been victory after victory since then. Ruby rode Vautour to victory in 2016, Black Hercules in 2016 and Yorkhill in 2017 to give the duo a head start in the race’s records well in its
early years.

No single horse has been able to win the race twice. This may be as a result of the advanced age of horses that have always won the competition.