Cheltenham Festival - Day 1
One of the most highly anticipated horse racing events of the year start today
Last updated 12th Mar 2024
The 2024 Cheltenham Festival is getting underway, with thousands of people travelling from across the UK.
DAY ONE - Champion Day, Tuesday 12 March
Seven races are scheduled for Day One of the Cheltenham Festival. The feature race of the day is the Unibet Champion Hurdle, a 2 mile Grade 1 race. This takes place at 15:30.
13:30 - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
14.10 - Arkle Chase
14.50 - Ultima Handicap Chase
15.30 (Feature Race of the Day) - Champion Hurdle
16.10 - Mares Hurdle
16.50 - Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
17.30 - National Hunt Chase14.50 - Ultima Handicap Chase
Racecourse owners, the Jockey Club. have been planning the event for over a year.
Managing director, Ian Renton, said: "We're really lucky to be involved in such an event, one of the major sporting events in UK, particularly all of us who love racing, it is wonderful to see it coming together."
"I think, as always, we look forward to four days of unrivalled racing, it's the pinnacle of the jump season. All owners, trainers and jockeys treat it as their Olympics so that's what people come here to look at."
"I think it's wonderful for Gloucestershire and Cheltenham to have an event as icon as the Cheltenham Festival and with it brings a lot of revenue."
100 years of the Gold Cup
Although a race known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup had existed in the past as a three-mile Flat race in the 19th century, the Cheltenham Gold Cup as we know it was born in 1924.
Over the years there have been some memorable moments:
1924 - The very first Gold Cup, won by Red Splash.
1932-1936 - Golden Miller won the race 5 years back to back in the 1930s
2002-2004 - It was 3 wins over 3 years for legendary horse Best Mate, who was later inducted into the Cheltenham Racecourse Hall of Fame in 2007.
2022 - The first female jockey to win the Gold Cup, Rachael Blackmore, rode to victory on A Plus Tard.
2023 - Last year saw Galopin Des Champs win the Gold Cup, and he'll be back to defend his title this year.
In the Cheltenham Gold Cup’s history, only eight horses have won more than once, most recently Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020.
Kauto Star, who won in 2007 and 2009 and was the only horse to ever regain the Gold Cup.
The others were Best Mate (2002, 2003. 2004), L’Escargot (1970, 1971), Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966), Cottage Rake (1948, 1949, 1950), Golden Miller (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936) and Easter Hero (1929, 1930).
Golden Miller holds the record for the most Gold Cup victories, with five consecutive wins from 1932 to 1936.
The most successful trainer has been Tom Dreaper, who won five Gold Cups with three separate horses - Prince Regent (1946), Arkle (1964, 1965 and 1966) and Fort Leney (1968).
Paul Nicholls is the most successful current trainer with four wins with three separate horses - See More Business (1999), Kauto Star (2007 & 2009) and Denman (2008).
The most successful jockey has been Pat Taaffe, who recorded four victories on Arkle (1964, 1965 & 1966) and Fort Leney (1968).
Paul Townend is the only current rider to have been successful more than once, having partnered Al Boum Photo to both his victories (2019 & 2020).
You can read more about what's on each day at the festival here.