Cheltenham is one of the biggest events in the British horse racing calendar. This highly prestigious and fiercely competitive festival is an eagerly awaited event for horse racing bettors. Across its four-day duration, Cheltenham welcomes up to 250,000 visitors and over 70 jockeys, making it one of the standout sporting events of the year. Several iconic races take place annually, each steeped in tradition and excitement, with Gold Cup betting remaining one of the most popular ways for spectators to engage with the action. Here, we will take a look at the key things you won’t want to miss at Cheltenham Festival 2025.
Must Watch Races
Cheltenham Festival features a wide variety of extremely well-respected races that are valued very highly by horse racing followers across the country and even the globe. We’ve got a few race suggestions that you do not want to miss at Cheltenham Festival 2025.
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 race at Cheltenham Festival that attracts some of the top talents in the National Hunt hurdle scene. It is a race that runs about 2 miles and around ½ furlong with 8 hurdles to be jumped. Due to it being a grade 1 race, the competition is very high, and races can be rather competitive and thrilling to watch. The race was first run in 1927, making it one of the older races at the festival. It has remained a key race at Cheltenham and is one of the crowd favourites across the 4 days.
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is another massive event that features at Cheltenham Festival with a rich history and prestigious background. It was first introduced in 1959 and has become one of the more popular events at the festival. It is also the feature race on the second day. The race consists of a 2-mile run with 13 hurdles and is the leading minimum distance race in the National Hunt chase calendar. The grade 1 race has high competition and has made some very famous names in horse racing, so it is most definitely one to look out for at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the biggest race of the Festival and the most anticipated one over the entire event. The build-up behind it is almost unparalleled to that of any other race at the festival, making it one of the most prestigious races out of the 4 days. The race was first introduced in 1924 as the most prestigious National Hunt event that can be won. It runs on the final day of the festival, drawing the biggest audience at Cheltenham of around 60,000 spectators.
Popular Jockeys
Cheltenham attracts some of the best of the best when it comes to jockeys, with some big names competing every year. There are many big names set to appear at Cheltenham Festival in 2025, so let’s take a look at who to expect.
Paul Townend is one of the number one jockeys of the current day. The Irish jockey is very well decorated and works with another extremely well-regarded jockey, Willie Mullins. The Irishman is set to try and make history at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival by winning 3 Cheltenham Gold Cups back to back to back. It would be an outstanding achievement and add to the jockey’s already incredibly successful career.
Rachael Blackmore is another Irish jockey, and her recent success has landed her in the history books. Blackmore not only became the first female to win the Grand National but also the first female to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Her success in the sport cannot be overlooked, and she will be looking to return to Cheltenham Festival in 2025 and is expected to have a very influential role in her races.
Mark Walsh is another Irish jockey who is set to compete in this year’s Cheltenham Festival. The extremely consistent and experienced rider is set to make some tough competition over the week at Cheltenham as he continues to add to his successful career, picking up plenty of wins across Ireland and the UK.
Celebrity Influence
Cheltenham is a massive event not just for horse racing but for big celebrities too. There is always an extensive list of celebrities who attend the world-famous races, but let’s take a look at a few you could see at Cheltenham Festival 2025.
Harry Redknapp is amongst the names of celebrities you may see at this year’s festival after recently coming out and saying he has purchased a racehorse behind his wife’s back. The former football manager has always shared his love for the sport and even his gambling techniques for the upcoming event, so it would be no surprise to fans to see the former premier league manager getting amongst the action.
Royalty is always present at the Cheltenham Festival as it is no secret that the royal family has a big connection with the sport. Princess Anne is one member of the Royal Family who is very prominent at horse racing events, and does not hide her love for horses. In fact, she even owns her own stables, showing her love for the animals.
Sir Alex Ferguson has become a relatively big name in horse racing after he retired from his extremely successful football managerial career at Manchester United. Just like last year, Sir Alex is set to enter some of his 32 racehorses into the festival, so it would be no surprise to see him supporting in person.
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