The four-day, 28-race Festival, which begins on Tuesday, showcases the best Jumps racing and most of the best Jumps horses in the world. Thousands from this area will either be making their annual pilgrimage to the iconic track or they will be glued to their big screens, laptops or mobiles, watching the action unfold on ITV or Racing TV.
So we have grasped the opportunity to highlight 21 horses capable of stealing the show and making the headlines during Cheltenham week. Strongly fancied favourites and form horses, yes, but also lovable veterans and Festival mainstays. They are NOT tips but stars of the sport admired for their achievements, reputation or potential.
The main focus of this year’s meeting is on the 100th running of the Gold Cup, the blue riband event, with GALOPIN DES CHAMPS gunning for back-to-back victories. But another century could also fall under the spotlight because Galopin’s genius of a handler, Willie Mullins, is just six short of becoming the first trainer to saddle 100 Festival winners.
Astonishingly, Mullins is responsible for 23 per cent of all winners at the meeting in the last ten years. And even more astonishingly, he is responsible for the current favourites in 14 of this week's races – a tally boosted by the shock late defections of hotpots Constitution Hill and Marine Nationale.
Mullins spearheads a typically strong party of Irish raiders this year. Indeed, for the first time in Festival history, there have been more entries from across the Irish Sea than within the UK.
That, of course, reflects the fact that most of the best horses are trained in Ireland, where most of the deep-pocket owners choose to place their charges. But it also reflects the ongoing decline of Jumps racing in the UK and the fact that many trainers and owners, in the face of such powerful opposition, appear to have thrown in the towel.
It has been so depressing to hear a stream of comments this winter along the lines of “we’re going to give Cheltenham a miss” or “we’ll look for something at Aintree instead”. Attitudes in stark contrast, for example, to that of Irish ace Gordon Elliott who, quite rightly, relishes the standard-setting challenge posed by Mullins and hails the Festival as “the best week of the year” and the “be-all and end-all” of the Jumps code.
How refreshing then to hear a rallying-cry from one of the UK’s more up-and-coming and ambitious trainers, Ben Pauling. He recently told the ‘Racing Post’: “There are owners and trainers who think: let’s avoid the Irish. No! This is our festival and we’re going to compete, throw our best darts at it and serve it up to whoever turns up. Otherwise, what’s the point? Whether you like it or not, Cheltenham is the pinnacle of Jumps racing. Everyone should want to be there.”
And so say all of us. Let the games begin!
The main focus of this year’s meeting is on the 100th running of the Gold Cup, the blue riband event, with GALOPIN DES CHAMPS gunning for back-to-back victories. But another century could also fall under the spotlight because Galopin’s genius of a handler, Willie Mullins, is just six short of becoming the first trainer to saddle 100 Festival winners.
![The Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle has been a resounding success since its introduction to the Festival in 2016 -- and Thursday's Ryanair-sponsored renewal (4.50) promises to be the best yet with at least three potentially top-class youngsters vying for glory. Nobody has embraced the enhanced Jumps programme for mares in recent years better than Willie Mullins and he could take the race for a sixth time. He saddles JADE DE GRUGY, who has looked mightily impressive in two winning starts so far, quickening effortlessly clear last time. She's from the family of the Festival's former champion chaser Sire De Grugy.](https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmUxOTg1ODQyLTdlYWUtNDNlNS1iYjEwLTU1Y2I1YzlmMTNjNTo2M2U5ZTVmYi0wZTI1LTQxZmEtOGY2MS0wZjlkNDZjMTVmMGI=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
17. Mullins mare to hit them for six?
The Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle has been a resounding success since its introduction to the Festival in 2016 -- and Thursday's Ryanair-sponsored renewal (4.50) promises to be the best yet with at least three potentially top-class youngsters vying for glory. Nobody has embraced the enhanced Jumps programme for mares in recent years better than Willie Mullins and he could take the race for a sixth time. He saddles JADE DE GRUGY, who has looked mightily impressive in two winning starts so far, quickening effortlessly clear last time. She's from the family of the Festival's former champion chaser Sire De Grugy.Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
![If Willie Mullins doesn't get you, his nephew, Emmet, just might! At the age of 34, the trainer already has a Grand National winner, NOBLE YEATS, and a Cheltenham Festival winner, The Shunter, to his name, and has built a reputation for his unorthodox methods. For example, he saddled Noble Yeats to win the Aintree spectacular as a 7yo novice and after contesting the Gold Cup last season, the gelding has now been switched to the smaller obstacles for a crack at Thursday's Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (3.30). He tuned up with a win here at Cheltenham in January.](https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmU0MjRkMzk0LTBkMGYtNDMwYS1iYWY4LTIzZDA1OTliNTY4YjowNGU0NjkwZS1lMmJhLTQ2YzAtYjI5Zi05ODYxNWMzYmM4ZWU=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
18. Emmet The Unorthodox eyes another major prize
If Willie Mullins doesn't get you, his nephew, Emmet, just might! At the age of 34, the trainer already has a Grand National winner, NOBLE YEATS, and a Cheltenham Festival winner, The Shunter, to his name, and has built a reputation for his unorthodox methods. For example, he saddled Noble Yeats to win the Aintree spectacular as a 7yo novice and after contesting the Gold Cup last season, the gelding has now been switched to the smaller obstacles for a crack at Thursday's Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (3.30). He tuned up with a win here at Cheltenham in January.Photo: Paul Ellis/Getty Images
![Former champion jockey Peter Scudamore, partner of trainer Lucinda Russell, embraces rider Derek Fox after a superb victory by CORACH RAMBLER in last year's Randox Grand National at Aintree. It came only a month after the mercurial chaser, based in Scotland, had completed successive wins in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the opening day of the Festival. Now the 10yo goes for the big one with an ambitious tilt at the Boodles Gold Cup on Friday (3.30) before returning to Aintree next month. Only two horses, Golden Miller and L'Escargot, have ever pulled off the Gold Cup/National double -- the former exactly 90 years ago.](https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjg3ZDUyNGFhLWUwNGYtNDJkNi1hYmFmLTlmYWMxYzM1MTcyMjo2OGI2ZTkzMC0zZGMzLTQzYzAtOWEyOS0zOGMzODgyYzk5MDA=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
19. Following in hoofsteps of Golden Miller and L'Escargot
Former champion jockey Peter Scudamore, partner of trainer Lucinda Russell, embraces rider Derek Fox after a superb victory by CORACH RAMBLER in last year's Randox Grand National at Aintree. It came only a month after the mercurial chaser, based in Scotland, had completed successive wins in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the opening day of the Festival. Now the 10yo goes for the big one with an ambitious tilt at the Boodles Gold Cup on Friday (3.30) before returning to Aintree next month. Only two horses, Golden Miller and L'Escargot, have ever pulled off the Gold Cup/National double -- the former exactly 90 years ago.Photo: Oli Scaref/Getty Images
![The glory days of Kauto Star and Denman may be long gone, but Paul Nicholls is still chasing his 14th champion trainer title in the UK and needs only two more Festival winners to complete a magnificent half-century. His best hope from a smaller team than usual this week possibly rests with STAY AWAY FAY, who aims to follow up a surprise win in the staying novices' hurdle last term with victory in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase on Wednesday (2.10). With stamina to burn, the 7yo promises to be ideally suited to the rigorous demands of the contest.](https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjA0ZmFiODQ1LWRmMWMtNDdjOS05ZDhhLWRmNDE3ZmUwOTA3YTo5NTg4YTU5Zi04Njk0LTRhNjUtYWZjYy1hYTdmNTE2M2NkNDE=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
20. Reviving glory days of Kauto Star and Denman?
The glory days of Kauto Star and Denman may be long gone, but Paul Nicholls is still chasing his 14th champion trainer title in the UK and needs only two more Festival winners to complete a magnificent half-century. His best hope from a smaller team than usual this week possibly rests with STAY AWAY FAY, who aims to follow up a surprise win in the staying novices' hurdle last term with victory in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase on Wednesday (2.10). With stamina to burn, the 7yo promises to be ideally suited to the rigorous demands of the contest.Photo: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images