And so, after previewing the opening days at Cheltenham Festival 2016 (which you can find here), we find ourselves a little sadly at Friday. Known as Gold Cup Day, this is where the big boys and girls will find themselves battling it out for glory. If this festival is half as enjoyable as last year’s event, then we’ll be well and truly at our wits end by this time, and punters need to be on their best behavior to be putting in the research on their flutters.
Both The JCB Triumph Hurdle and The Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase are up for grabs, and names may be written into folklore. For starters, Silviniaco Conti is back for (perhaps) one last try after failing in three attempts at the Gold Cup to deliver on the form he has shown elsewhere. This out-of-the-ordinary falling away was perhaps best highlighted last year when, for a massive part of the race, Conti was in a great position only to be snuffed out at the end.
Another horse to keep an eye on is Saphir du Rheu who, despite being around the 40/1 mark for the Gold Cup last year, went and joined in the dead-heat seen in the World Hurdle. That win was a sign of the form to come over the past 12 months for the team.
The Triumph Hurdle also sees an intriguing battle forming and is a great way to kick off the day, but is followed by plenty of mouth-watering chances for a punt. Other races that tie up the last day for 2016’s races are The Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle Race (2 Miles and 1f), The Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle Race (3 Miles), The St. James’s Place Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (3 Miles and 2½f), and The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Race (2 Miles and 4½f), with the mammoth week finishing on The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (2 Miles and ½f).
Head over the our dedicated Cheltenham Festival wiki page for a great rundown on what to expect over the course of the four days. Good luck at the races!
