Under starters orders at Cheltenham......ready for The Off.... Dawn will soon be breaking over Cheltenham , the home of one of the most famous race courses in the UK and one of the most significant race horse Meetings in the racing calendar. Today marks the start of the 4 day Cheltenham Festival, featuring race prize money of £3.825m, and attracting more than 230,000 racegoers expected to wager £250+ million over 27 races. Their thirsts will be quenched by copious quantities of Guinness (236,742 pints of Guinness knocked back by spectators last year) and quite a few glasses of Champagne (last year 10,745 bottles). Horse racing began in Cheltenham in 1815, and became a major national attraction after the establishment of the Festival in 1902. The first Champion Hurdle was run in 1927....and The Champion Hurdle is todays feature race (15.20 GMT). As its title suggests, the Champion Hurdle is the most prestigious hurdling event in the National Hunt calendar and its list of winners features many of the most highly acclaimed hurdlers in the sports history. The inaugural winner in 1927, Blaris, was awarded prize money of £365; todays winner will collect £238,000. Five horses have won The Champion Hurdle 3 times (the most recent being Istabraq – 1998, 1999, 2000), and today Hurricane Fly, trained by Willie Mullins, will bid to emulate his great Irish compatriot, and join this group of superstars. His 8 rivals include talented younger hurdlers such as The New One, Our Conor and My Tent Or Yours. Trainer Mullins has an incredible record, is the top Irish trainer at Cheltenham and brings some 40 contenders for this week’s Festival. He has well fancied horses running today including Hurricane Fly and hot favourite Quevega (16.00 GMT) so his tally could increase further. The going at the drying course is officially described as good to soft, good in places ahead of todays action. And there will lots of action as the racegoers, with the usual huge contingent from Ireland, get ready for The Off.... At 13.30 GMT (Thai time 20.30) the traditional huge roar will be heard as the 2014 Cheltenham Festival gets under way....well bring you updates of events throughout The Festival....
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 04:50:39 +0000