Our top 4 finishes at Cheltenham Festival
Equestrianism as a sport is made up of multiple distinct strands which offer plenty of action for fans to get involved with. Horse racing is a good example of this and a sport which certainly remains popular in places like the UK.
One reason for this is the number of famous events which draws people from both the UK and all over the world to the sport. One of the most well-known is the Cheltenham Festival which happens annually each March. A real feast for race lovers, it brings together the best horses and jockeys to compete over four days of top-class drama.
Set to take place from Tuesday 12th March to Friday 15th March in 2024 at the Cheltenham Racecourse, iconic races such as the Gold Cup and Champions Hurdle make it truly stand out. If you plan to get closer to the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 through betting on these races, just make sure to track down the best Cheltenham Festival odds first. This will ensure you get true value for money when placing any wagers and get more bang for your buck.
Get warmed up for Cheltenham 2024
Equestrianism may be full of top events like the recently completed 2024 Emaar Polo Cup or the Winter Equestrian Festival but few can match the sheer spectacle of Cheltenham. Although it may be a way off yet, keen racing fans will already be gearing up for this meet in 2024.
A good way to do this for when for the action starts in mid-March is looking back at the top 4 finishes at the festival as below.
1 Might Bite grabs last-gasp win – 2017
Coming into the RSA Chase in 2017 as a well-fancied favourite, Nicky Henderson’s Might Bite certainly had enough talent to win. For much of the contest, he showed why and this saw jockey Nico de Boinville make a quick dash to the front which left the other horses trailing.
Coming into the home turn though, the home straight saw him weaken and a previously well adrift Whisper under Davy Russell surge past. In one of the most dramatic Cheltenham finishes ever, Might Bite rallied to find a second wind and take victory from Whisper.
2 Hardy Eustace clings on to win – 2005
The next Cheltenham finish which lives long in the memory is Hardy Eustace’s victory in the 2005 Champions Hurdle. This involved a tremendous struggle that saw Harchibald in with a chance of winning.
Hardy Eustace had run a brilliant race coming towards the final stages but looked sure to overtaken by a vibrant Harchibald as they made it up the home straight. Hardy Eustace though lived up to his name and clung on with superb tenacity to hold off this challenge. As a result, Dessie Hughes eight-year-old won the Champions Hurdle in back-to-back years.
3 Edredon Blue tales a close finish – 2000
It should be no surprise to see the great Sir AP McCoy show up on our list. He was involved in many dramatic moments during his career but this photo finish at the 2000 Queen Mothers Champions Chase catches the eye in particular.
Showing a clear race strategy from the off, McCoy set out quickly to position himself at the head of the race and wear down his rivals over the distance. This seemed to be a plan that had worked perfectly until Direct Route battled back to challenge Edredon Blue for victory on the line. After a nervy wait, it was announced that McCoy’s horse had just about hung on for the win!
4 Best Mate lights up the Gold Cup again – 2004
Coming into the 2004 Cheltenham Festival, Best Mate was aiming to clinch place in the events history by becoming the first horse since Arkle to win three Gold Cups in a row. This saw him start the race as clear favourite and set off at a decent pace to lead.
Heading for home though, he started to look a little tired and in for a real struggle to hold off some of his main competition. Taking it up again superbly two fences from home, Best Mate seemed to remember the significance of any victory and rallied up the hill to hold off Sir Rembrandt.
Top finishes show why the Cheltenham Festival is so popular
The above are without doubt the top four finishes the iconic Cheltenham Festival has seen to date. They showcase just why this remains one of the top events in the race calendar each year and why so many race lovers like to take in each day’s action. With the 2024 Cheltenham Festival scheduled to take place soon, it will be interesting to see what new stories emerge from it.
