THE FESTIVAL™ PREVIEW MAGAZINE 2022

“ASKANY JUMP JOCKEY, OWNERORTRAINERTHEONE RACETHATTHEYWANTONTHEIRCVANDTHEANSWER WILLBETHE SAME…THE CHELTENHAMGOLDCUP”

2021, this season’s renewal will be eagerly anticipated by everyone taking part. It is then the responsibility of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle to bring the curtain down on Jump racing’s ‘Olympics’, leaving racegoers to reflect on theweek that was and theweek that might be in 2023. Because, whether you are there to witness it or simplywatching from the comfort of your own home, the final runner passing thewinning post signals not only the end of four days of extraordinary racing, but also the beginning of a 12-month countdown…

JCB Triumph Hurdle, a racewhich has a history of producing thrilling finishes and stars of the future in equal measure. Also on the card is the St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase, which follows the Boodles Gold Cup and mightwell receive one of the biggest cheers of theweek in 2022. The race is known as the ‘Gold Cup for amateur riders’ due to being run over the same distance as the feature contest. It channels a traditional Corinthian spirit which very fewother sports are able to replicate, andwith the pandemic preventing amateurs from competing in

which horse Blackmore picks to partner, a decision trainer de Bromhead insists hewill not get involved in. Referring to Blackmore’s tough call last year he said: “She did have the choice of the two. I would always try to stay out of that as I would hate to put her thewrongway. Everyone has been asking me that before the race. I couldn’t split them. I just let her do it and I don’t like to interfere on that. She knew theywere both trainingwell.” While day four of The Festival™might be misconstrued by some as being all about one race, nothing could further from the truth. Friday begins with the Grade One

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