FEATURE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
The Cheltenham Festival rapidly developed over the course of the 20th century to become a three-day spectacular and some of the most famous winners of the major races became household names, most notably five- time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Golden Miller, and Arkle, successful in the same contest in 1964, 1965 and 1966 and widely regarded as the greatest chaser of all time. The 1970s and early 1980s is often referred to as the Golden Age of Hurdling, when the Champion Hurdle went to the likes of Night Nurse, the greatest hurdler ever on Timeform ratings, Monksfield and Sea Pigeon. The current century has seen Cheltenham continue as a centre of excellence, in large part due to the exploits of Istabraq, Best Mate, Kauto Star, Denman, Sprinter Sacre, Altior, Quevega, Tiger Roll, Constitution Hill and other high- profile winners. The very best participants, both equine and human, is celebrated in the Hall of Fame at the racecourse. The Cheltenham Festival expanded to four days in 2005, and the first buildings at Cheltenham have given way to bigger and better facilities. The most recent £45million development was completed in 2015 when a new grandstand was opened by HRH The Princess Royal. The world’s greatest Jump racing festival attracts over 240,000 spectators over the four days and enjoys a worldwide television audience. With the backdrop of Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham Racecourse is a natural amphitheatre and a sporting arena truly like no other on the planet.
oratory against the evils of betting and merrymaking began to affect attendances and, when in 1827, the Reverend Close was promoted to St Mary’s Parish Church, his influence spread to the entire district. There were demonstrations on the course in 1829, and the grandstand was burned to the ground a year later. By 1855, Flat racing had died out entirely. A local benefactor, Lord Ellenborough, came to the rescue, offering to stage the races at Prestbury Park. Not all of the meetings were held there, however, and the oldest Jump race in the Calendar, the Grand Annual Steeplechase, was first run at Andoversford in April 1834. The latter half of the 19th century was an unremarkable time for racing at Cheltenham and indeed for Jump racing nationwide. Aside from the Grand National, there were few meetings. Francis Close, having done his work, had died and despite the town harbouring many racing figures like Tom Oliver, William Archer and George Stevens, who rode a record five Grand National winners, racing was not resuscitated. Lord Ellenborough’s Prestbury Park had been sold several times in the intervening period but was finally offered for racing by Mr W Baring Bingham. In 1902, the meeting that now dominates the Jump racing calendar was inaugurated. The people of Cheltenham gave the re-opening an enormous vote of confidence. In 1924, the first Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeplechase was run, won by Red Splash. This was followed by the Champion Hurdle, three years later.
There has been racing at Cheltenham since 1815, which was 27 years after King George III transformed Cheltenham from a sleepy country town into a fashionable spa resort. But despite its initial popularity, the Cheltenham Festival has had some ups and downs through the years T he first meeting at Cheltenham was held on The three-mile weight-for-age Flat race for three-year-olds and upwards had a prize of 100 guineas and was won by Mr Bodenham’s Spectre. By the mid-1820s, Cheltenham races were as prestigious as Ascot, Epsom and Goodwood. But, as always at
Nottingham Hill, above Bishops Cleeve. It was an inauspicious affair and three years passed before the first official meeting on nearby Cleeve Hill took place on August 25th, 1818. Cheltenham’s first recorded winner was Mr E Jones’ five-year-old bay mare, Miss Tidmarsh. Such was the popularity of that meeting that the Cheltenham Gold Cup was inaugurated the following year.
Cheltenham, drama was never far away. A puritan streak began to appear in Cheltenham, led by a young and dynamic preacher called Francis Close. Some forceful
22 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL PREVIEW MAGAZINE
23
CHELTENHAM.CO.UK
Made with FlippingBook Online document maker