The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest weeks of the year in horse racing. Thousands make the annual pilgrimage to Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire for the four-day meeting, while those who can’t make the trip will be glued to their TV screens for each of the 28 races.
Here is a look at five horses who could end this year’s Festival as one of the stars of the sport.
Galopin Des Champs
After victories in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and Irish Gold Cup this season, Galopin Des Champs goes into the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival as one of the leading Cheltenham Gold Cup tips. The Irish horse tops the betting for the race at +150, which indicates he is a red-hot favorite.
Constitution Hill
Nicky Henderson’s hurdler Constitution Hill has yet to taste defeat in his career. He has blown away his rivals in each of his five races under rules, including in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. The six-year-old will return to the same meeting this year in the Champion Hurdle, the premier hurdle race in the sport.
Constitution Hill is already being compared with some of the greatest hurdlers in history. Many racegoers are making the trip to Cheltenham on day one this year confident they will see great entertainment from the Seven Barrows horse.
Willie Mullins’ chaser has won five of his six assignments over fences. At the age of just seven, the best may still be to come from this talented horse. Victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup would ensure he cements his place as the best 3m chaser in the UK and Ireland.A WEEK UNTIL DAY 3!
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 9, 2023
St Patrick's Thursday started off pretty dramatically in 2022, but Galopin Des Champs is back and favourite for the @Boodles Gold Cup 🤩#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/T40o4W5vWO
Facile Vega
2022 Champion Bumper winner Facile Vega begins the opening race of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, as the favorite to prevail. He will be looking to give his trainer Mullins a record-extending eighth success in the race.
Facile Vega began his hurdles campaign with back-to-back wins, including a victory in the Grade One Future Champions Novice Hurdle. He did have a blip at the Dublin Racing Festival on his latest appearance, but he is expected to bounce back from that.
Blazing Khal
After just over two years off the track, Blazing Khal returned to action at Navan in February to win the Grade Two Boyne Hurdle. He was not only able to maintain his 100% record as a hurdler, but he put himself in contention for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Trainer Charles Byrnes and the horse’s other connections will be hoping their staying hurdler can make up for lost time when he appears at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time this year.
Edwardstone
The 2022 Arkle Trophy winner, Edwardstone, has had no problem adapting out of novice company, as he showed when he won the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown back in December. He beat some of the leading 2m chasers in his division in that race.
Edwardstone wins the Betfair Tingle Creek! pic.twitter.com/HVzop8xtFO
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 3, 2022
Edwardstone is at the top end of the betting for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the feature race on day two at the Festival. If he can beat the defending champion Energumene and his other rivals, it will be the best result of his career so far.
All five of the above horses are in contention to be named the Jumps Horse of the Year at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
