DUBBED the Olympics of Horse Racing, the Cheltenham Festival will be at the focus of the sporting community from Tuesday to Friday of next week, March 10 to 13.
Across 28 races, there is a staggering prize fund of around £5 million.
The daily highlights are the Champion Hurdle (Tuesday), Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday), Stayers’ Hurdle (Thursday) and Gold Cup (Friday).
A year ago, in the famed South Liberties GAA silks of JP McManus, Inothewayurthinkin (15/2) won the centrepiece for trainer Gavin Cromwell and jockey Mark Walsh.
It added to JP’s previous success (2012) in the contest with Synchronised.
The 2025 winner will seek to win back-to-back Cups under Keith Donoghue, while Team McManus is also represented in the feature by I Am Maximus, Fact To File, and Spillane’s Tower.
Mr McManus, one of the best-known owners in jumps racing, will celebrate his 75th birthday on the opening day of the Festival.
He has multiple entries across the four days.
Rathkeale trainer Eric McNamara is likely to have three runners, French Dynamite (3.20pm, Wednesday), Millstream Lady (4.40pm, Thursday), and Weveallbeencaught (5.20pm, Thursday).
Ballingarry’s Charles Byrnes has entered Munsif (2.40pm, Tuesday), Dawn Coming (2.40pm, Tuesday) and I Started A Joke.
Of interest to modest each-way punters: Irish Panther (Arkle Chase, Tuesday), Risky Obsession (Champion Bumper, Wednesday), Feet Of A Dancer (Mares Hurdle, Thursday) and I Started A Joke (County Hurdle, Thursday), along with Spillane’s Tower in the Gold Cup.
Meanwhile, Limerick’s Greenmount Park (Patrickswell) will host its Irish Cheltenham Raceday Experience on Thursday March 12.
Planned elements include a Legends Parade celebrating local Cheltenham victors (to include Binocular, Jezki and More of That), a pre-racing Festival Tipster Panel Discussion (11am with Michael Hourigan, Emmet McNamara and Mark Enright) and an eight-race card, 12.30pm onwards.
Post-race music is with The Busker.