Former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter has a T20 World Cup winner’s medal hanging up at home – but believes victory at the Cheltenham Festival would be his greatest sporting achievement. A swashbuckling batsman in his time, Kieswetter smashed 63 runs and was named man of the match when England defeated Australia in the final of […]
Willie Mullins is showing no signs of taking his foot off the accelerator as he prepares what he ominously warns may be his strongest team yet for this year’s Cheltenham Festival. It is getting on for 30 years since the master of Closutton first struck Festival gold in the 1995 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Tourist […]
In the slightly dotty world of jump racing, Paul Nicholls has ticked just about every box, yet the fixation on possibly the most uninspiring trophy to look at outside of cricket’s Ashes remains. The Cheltenham Gold Cup weighs 644 grams of nine carat gold and is plated in 18 carat gold. No matter the actual size […]
Michael O’Sullivan is counting downs the days to the Cheltenham Festival, as one of the rising stars of the weighing room heads to Prestbury Park with an enviable hand to play. As Constitution Hill and Honeysuckle were strutting their stuff on the opening day 12 months ago, O’Sullivan was still at college studying for a […]
Rachael Blackmore’s thirst for success remains undiminished as the record-breaking rider bids to once again light up Prestbury Park at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. The 33-year-old is firmly established as one of the sport’s leading National Hunt jockeys, thanks in no small part to her achievements at the sport’s showpiece meeting in each of the […]
Defending champion Energumene heads nine confirmations for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday. Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old claimed the first prize with a bloodless victory on a wet second day of the Festival 12 months ago and followed that up with further easy triumphs at both the Punchestown Festival and on his […]
Nicky Henderson and Constitution Hill are the combination racing needs as the Cheltenham Festivals draws ever nearer and the eyes of the broader public focus on the sport, according to Henrietta Knight. As the trainer of the unforgettable Best Mate, Knight has experience of her own when it comes to handling the career of a […]
Peter Scudamore expects Ahoy Senor to be competitive in next Friday’s Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup as the finishing touches are put on his preparation. The classy eight-year-old was a Grade One winner at Aintree as a novice chaser last season, yet three modest runs this term saw his odds drift to 50-1 for the Festival […]
Chris Gordon’s Aucunrisque will run in the McCoy Contractors County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in preference to the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase. Although winner of the Betfair Hurdle over the smaller obstacles at Newbury last month, the seven-year-old has proven a more than capable operator over fences in his novice […]
Night And Day, a leading fancy for the Jack De Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next week, has been ruled out with injury. Trained by Willie Mullins and owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the six-year-old has only been seen fleetingly but created a huge impression. Having made her debut for new connections […]