Greatest Cheltenham Races
February 1, 2018 by Jonathan
Filed under Recent Articles
Greatest Cheltenham Races
The Cheltenham festival is the pinnacle of jump racing and for many racing in general. There have been so many iconic races over the years with standout performances from the likes of Sprinter Sacre, Kauto Star and of course Arkle. So what are the greatest Cheltenham races throughout history? Check out the latest Cheltenham betting tips here as the 2018 Festival is now just a few months away.
1964 Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle v Mill House
For many this is the defining moment of the greatest steeplechaser becoming the iconic champion he is renowned for today. This was the dethroning of Britain’s reigning champion Mill House who went into the race for many as unbeatable at odds of 8/13. 7/4 short Arkle however proved to be a cut above as he moved to the lead approaching the last which he jumped a length up. Arkle then powered away to score by 5 lengths and in the process writing his name in the record books with commentator Peter O’Sullivan saying “This is the champion, this is the best we’ve seen for a long time”. This was of course the greatest we have ever seen as Arkle now stands at the top of the Timeform ratings with a mark of 212. The closest horse in recent times to get to this was Sprinter Sacre with a mark of 192.
2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup – Kauto Star
The greatest staying steeplechaser of the modern era and legend of the sport was Kauto Star. His achievements are second to none and the staying chase Triple Crown is now named after the horse. Kauto’s comeback victory in the 2009 running of the Gold cup will go down as one of the most popular in racing history. He was victorious in the 2007 running of the race when he looked so dominant however he struggled in 2008 as stablemate Denman looked to take over the mantle. Kauto returned in the 81st running of the race to storm clear and became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup in 2009. The winning margin was thirteen lengths which was also the widest in the race since 1995 and marked the true class of the great Kauto star.
2016 Queen Mother Champion Chase – Sprinter Sacre
The 2016 Champion Chase turned out to showcase the greatest feel good, come back of a legend in Sprinter Sacre. At his best he looked to be as close to unbeatable as you will find and never came off the bridle. However following heart related problems and a two year layoff he returned and struggled being pulled up in the 2015 running of this race. He then returned in the 2015/16 season to go unbeaten in all four starts.
Sprinter went into the 2016 Queen Mother as the second favourite behind the Willie Mullins hotpot Un De Sceaux following several hard fought victories. Sprinter looked vulnerable and was not expected to triumph however he showcased is incredible talent and stormed clear turning for home looking like he had in the past. Henderson following the race said “Dreams do come true. He has been a spectacular horse but to come back and do that!” This for most was the greatest comeback in the history of racing and showcased the ability of trainer Henderson. The latest Cheltenham odds have another Henderson trained horse in Might Bite as the favourite for the 2018 Gold Cup.
(SPRINTER SACRE FOLLOWING HIS COMEBACK 2016 QUEEN MOTHER VICTORY)
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