Cheltenham is just a few weeks away now and we’re getting in the mood by looking back over some of the greatest moments in the festival’s history.
It’s invoked some incredible memories that’ll last forever so we’ll run down the best moments in Cheltenham Festival history…
Best Mate Wins Three Gold Cups
Best Mate made history back in 2004 winning his third successive Gold Cup in an incredible win that matched the record of the great Arkle.
Ridden by Jim Culloty it was thought the feat would be impossible in the modern era, but Best Mate proved everyone wrong and ran to victory, just pipping Sir Rembrandt, a 25/1 shot, to the post in one of the most thrilling meets of the noughties.
Kauto Star Makes History
Kauto Star is the only horse in history to win four consecutive King George VI Chase meets, winning it overall five times.
It’s perhaps his performances at Cheltenham which make him one of the greatest horses of the modern era however. He won the 2007 Gold Cup and regained that crown once again in 2009 with a faultless performance that saw off rival Denman and leave pundits purring.
From there he was regularly quoted as the best horse since Arkle and it’d be hard to disagree.
Arkle Has His Own 1966 Glory
Arkle is comfortably regarded as the greatest steeplechaser in history and his Gold Cup Win in 1966 secured his place as a real household name.
He’d already previously won the 1964 and ‘65 Gold Cup but ‘66 was his crowning glory.
He was priced at the shortest odds ever for a Gold Cup at 1/10 and had a heart-in-mouth moment as he ploughed straight through a fence.
Despite that he went on to win by 30 lengths and in real style. A true Cheltenham great.
2012: The Year of Nicky Henderson
Back in 2012, Nicky Henderson had his own version of the infamous Super Saturday of the same year. Albeit, not actually on a Saturday. The trainer broke two records in one day in a remarkable feat that defines what Cheltenham is all about.
The first record was to become the most successful trainer in Cheltenham history, reaching a staggering 44 winners. He’s since gone on to win many more but it’s that moment that will put him up there with nobody else in the sport.
In the same day however he also saw four winners, a record in itself! Fulke Walwyn was the last to see the finish line which capped off arguably the most successful day of all time for a trainer.
It’s a feat that could well never be achieved again and will forever be looked back on as a real magic moment at Cheltenham.
