Tag: Cheltenham Festival

Tiger Roll, one of the most beloved horses in the UK, fell just short of going out a winner in his farewell race at the Cheltenham Festival. (Image: Gordon Elliott/Twitter)

Tiger Roll Leaves Cheltenham Fans in Tears After Farewell Runner-Up Finish

- 3 min read

Finishing second to stablemate Delta Work in the Cross Country Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival didn’t provide the storybook ending everyone wanted for the renowned chaser, Tiger Roll. Even so, the 12-year-old gelding left tears in the eyes of his connections as he rode off into retirement. “He’s been […]

Rachael Blackmore hoisted the Ruby Walsh Trophy for winning a Cheltenham Festival-leading six races. Next on her bucket list is becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National. (Image: PA)

Blackmore Takes Aim at Clearing Grand National Gender Hedge

- 3 min read

Less than a month after she earned top jockey honors at the Cheltenham Festival, Rachael Blackmore could blaze another riding trail by becoming the first woman to pilot a Grand National champion. Could this be the year Blackmore … or Bryony Frost … or Tabitha Worsley clears that gender hedge? […]

British bettor Paul Dean took a cash-out offer for a quarter-million pounds on a bet that would have won him more than £511,000. Dean looked like a savant after his chosen horse fell in Cheltenham's first race. (Image: Teesside Live)

Dean’s List: British Bettor’s Smart Cash-Out Brings Him £250,000

- 3 min read

Almost immediately after favorite Envoi Allen crashed out of the Marsh Novices’ Chase, punters and journalists around the world were calling Paul Dean’s decision the greatest cash-out in the history of wagering. Dean, who stood to win £511,225 if Envoi Allen won the Cheltenham Festival’s Thursday opener, instead took a […]

Rachael Blackmore rode into the history books Tuesday, becoming the first female rider to win the Cheltenham Festival's Champion Hurdle. She and Honeysuckle prevailed by 6 1/4 lengths. (Image: Horse Racing Ireland)

Blackmore Makes Cheltenham History on Festival’s Opening Day

- 2 min read

In any other year, Rachael Blackmore’s Champion Hurdle victory aboard Honeysuckle would send Cheltenham into delirium. The Gloucestershire city would palpitate with electricity that could power the entire region. But this being anything but an ordinary year, the buzz surrounding Blackmore’s historic feat was saved for the electronic devices used […]

Al Boum Photo and rider Paul Townend seek their third consecutive Gold Cup in Friday's Cheltenham Festival's Gold Cup. (Image: Healy Racing)

Cheltenham Festival Jumps Into Action Without Customary Crowds

- 2 min read

To get a handle on what the Cheltenham Festival is, take the Super Bowl, mix it with the Olympics and the Breeders’ Cup, and add heavy, heavy betting to the brew. Then, spread it out over a four-day, 28-race jumping bacchanalia. Well, hold the bacchanalia this year. This year’s Cheltenham […]

The twin spires of Churchill Downs could stand guard over an empty infield and grandstand the first Saturday in May. Officials plan to make an announcement on the Kentucky Derby's status this week (Image: Yahoo News)

Will the Kentucky Derby Be Canceled for the First Time in History?

- 3 min read

World wars, great depressions and countless global calamities have never stopped the Kentucky Derby, going all the way back to 1875. Only once, in 1945, was the Derby delayed, from May until June. Now, with only seven weeks until the 2020 Run for the Roses and the coronavirus pandemic shutting […]

The Cheltenham Festival attracts upwards of 260,000 people a year. It's 2020 future is in doubt because of the Coronavirus. (Image: Edward Whitaker)

Will Cheltenham Festival Be Canceled Due to Coronavirus Threat?

- 3 min read

The global-wide Coronavirus has infected the horse racing markets in Great Britain with news that two Gloucestershire residents have contracted the virus ahead of the annual Cheltenham Festival, scheduled to begin March 10. Betfair is now taking action on Cheltenham Festival races being canceled, with odds shortening from 5/2 to […]