Three Best Cheltenham Festival Moments Of All Time

Cheltenham Festival is the best horse racing event that gathers huge crowds and appeals to fans across the world. This festival offers four days of extraordinary horse racing and brings together some of the finest racehorses and jockeys in the world.

When this event gets near, everyone wants to know how to get the best tips for Cheltenham as it offers the best betting opportunities for everyone. 

1: Best Mate’s Remarkable Feat 

Winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a matter of great honor for a racehorse and trainer. However, with some of the finest horses in the UK competing, triumphing in the Grade 1 race is highly difficult. 

One can imagine the monumental amount of effort and talent required for winning the Gold Cup more than once. Very few horses have managed to claim the prestigious race 3 or more times. Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, and Arkle achieved this remarkable feat. However, it looked impossible that a modern horse would be able to match such a record. 

And then Best Mate came along and stunned the horse racing world with his performances. The Henrietta Knight-trained horse picked up victories in the 2002 and 2003 editions of the Gold Cup to put himself in a great position to match Arkle’s record. However, Best Mate faced fierce competition from other contenders that time, especially from Sir Rembrandt and Harbour Pilot in the ending stages of the race. But to the delight of Henrietta Knight, the amazing racehorse managed to emerge victorious at Cheltenham Racecourse and enter his name in history books. 

Unfortunately, Best Mate could not take part in the 2001 Gold Cup due to the foot and mouth crisis. He also missed the 2005 edition of the race due to bursting a blood vessel on the gallops. 

Best Mate didn’t live long and died of a suspected heart attack in November 2005. His sudden death became front-page news and caused great shock and sorrow among horse racing enthusiasts. 

2: Rivalry Between Kauto Star And Denman 

Kauto Star registered his first Gold Cup victory in 2007 and was the odds-on favorite the following year. However, Denman gave a spectacular display at Cheltenham and left everyone far behind to win the race by 7 lengths. The French-bred racehorse came out stronger in 2009 and took his revenge by decisively beating his rival.

By the time Kauto Star crossed the finish line, Denman was 13 lengths behind. This way, he became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup after losing it. 

The rivalry between Kauto Star and Denman became enormously famous in the United Kingdom. In boxing language, the competition was Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier.

3: Nicky Henderson’s Year 

The 2012 Cheltenham Festival was all about Nicky Henderson, who garnered enormous successes that year. The British horse expert trained 4 winners at Cheltenham in a single day, which is a remarkable feat for any trainer. 

Henderson also has the distinction of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, with Long Run and Bobs Worth.