Photo by Wikimedia Commons 2.0
When it comes to jump season, no sporting mecca in the world can compete with the Cheltenham Festival, with all 4 days from Gloucestershire capturing the hearts of a nation.
Horse racing in the UK and beyond barely grips the sporting schedule like it does at Cheltenham and for those 4 days in mid-March, the eyes of the sporting world are locked in.
For those within the horse racing fraternity, the Cheltenham festival remains the key event in the calendar and owners, trainers and jockeys are all looking to be on top form for when Cheltenham swings around.
Punters and horse betting sites have their eye on Cheltenham throughout the calendar year, with ante-post betting markets available for most races at the festival, as players look to maximise value in every bet they place.
Clinching a win at Cheltenham is often the pinnacle of a career for a horse or a trainer but in the storied history of the festival, there have been some horses that have set the benchmark for the next generation, with some iconic Cheltenham wins.
Here is a look at 5 of the greatest Cheltenham winners of all time:
Golden Miller
Winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the final day of the Cheltenham festival is the ultimate aim for every trainer and their horses, yet Golden Miller managed to achieve that incredible accolade on 5 occasions.
Hailing from horse racing royalty in Ireland – the Geraghty family, Golden Miller won an unmatched haul of 5 consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups, between 1932 and 1936.
Intertwined with half a decade of Cheltenham success, Golden Miller also managed to win the Grand National in 1934 and it remains the only horse to have ever won the Gold Cup and the National in the same season.
Although Golden Miller’s triumphs may have come nearly a century ago, its place in Cheltenham folklore is long assured and it remains one of the most incredible horses to have ever graced the Cotswolds track.
Big Buck’s
The Grade 1 Stayer’s hurdle (previously known as the World hurdle), is often regarded as one of the toughest tests at the Cheltenham festival and no horse has dominated the race like Big Buck’s.
Trained by the prolific Paul Nicholls, Big Buck’s was a relative flop over fences before circumstantially transferring to hurdles – a decision that transformed the fortunes of horse and connections alike.
In the 2009 World hurdle, both Kasbah Bliss and Punchestowns were viewed as the front runners, with punters expecting a battle royale between the market leaders.
However, Big Buck’s had way too much for both established horses and went on to blaze a trail at the top of hurdle racing for the next few years.
Four consecutive wins in the Stayer’s/World hurdle between 2009 and 2012 saw Big Buck’s become one of the most decorated Cheltenham horses of all time and it remains highly regarded as one of the best stayers ever.
Arkle
In the modern era, racing fans would be forgiven for thinking that Arkle is the name of a race at Cheltenham. This is true but the race was coined following the incredible on-track performances of Arkle back in the 1960’s.
The iconic Irish steeplechaser may have tragically passed at the age of just 13 but it left a lasting legacy on the sport – including being given the highest ever Timeform rating of 212 for a steeplechaser.
Back in 1963, Arkle cruised to a 20 length win in the Broadway Chase at Cheltenham (now known as the Brown Advisory) and that was the start of a long lasting affiliation between Arkle and Cheltenham.
Arkle was back in 1964, where it clinched three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups, winning in 1965 and 1966 – all by comprehensive winning margins from the chasing pack and under the stewardship of jockey Pat Taaffe.
Such is the regard in which Arkle is held, that the Arkle Challenge Trophy is still part of the Cheltenham Festival today.
Tiger Roll
While Tiger Roll may be a modern name more synonymous with the Grand National due to back-to-back wins in the big one at Aintree, it is a horse with a strong association to the Cheltenham festival too.
It remains the key breakout horse for Gordon Elliott, and it enjoyed its first win at the festival in 2014, where it breezed to a Triumph Hurdle win and it never looked back in Gloucestershire from that point.
The National Hunt Challenge Cup followed in 2017, a real show of stamina and versatility, where Tiger Roll displayed its true Grand National potential.
No horse could compete with Tiger Roll in the cross country sphere in 2018 and 2019, with iconic wins at the Grand National both coming after excellent festival wins in the Cross Country Chase the month before.
In true Tiger Roll fashion, the veteran chalked off one more festival win in 2021, bagging the Cross Country chase for a third time and its status as a modern great is assured.
Quevega
No name is as synonymous with the Cheltenham Festival in recent times as Willie Mullins, as the Irish trainer continues to push the envelope in terms of wins and Quevega is his most successful ever Cheltenham horse.
The Mares’ hurdle is one of the biggest races at the festival outside of the Gold Cup, with all of the biggest owners and trainers clamouring for a group 1 with their best mares.
However, between 2009 and 2014, the Mares’ hurdle became somewhat of a formality, with Quevega winning the race on an incredible six consecutive occasions.
The French trained flyer also backed up Cheltenham success with four consecutive wins in the world hurdle at Punchestown (2010-2013), further etching its place into the racing record books.
In retirement in 2014, legendary jockey Ruby Walsh said she was the best horse he had ever ridden and Quevega’s place in the annuls of Cheltenham is long assured.
