Cheltenham Racecourse

The first organised Flat race meeting in Cheltenham took place in 1815 on Nottingham Hill, with the first races on Cleeve Hill in August 1818. Racing's popularity soared over the next decade with crowds of 30,000 visiting the Racecourse for its annual two day July meeting featuring the Gold Cup, a 3m flat race.
In 1829, Cheltenham's Parish Priest, Reverend Francis Close, preached the evils of horseracing and aroused such strong feeling amongst his congregation that the race meeting in 1830 was disrupted. Before the following year's meeting the grandstand was burnt to the ground!
To overcome this violent opposition the racecourse was moved to Prestbury Park, its current venue, in 1831. Steeplechasing became established in nearby Andoversford from 1834 and moved to the present course in 1898.
In 1964, Racecourse Holdings Trust (now Jockey Club Racecourses) was formed to secure the future of Cheltenham. The Group now owns 13 other racecourses - a combination of Jumps, Flat, Dual Purpose and All Weather racecourses. Wholly owned in a Trust by The Jockey Club, Jockey Club Racecourses reinvests all of its profits into its 14 racecourses to ensure the continued success and development of British horseracing.

The changing face of Cheltenham Racecourse

1950s

The stands changed little between the 1930s and 1950s when the National Hunt Steeplechase course ran behind the back of the stands.

1960s & 1970s

The original Tattersalls Grandstand was opened in 1960 to cope with growing crowds. The Weighing Room was underneath the Festival Restaurant and the Winners Enclosure above the Parade Ring. During this period the centre of the racecourse was developed and became a popular raceday enclosure.

1980s

The main Grandstand was completed in 1979 and extended twice in the 1980s. The top two levels were dedicated entirely to Private Hospitality, and in 1982 the Parade Ring, Weighing Room and Hurdlers Hall were built behind the stands with terraced viewing for 4,000.

1990s

The new stables complex was opened in 1990 adjacent to Hunters Lodge, our stable staff hotel built 3 years earlier to sleep 124. The Pre-Parade Ring was used for the first time in 1992 and Hall of Fame Entrance officially opened in 1993.
The Cross Country Course was introduced in 1995 and is now raced on three times each season, including The Festival. The race weaves around the centre of the course with natural obstacles including hedges, banks and ditches.
In 1997, the original Tattersalls Grandstand was knocked down and replaced with tiered viewing and the Panoramic Restaurant which boasts spectacular views across the racecourse.
The Millennium
During 2003-2004 £3m was invested in the Best Mate Enclosure in the centre of the racecourse, giving a new grandstand and arguably one of the best views of racing.
During the same period, £17m was invested in providing additional raceday facilities with The Centaur, a new conference and events centre. Accommodating up to 4,000 visitors, The Centaur is the biggest venue of its kind between Birmingham and Bournemouth.
In 2005, The Festival was successfully extended to four days.

Investing in the future

Cheltenham's next major redevelopment includes the Weighing Room and Media Centre beside the Parade Ring, more Paddock viewing and new ‘A & R' Boxes to provide improved and new facilities for racegoers, our 8,500 Members, Box Holders and Sponsors.

Cheltenham in numbers

The Racecourse employs over 60 permanent staff, which rises to approximately 1,000 for a race meeting and over 5,000 at The Festival.
The Festival is worth an estimated £50m to the local economy and hosts the largest Tented Village of any kind at a sporting event. Over £2m is spent each year on temporary facilities alone.
Festival drinkers get through 18,000 bottles of Champagne and 214,000 pints of Guinness. Prize money at Cheltenham almost hits £6m throughout the season with over £3m on offer at The Festival alone, the most valuable and prestigious fixture in Jump racing.
The racecourse is also home to many other organizations and businesses including Cotswold RDA, Cheltenham Archery and Clubs for Angling and Model Aircraft.
Throughout the year we welcome over 700,000 visitors to the racecourse and hope that every visitor - horse or human - enjoy their visit and will be back soon.

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Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th March 2009

The roar of the crowd as the tapes rise for the first race of the Festival each year tells you everything you need to know - 12 months of waiting is over! 

Over the course of the week, around 230,000 people will be here to witness the action and soak up the atmosphere. Across the country, well over £500 million will be wagered on the outcome of our 25 races. 

Off the track, there is plenty of entertainment on offer with trade stands, music in all enclosures and an amazing variety of dining, entertaining and hospitality options.
The feature race on Tuesday is The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, the most sought after prize anywhere for 2 miles hurdlers.
On Wednesday the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase take centre stage. See the best two mile chasers in a fast and furious contest over the famous Cheltenham fences. For many, this is the most exciting race of the season.
On Thursday, also Ladies Day, the long distance hurdlers contest The Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Only the brave and the strong prevail in this three mile contest. Inglis Drever made history by winning the race for the third time in 2008. The Ryanair Chase is another Grade 1 highlight on Thursday.
Then comes Friday and the highlight of the entire Jump season: the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. This is the race that every owner trainer and jockey dreams of winning and it takes a very special horse to win more than once.
Denman led home Kauto Star and Neptune Collognes in a Paul Nicholls-trained 1-2-3 in 2008 and will be looking to add his name to those of legends Golden Miller, Arkle and Best Mate as multiple winners of Jumping's Blue Riband event.
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Denman destroyed his rivals to win the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday. Denman galloped his stablemate and reigning champion Kauto Star into the ground to provide trainer Paul Nicholls with a famous one-two-three in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Twenty five years on from Michael Dickinson saddling the first five home in the blue riband, a similar feat was achieved by Nicholls.
Since Denman won the Royal & SunAlliance Chase 12 months ago, the clash between the pair who occupy adjoining stables in deepest Somerset had been eagerly-awaited.

But it never quite lived up to the billing as Denman powered away from the field and denied last year's winner and 10-11 favourite by an emphatic seven lengths.

Nicholls' second jockey Sam Thomas read the script perfectly and allowed Denman to stride on passing the stands on the second circuit.

From there the 9-4 shot gradually wound up the pace and Ruby Walsh could be spotted sending out distress signals aboard Kauto Star from the top of the hill.

Denman forged clear and while Kauto Star gave chase his neighbour - now unbeaten in nine starts over fences - had already put the race to bed and kept on to provide Thomas with a first Festival success.

Nicholls' third string Neptune Collonges rallied to nearly pip Kauto Star for second, pulling nine lengths clear of Halcon Genelardais in fourth.
Nicholls said: "Your first win in a race is always the best and I'll never forget See More Business winning in 1999, but it doesn't get any better than saddling the one-two-three in the Gold Cup.
"Denman was awesome. He jumped and galloped and put Kauto on the back foot really.
"Kauto didn't jump as well as he can and the ground may have been a little tacky for him, but we are not going to make any excuses as he got beat by a better horse on the day. But Kauto will be back here and will win plenty more races.
"Denman has been progressing. He beat nothing in the Aon and the form wasn't there in the book, but he has taken another step today.
"We didn't know he was capable of doing it until he went out there and there was no point me putting my head on the block until we had seen it.
"I was left alone to watch the race by a Tote window. I knew Denman had won with a circuit to go as I could see what was happening.

"Hopefully they will meet again and I can't see any reason why they won't.

"Every horse gets beaten some day and on a different track we may have a different result."

But any chance of the pair crossing swords again this term was immediately ruled out.

Nicholls went on: "Denman definitely won't run again this season. I'll talk to Clive Smith and see about Kauto, while Neptune Collonges will go to Punchestown again.

"All credit to Sam, who has not had a great week but has given the horse a fantastic ride and I am very proud of him."

Thomas, who admitted he would have chosen Denman over Kauto Star if he had been given the choice, said: "I just don't know what to say!

"He jumped beautifully again and when he took it up he loved it in front. He was jumping once fence and then looking for the next.

"I was able to settle him for the first circuit and switch him off. Even when we went on he was nice and relaxed.

"I had a look round and saw Ruby was third. Up the straight I could feel something closing, but I kept riding to the line and he didn't get there in time.

"He had never had a gun to his head in a top-class race and I feel there is improvement to come."

Denman's win also resulted in a tidy profit for his part-owner Harry Findlay, who had backed the eight-year-old ante-post to win over £500,000.

The renowned gambler said: "Forget about your Grand Prix and your football and your tennis. This was two stablemates. We had to do what we had to do to break the champion.

"All this about conspiracy theories and whatever, we've had to do everything to break Kauto Star's heart and that's what we've done.

"We've gone through the race so many times and we knew what we had to do. It was just brilliant and went totally to plan.

"We knew Neptune would go out and give us a lead and we'd then take it up on the second circuit and make it a war.

"From early in his career I have believed Denman is a left-handed tank and I was more than happy Sam was on him as they get on great.

"This was a carbon copy of the Hennessy - he went out in front and did the damage. He was neat and precise too, which Kauto Star wasn't. think about next season."

Findlay's partner in the horse is Paul Barber, who also owned See More Business.

He said: "Paul Nicholls eats, sleeps and breathes horses. That's where his greatness comes from.
"My ambition in life was to milk 1,000 cows and win a Gold Cup. Now I milk 2,000 cows and I wanted two Gold Cups to go with them."

Nicholls added: "I will be very keen to run him in the Hennessy again. He would probably keep all the other runners out of the handicap and the trip and track will be ideal."

Walsh admitted he had known his fate a long way out. He said: "I was struggling past the winning post on the first circuit when Sam picked it up. I just couldn't get there. Well done to them all."

He went on: "If you get it wrong, you get it wrong. I could only ride one. I picked the wrong one and that's racing.
"Of course Kauto Star could come back next year. On any given day any horse can win."

For Denman to claim Kauto Star's scalp is some achievement with the latter a dual King George winner, in addition to boasting wins in the Tingle Creek, Betfair Chase and Ascot Chase.

His owner Clive Smith said: "I would definitely take Denman on again next year. Ruby did say he didn't jump quite so well today - he hit the top of a couple of them and turning for home Ruby felt he wasn't going to get there.
"He never quite seemed to be himself and didn't quite run up to his best.

"If he won today he'd be there with the all-time greats, but maybe he can do that next year.

"It was an absolutely ferocious performance from Denman. I'm sure we'll have him in the rematch.

"I'm not deeply disappointed - I've had a good ride and it hasn't been a bad year.

"I'll talk to Paul now. He had been on about going to Liverpool but I think we might leave it."

Neptune Collonges could only manage eighth in the race last year but continued on an upward curve by finishing on the heels of Kauto Star, who denied him second by a short head.

His owner John Hales said: "That was certainly his best performance and he will be going to Punchestown now. I expect they will be delighted to have him there.

"He was wonderful and I have to say that Denman was too good for us on the day, but Kauto wasn't as we very nearly beat him.

"I'm not too surprised how he ran as he absolutely ran away with a race at Wincanton with top weight. He's so balanced and Mick Fitzgerald said he was a pleasure to ride."

Further behind was Exotic Dancer in fifth.

"When he made a mistake Tony (McCoy) had to really get after him and after that he was struggling," said trainer Jonjo O'

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