One of the most prestigious festivals in UK and Irish horse racing is Cheltenham. While Cheltenham 2021 may go ahead without big crowds (or none at all), it is still worth catching via a live stream or on TV. Held over four days, the 2021 festival is due to start on Tuesday 16th March, and end on Friday 19th March. Fans love the Cheltenham Festival because it has so many exciting races to watch over the four days.
Prime among these are the Grade 1 races. Which should you keep an eye out for this year though?
Of course, the Grade 1 race you must catch at Cheltenham each and every year is the Gold Cup. This is the blue riband race and will take place over two miles, two furlongs on Friday 19th March at 3:30pm. Who might be worth keeping an eye on here? It is hard to look past the winner from both 2019 and 2020, Al Boum Photo, though Lostintranslation may run him close. Willie Mullins has some top horses for Cheltenham as usual, but Al Boum Photo is arguably the best. For other Cheltenham Festival betting tips, visit the racingtips.com website today. This is a top online resource for tips of who to keep an eye on for races such as the 2021 Gold Cup.
Stayers' Hurdle
Another famous Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 race is the Stayers' Hurdle. This will take place over two miles, seven furlongs at 3:30pm on Thursday 18th March. Many are looking at 2019's winner Paisley Park to come in first again. If he runs close to his best, then it will be hard to see who will catch him. If he does not perform on the day though, then it could be Benie Des Dieux who wins – only an unfortunate fall prevented this horse from winning in the Mares' Hurdle last year.
The last major Grade 1 that you probably should catch is the Champion Hurdle on Day 1 of the festival. This takes place at 3:30pm on the Old Course. It is a shade over two miles, and sees an interesting mix of contenders in the field. Many are looking no further than reigning champion Sharjah. He made a winning appearance over Christmas 2020 at Leopardstown, and this seems to set him up nicely for more Cheltenham glory.
Grade 1 racing at Cheltenham 2021 set to thrill
When it comes to horse racing, there is just something about watching Grade 1 contests that is awesome. The great news is that the Cheltenham Festival has its fair share of top Grade 1 races to enjoy. Why not try to catch the three listed above this year?
