Four days of atmosphere, anticipation and spectacular racing will be played out at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival as Channel 4 presents live coverage of the ‘Olympics of horse racing’.
The Festival is the shining jewel in Jump racing’s crown with its magic, madness and magnificence, played out on a stage framed by the breathtaking vista of the Cotswold Hills.
Featuring an all-star cast of the best horses, jockeys and trainers, more than 220,000 fans will flock into Prestbury Park to enjoy the sights and the sounds of the four most important days in the National Hunt calendar.
The famous roar as the tapes rise for the first race on Tuesday afternoon signals the moment when the 12 month wait is over and racing’s favourite fixture is back.
After four days of intense action, the climax of the entire Jump racing season is the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup, the highlight of arguably one of the world’s best day’s racing of the year, with an atmosphere to match.
For everyone involved in jump racing, victory at the Cheltenham Festival is how greatness is measured and how careers are defined.
A new innovation for 2014 sees a new trophy officially introduced to celebrate the rivalry between runners from Great Britain and Ireland, the two countries from which the vast majority of runners are trained.
The Prestbury Cup will be presented to trainers and jockeys from the nation which has the most winners in the 27 races over the four days.
The competition runs from the first race of the four-day meeting, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, on Tuesday, March 11 until either country has 14 winners or more.
For the first time last year, there were more winners from Ireland than Britain, with a record 14 trophies taken back across the Irish Sea.
Their charge was lead by a three-time, opening-day salvo from the Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins axis.
The pair’s Champagne Fever grittily denied My Tent Or Yours in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdlewhile Hurricane Fly authoritatively regained his Champion Hurdle crown – the first horse to do so since 1975.
Meanwhile, the outstanding mare Quevega won the Mares’ Hurdle for the fifth time, equalling the great Golden Miller’s record of five Cheltenham Festival wins.
Wednesday marked the coronation of the mighty Sprinter Sacre in the Champion Chase, with a performance giving credence to the view that this horse may be one of the greatest to ever grace the game.
Drawing clear with previous Champion Chaser Sizing Europe, the seven-year-old ambled up the hill towards the finish to win by a leisurely 19 lengths.
Solwhit, a high-class horse hat has seen the backside of Hurricane Fly ample times down the years, landed Thursday’s highlight, the World Hurdle, while Cue Card poured it on from the front to win the preceding race, the Ryanair, in grand style.
Cold and damp conditions clung on the Friday for in the biggest race of all – the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Bobs Worth improved his Cheltenham record to five from five when staying resolutely up the hill from what seemed a parlous position a mile out to deny Sir Des Champs and stablemate and previous Gold Cup winner Long Run.
One of the highlights of the annual sporting calendar, the Cheltenham Festival is unique occasion that exude pleasure, passion and fun in equal measure and Channel 4 will be screening all the key action live throughout the week.
Scroll down for SOTB’s viewing guide to Cheltenham 2014 on Channel 4 below:
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Channel 4 will be screening almost 25 hours of coverage from the 2014 Cheltenham Festival, including extensive previews, five daily live races and nightly highlights shows.
The network’s extensive free-to-air coverage begins on Tuesday, March 11, as the four-day jump racing extravaganza begins in style with the Champion Hurdle and concludes on Friday with the prestigious Gold Cup.
Ahead of the Festival, the Channel 4 team begins its coverage in a special edition of the preview programme ‘The Morning Line’ from Sandown Park on Channel 4 on Saturday, March 8, at 11.30am.
Presented by Nick Luck and Graham Cunningham with journalists Dave Yates and Donn McClean, the show will be heavily dosed in Festival fever while previewing the on-the-day action featuring the Grade 3 Imperial Cup Hurdle.
The action finally begins on Tuesday and the Channel 4 Racing team will look ahead to each day’s racing at Cheltenham with daily editions of The Morning Line.
Nick Luck will present the programme live from 8.00am each morning with former top jump jockey Mick Fitzgerald track-side to give his expert evaluation of that day’s runners and Sam Thomas reporting from the stables.
The breakfast show will be packed with features, racing news, tips and a daily guest to provide viewers with crucial pointers for the day ahead.
Then at 12.35pm every day during the Festival, Clare Balding returns to anchor live afternoon coverage each day in her second year with Channel 4 Racing alongside Nick Luck.
Each day’s live coverage on Channel 4, and in high-definition on Channel 4 HD, will centre around the four feature races during the week – Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Chase, the World Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
In total, five races will covered live by Channel 4 each day and they will all be brought to life by its team of on-course reporters and pundits.
Alice Plunkett, Rishi Persad and Mick Fitzgerald will provide regular reports and interviews with the key jockeys and connections, while Channel 4’s regular punditry team of Jim McGrath and Graham Cunningham will be aided by the formidable Ted Walsh.
Brian Gleeson will also be on hand to provide the latest news on the strong Irish contenders alongside betting expert Tanya Stevenson.
Channel 4’s voice of racing Simon Holt will call home the winners for his fourteenth consecutive year as he guides viewers through all of the network’s 20 live races during the week.
As in 2013, the highly respected racing journalist and broadcaster Alastair Down will deliver daily essay-style preview films during Channel 4’s coverage ahead of all the key races.
An array of features will be shown across the afternoon coverage with an exclusive four-part Ruby Walsh series leading the field.
The team will also reveal Ireland’s most powerful pack with a behind the scenes at Willie Mullins, and UK trainer Paul Nicholls discusses his Festival fancies and the attributes of his top horses from the comforts of Electric House cinema.
Festival Favourites, selected by Simon Holt and a variety of individual features on jockeys Sam Twiston Davies and Bryan Cooper, will also provide viewers with a wealth of racing knowledge.
Rounding off each day’s coverage will be a 45-minutes nightly highlights programme on Channel 4 showcasing the day’s finest action, as well as action from the two non-C4 televised races, with Alice Plunkett and Rishi Persad sharing presenting duties.
Channel 4 will be at the centre of all the drama from March 11-14 and its coverage from Cheltenham will fit alongside the network’s extensive Paralympic Winter Games output which runs alongside it during the week.
Jamie Aitchison, Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor for Sport, says: “We have an outstanding period of sport on Channel 4 in which horseracing has over 30 hours of terrestrial exposure.
“This Cheltenham Festival will be unique – surrounded by other sporting and event programming – a real feast for sporting fans.
“Once again, IMG and our racing presenters relish the challenges of Cheltenham and we look forward to delivering creative and informative programming.”
Alongside Channel 4’s TV coverage, its online offering via channel4.com/racing will complement the four-day spectacle with live text commentary throughout the Festival alongside strong social media activities on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Channel 4 Racing’s second-screen app – HorseTracker – app will make its Festival debut for all 20 championship races televised Channel 4.
The freely available Horse Tracker App provides users with the chance to select any number of horses, see their speed, position, distance to the leader and watch them progress around the prestigious Prestbury track.
James Rutherford, Channel 4’s Multiplatform Commissioner for Sport, explains: “Last year, Horse Tracker was a huge success at the Grand National with over 100,000 people using it across the race.
“We are excited to bring this service to Cheltenham Festival and offer both casual and regular racing fans the chance to get closer to the horses and races at this four-day event.”
Come Saturday, March 15, the Channel 4 Racing team will review the UK’s finest jump racing festival on The Morning Line at 9.00am on More4 – a channel change due Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympic Winter Games.
This will be followed by afternoon racing on Channel 4 that takes in six races from Uttoxeter and Kempton Park Racecourses, including the second longest race in UK history – the Midlands Grand National run over four miles plus.
In addition, Channel 4 will also screen a special documentary on the night before the Gold Cup marking the 50th anniversary of the legendary clash between Arkle and Mill House in 1964.
For further information about the 2014 Cheltenham Festival, visit the official website.
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* denotes non-live Channel 4 races
Tuesday 11th March
DAY 1: CHAMPION DAY
The Morning Line: 8.00am-9.00am Channel 4
LIVE: 12.35pm-4.30pm Channel 4
Highlights: 12.10am-12.55am Channel 4
The four-day highlight of the Jumps racing season begins with the most important hurdle race of the season, the Stan James Champion Hurdle.
The 2011 victor Hurricane Fly reclaimed his title in last season’s renewal when beating Rock On Ruby, who won the race in 2012.
In doing so, Hurricane Fly became the first horse in 38 years to reclaim the Champion Hurdle Trophy and the world record holder for Grade One victories will be looking to win the hurdler’s crown for the third time.
Can the great Hurricane Fly win his third title, or will the young pretenders such as My Tent or Yours, The New One or Our Conor dethrone the champion?
Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh also seek history when the great mare Quevega aims to win the Mares Hurdle for an incredible sixth year in a row – a feat never before achieved at the Festival.
Race Card 1:30 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle2:05 Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase
2:40 Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase
3:20 Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 4:00 OLBG Mares’ Hurdle 4:40 Terry Biddlecombe National Hunt Chase Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Chase*
5:15 Rewards4Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase*
Wednesday 12th March
DAY 2: LADIES DAY
The Morning Line: 8.00am-9.00am Channel 4
LIVE: 12.35pm-4.30pm Channel 4
Highlights: 12.05am-12.50am Channel 4
Wednesday at The Festival is Ladies Day, giving 60,000 racegoers an opportunity to have plenty of fun on and off the course.
The real action though is on the track with a fantastic race card featuring the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which has been won by all the great two-mile chasers from Flyingbolt to Viking Flagship and Royal Relief to Moscow Flyer.
Last year’s magnificent champion Sprinter Sacre misses this year’s race, leaving Gary Moore’s Sire de Grugy with a favourite’s chance to add his name to that roll of honour.
Race Card 1:30 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle 2:05 RSA Chase 2:40 Coral Cup 3:20 BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase 4:00 Glenfarclas Handicap Chase 4:40 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle* 5:15 Weatherbys Champion Bumper*
Thursday 13th March
DAY 3: ST PATRICK’S THURSDAY
The Morning Line: 8.00am-9.00am Channel 4
LIVE: 12.35pm-4.30pm Channel 4
Highlights: 12.05am-12.50am Channel 4
A real Irish flavour to this day is guaranteed on St Patrick’s Thursday at the Festival and racing will be as competitive as ever with the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase at the centre of attention.
Today could see history made if arguably the greatest staying hurdler of all-time – Big Buck’s – can reclaim the World Hurdle title he won four years in a row before missing last year’s renewal through injury.
Could the great Big Buck’s regain his title and win the championship stayers race for the fifth time?
Paul Nicholls’ stable star will have the hats flying if he can overcome the best stayers from Britain and Ireland.
Race Card 1:30 JLT Novices’ Chase 2:05 Pertemps Network Final 2:40 Ryanair Chase 3:20 Ladbrokes World Hurdle 4:00 Byrne Group Plate 4:40 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase*
Friday 14th March
DAY 4: GOLD CUP DAY
The Morning Line: 8.00am-9.00am Channel 4
LIVE: 12.35pm-4.30pm Channel 4
Highlights: 12.10am-12.55am Channel 4
It’s the final day of the Cheltenham Festival and Clare Balding and Nick Luck are there to present all the drama, excitement and thrills of the Gold Cup.
The climax of the jump racing season offer its most prestigious prize with not only over £500,000 in prize money, but a place in racing folklore on offer.
Fifty years ago the immortal Arkle won his first Gold Cup and today Bobs Worth, Nicky Henderson’s champion from last year, hopes to join the greats by winning back-to-back Gold Cups.
Can Bobs Worth defend his Gold Cup crown and win at the Festival for the fourth successive year? Find out from 3.20pm.
Race Card 1:30 JCB Triumph Hurdle 2:05 Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle 2:40 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle 3:20 Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase 4:00 CGA Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup 4:40 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle*5:15 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup Handicap*
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