The Cheltenham Festival returns for 2023 next Tuesday, welcoming fans from all over the world back to the famous course for another four days of racing.
As the town braces for a massive rush of tourists and visitors, the first horse confirmations are set to be released this Wednesday.
The confirmations will continue on a daily basis and culminate on Saturday when the horses that will be participating on Gold Cup Day, the last day of the racing week, are announced.
Horses and trainers to look out for in the upcoming race week
Corach Rambler, trained by Lucinda Russell won the Ultima last year and is Tom Segal’s best bet for the Ballymore.
The Real Whacker, trained by Patrick Neville is a fan favourite and the star of all the horses Neville trains. Whacker is definitely a runner to keep an eye on.
Six horses trained by Willie Mullins could be involved in the festival: El Fabiolo, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Energumene, Blood Destiny, Galopin Des Champs and Allegorie De Vassy.
Willie Mullins saddled ten winners in last year’s festival, and according to sources such as Sky Bet and Racing Post Mullins is likely to saddle at least another 9 this time around.
But there are more factors that contribute to the outcome of a race than just the runners and riders, and the most notable is the weather.
Weather forecasts on the days leading up to the Cheltenham Festival suggest that snow may be on the horizon for the racecourse, and multiple days of it.
Weather.com predicts possible snow on the upcoming Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday ahead of the racing week, with rain from Friday all the way up to Monday.
Unexpected race results as well as withdrawn horses may follow these weather conditions, as safety of both jockeys and horses is a concern and track hydration plays a major role in how the races will unfold.
