The 2019 Cheltenham festival starts in a matter of three weeks from now. Today’s horse racing, we will be revealing to you everything you need to know about the 2019 Cheltenham festival. The Cheltenham Gold cup is probably the second most popular hunt racing event of the year. Only second to the Grand national who is just a little more popular.
A little about the Cheltenham Gold cup
The Gold cup which is a Grade 1 national hunt race is run at the Cheltenham racecourse in the Gloucestershire region every March of the year. The race is usually of three miles and two and half furlongs with 22 fences to be scaled over by the horses during the race.
Only horses who are at least five years old are allowed to partake in in the events. The 2019 festival starts on March 15.
The Records
In 2018 there were 262,637 people watching the Cheltenham. That figure remains the highest so far in the history of the festival. In 2016 the Gold cup which is usually the last day of the events had 70,242 in attendance which is the highest so far.
The prize money for the 2019 Cheltenham Gold cup is £600,000! Which is a significant increase on the £354,000 that was available for the 2017 Gold cup. The 2018 event saw the winner Native River going home with £369,821, the winner this year should be earning bigger than that.
When is this Year’s Cheltenham Gold cup
The Gold cup is usually on the last day of the Cheltenham Festival ( which in itself is a four-day event ). This year’s event will take place on the 15th of March 2019.
The likely contenders?
We still do not know the likely contenders for this year and can’t at this moment say who is the favourites but you can be sure that last year winner Native River will be one of the bookies favourites yet again.
Those who are not at the racecourse to watch the events can do so on ITV and there are pockets of legal live streaming websites for this year’s Gold cup.
The Economic Benefits of The Cheltenham Gold cup
In 2016, over £100 million was reportedly spent on betting on the Cheltenham festival in the United Kingdom alone. That figure would probably have been double or triple of that amount if betting figures from other countries outside the UK are considered. This year’s event is unlikely to be an exemption.
Aside the prize money available to the horse trainers and what the gamblers stand to gain from the events, the host region is usually benefit from hosting the events. Reports have it that the Cheltenham festival is worth over £100 million to Gloucestershire yearly. Gloucestershire benefits from the increasing number of people who attend the festival every year. Hotels, bars, Gloucestershire, stores E.T.C see a boost in their businesses every March thanks largely to the Cheltenham festival.
