Your Favourite Race Of The Festival

ft9

Your favourite race in Cheltenham folks, just to keep the build up ticking over.

Champion Hurdle for me, followed by Gold Cup.

RichieLawlor

Supreme Novices obviously.

Cause it means the festival is here.

Oscars Well.

Champion Hurdle for me too, with the Champion Chase a close second

Rastapitts

funny enough my fav races are normally the ones i hve a good record of backing the winner.
Champion Chase, 3rd race on opening day - think its the william hill chase and RSA chase

ryant1981

Champion hurdle always has been, going back to the days of Istabraq !
Roll on Monday fortnight to be heading over again

premierstone

Gold Cup

Yeah I'd say like most people here the first horse that really caught my imagination was Istabraq so the Champion Hurdle for me, QM CC would be second choice and I always enjoy the Arkle.

But as Richie says the roar when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novice gets the hairs standing on the back of my neck everytime! Montelado I think was my first winner in the Supreme, Like A Butterfly another but have had more downs than ups in for sure.

hucklebuck

Gold Cup

I voted for the Champion as I think its the best race this year.

Favourite race since I started watching had to be Gold Cup - Denman, Kauto and Imperial, was looking forward to it from September the year before and excitement went through the roof after that photofinish in Haydock. Pity Kauto fell as I was looking forward to see Imperial and Denman take each other on the business end with Kauto in the pocket and may the best horse win.

RichieLawlor

As for past races nothing i had seen before or since compares to Master Mindeds first Champion Chase win.

Absolutely magic watching a 2 mile chaser pinging fences at that speed and with such accuracy.

Johner

Other

Supreme Novices for me.

HigginsJ

Supreme Novice

Arkle. potential champion chasers/gold cup winners in the making in the field

Colonel Sanders

I love the bumper. Always a few monster punts & always a good race to follow horses over hurdles the following season

Used to love the novices handicap chase in it's original format from a punting point of view. Backed 3 winners of it in the space of 5 years. Was decently involved on Vino Griego last year each way so hoping it continues! Although now it's a 0-140 handicap it has absolutely no place at the festival IMO

RichieLawlor

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

I love the bumper. Always a few monster punts & always a good race to follow horses over hurdles the following season

Used to love the novices handicap chase in it's original format from a punting point of view. Backed 3 winners of it in the space of 5 years. Was decently involved on Vino Griego last year each way so hoping it continues! Although now it's a 0-140 handicap it has absolutely no place at the festival IMO

Whu didnt Leading Run ever make it t Cheltenham, although maybe he ran in the Brit Insurance did he

UrbanSea

Other

Right you are Richard

greenrocket

Gold Cup

Champion Hurdle for me but have to agree with Richie, the best race i ever saw was Master Minded first Champion Chase. He just broke the field with speed and jumping something else. still brings shivers when i watch it.

mixed up

World Hurdle

It's always the gold cup for me and i can' believe i'm first to select it :eek:

Colonel Sanders

Leading Run made his debut at Navan as a 5yo then was off over a year. Won 2 more bumpers & went to Punchestown & won the G1 (god what a day). Was 7 at that stage so too old for Cheltenham. Never really worked out for him over hurdles but as you say did run in the 3m novice, albeit poorly

mdwexford

World Hurdle

Yeah its the Gold Cup where I actually feel under major pressure myself watching it. It really is what its all about, the one everybody wants to win, where heroes are made etc etc

Hoofer

Other

RichieLawlor wrote: »

Supreme Novices obviously.

Cause it means the festival is here.

Agree, there is something special about the supreme novices probably because we have strongly associated it with the irish banker over the years...its always gets my hair standing on the back of my head/neck/back just before the off of this race...i suppose its all the build up and tension all year is about to unfold..nothing compares to when your on a well fancied Irish horse in the supreme and your standing there watching and hes pulling double "at the topppppa of the hill"..and then the commentator shouts its such a horse for Irrrreland e.g (like a buttttttterfly for Irrrrreland) and then the crowd roars...absolute magic..:)..could it be galileos choice this year!!!!

kiers47

World Hurdle

Gold Cup for me. Fell in love with the race around the time i fell in love with Best Mate and probably the race that i have had the most success in as a punter.