I'm convinced Britain is set for a much better Cheltenham Festival - but this weekend will tell us a lot more
A whopping 21 of the 25 festival races priced up have Irish-trained favourites, but that doesn't tell the whole story
Little did we think that when Tom Scudamore on Next Sensation gatecrashed AP McCoy's going-away party at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival that it would be the last time the home team won the Prestbury Cup.
That Grand Annual success on the fiery front-runner, who had the winningmost jockey of all time back in fourth on his final festival ride Ned Buntline, saw the hosts score a last-minute winner and win the game 14-13.
Let's be honest, the game is nonsense. The Prestbury Cup has had its day and nobody really cares where the winners come from. I don't anyway.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inDavid Jennings
Last updated
- The stewards' decision must be final - it's time we abolished appeals against race results
- From Nick Luck's Lee Mack act to Lydia Hislop getting down and dirty, racing is so blessed when it comes to presenters
- It's a struggle for now - but small fields and short-priced favourites could soon be a thing of the past
- Ballyburn could easily be your 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner – so there's no way he should be staying over hurdles
- How Alastair Down, the epitome of sports writing sublimity, got me hooked on racing
- The stewards' decision must be final - it's time we abolished appeals against race results
- From Nick Luck's Lee Mack act to Lydia Hislop getting down and dirty, racing is so blessed when it comes to presenters
- It's a struggle for now - but small fields and short-priced favourites could soon be a thing of the past
- Ballyburn could easily be your 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner – so there's no way he should be staying over hurdles
- How Alastair Down, the epitome of sports writing sublimity, got me hooked on racing