St Patrick’s Day at Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival is given a distinctively Irish feel on Thursdays as the racing event and all of its attendees celebrate St Patrick’s Day a few days early. There is plenty of traditional Irish entertainment, and gallons of Guinness to drink, ensuring that everyone remains merry throughout the day. Alongside these Celtic celebrations, there is an abundance of races taking place during the afternoon, including two extremely popular competitions – the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase.

St Patrick’s Thursday races

Horse racing on St Patrick’s Thursday is extremely competitive, and is set to be even more entertaining during the Cheltenham Festival 2012. Big Buck’s will be trying to win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle for the fourth time, with many competitors attempting to dethrone the reigning champion. The competition is a Class A Grade 1 hurdle taking place across 3 miles, and is open to horses aged four and above.

The other significant horse race on St Patrick’s Thursday is the Ryanair Chase, where horses aged five and above race over a distance of two miles and five furlongs. Alberta’s Run – a horse trained by Jonjo O’Neill – has managed to win both the Cheltenham Festival 2010 and 2011 races, and will be attempting to reign supreme again this year.

On St Patrick’s Thursday, you can also stake on the Jewson Novices’ Steeple Chase, which is a Grade 2 listed weight-for-age competition. Later on, there is the Pertemps Final – a three mile hurdle – and the Byrne Group Plate Handicap Steeple Chase, a race with a distance of two miles and five furlongs.

At the end of the day you can also place a last minute bet on the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase or the St. Patrick’s Day Derby. The Kim Muir Challenge Cup is a race run over three miles and half a furlong, while the St Patrick’s Day Derby is a fun charity event.

St Patrick’s Day Fundraising

Through the St. Patrick’s Day Derby, Cheltenham Festival raises money for Cancer Research UK. The charity race takes place on the flat over a distance of 1 mile and 5 furlongs. There are a number of iconic horse racing figures taking part in the event, so it has become a race to watch for fans.