At this time of year, British horse racing fans are now experiencing what is called “the road to Cheltenham”. That is to say; they are drawing ever closer to the 2023 Cheltenham Festival (14th -17th March), which is now widely considered the UK’s premier horse racing event, even beating out major flat racing festivals like Royal Ascot in terms of fan engagement and media coverage.
At this point in the calendar, several horses will go straight to Cheltenham, with trainers believing that they have done enough in the winter months, so they can rest up and prepare for the big event. Others, however, will have an outing or two in order to get battle-hardened for the four-day event in mid-March.
Below, we have picked five names; five horses that we believe may be among the protagonists at Cheltenham 2023. We have gone for narrative here, rather than prowess alone, so we haven’t simply picked a bunch of favorites from the horse racing betting odds. Regardless, we think these five might grab the headlines for a variety of reasons:
Honeysuckle
The super mare’s record reads 17 runs, with wins in 16 of those. That includes two win in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. It’s the kind of resume that only the greatest horses can put up, and it is one of the reasons that Honeysuckle – and regular jockey, Rachael Blackmore – became superstars of national hunt racing. The problem, however, is that Honeysuckle didn’t look at her imperious best in her seasonal reappearance at Fairyhouse (Ireland) in December. That meant that she has lost her tag as the favorite for the Champion Hurdle, but could she prove doubters wrong? It will cause the loudest cheer of the Festival if she does.
Galopin Des Champs
The current market leader for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the most prestigious event at the Festival. But there is something of an asterisk beside that favoritism, as Galopin Des Champs is largely untested at this level. Indeed, his performance at the Festival last year saw him stumble at the final fence when leading – by a country mile – the Turners Novices’ Chase. Errant jumping will certainly cost him in an event like the Gold Cup. On the other hand, Galopin Des Champs also looks like a once-in-a-generation horse, with a Rolls-Royce engine and supreme stamina that has made a mockery of his rivals at the elite level.
Allaho
Allaho is a wonderful horse, one that has delivered big win after big win for trainer Willie Mullins. But he has been curiously handled over the last few years. On the one hand, he has delivered two consecutive Grade 1 Ryanair Chase victories at Cheltenham, so the consensus is he goes for a third. However, his last outing was the Punchestown Gold Cup in April of last year, where he trounced the opposition. That would suggest a step up in trip to 3m or beyond is possible at Cheltenham. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Constitution Hill
We mentioned Honeysuckle earlier. The opposition she must overcome if she is to regain her status as the best hurdler in the business is Constitution Hill, a magnificent horse who looks like he has the world at his feet. He has five wins from five outings in rules races, and he has never had less than a 12-length winning distance. This sets up a wonderful narrative, touching on the UK versus Ireland, of the older master coming up against the younger student. If both horses are at their best, the Champion Hurdle could be the standout contest of the Festival.
Facile Vega
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the opening race of Cheltenham, and it is the one that is accompanied by the famous Cheltenham Roar – a great bellow from the crowd that announces the true start of the Festival. While there have been surprise winners down the years, the tone of the Festival can be set when the one to triumph is the one that the crowd wants to see take the victory. This year, that will likely be the irrepressible Facile Vega, another horse with a huge future ahead of him. He was superb in his Cheltenham debut last year, but the Supreme is a step up in class. Can he deliver to get the crowd into the mood?
