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Cheltenham Racecourse: The World Capital of Jumping
Cheltenham Racecourse is unquestionably the home of National Hunt horse racing in Britain. Cheltenham Racecourse is located on the northern outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (in the suburban village of Prestbury).
Cheltenham Racecourse exact address is:
Cheltenham Racecourse
Prestbury Park
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50 4SH
Cheltenham Racecourse hosts an average of about 16 fixtures each year. Among the most notable races held at Cheltenham Racecourse are the following:
- Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Champion Hurdle
- Queen Mother Champion Chase
- World Hurdle
- Triumph Hurdle
- Royal & SunAlliance Chase
- Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle
National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse is famous for the National Hunt Festival held in March of each year. The most famous of the races held during this Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race in the UK for five-year-old and above horses run over a distance of 3 miles 2½ furlongs (5,331 metres). A total of twenty-two fences are to be jumped in the race.
Cheltenham Racecourse hosts an estimated 50,000 people when they gather to watch the best horses and jockeys from all over the world vie for what is considered the Olympic Games of jumping.
It was first run in 1924, and is the most prestigious chase in the UK. The very first running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by Red Splash ridden by Dick Rees and the first prize money was only £685.
Location
Cheltenham Racecourse is situated in a natural amphitheatre just below the escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at Cleeve Hill, with a maximum capacity of 67,500 spectators. As such, Cheltenham Racecourse fans and visitors are treated to great scenery. Cheltenham Racecourse has its own railway station, which is the southern terminus of the preserved Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.
The Centaur, one of the largest auditoria in the South West of England, is located at Cheltenham Racecourse. The Centaur is a multi-purpose facility, has a 2,000 person seating capacity, and about 4,000 standing capacity. Cheltenham Racecourse's Centaur is the host of the Greenbelt festival, which is the largest Christian arts and music festival in the world. It is normally held during the last bank holiday weekend in August.
Cheltenham Racecourse History
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The 1990s was a period of great change for Cheltenham Racecourse. The new stables complex was opened in 1990, the Pre-Parade Ring was used for the first time in 1992 and the Hall of Fame Entrance opened in 1993. In 1995, the Cross Country Course was opened while in 1997, the old Tattersalls Grandstand was replaced with tiered viewing.
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