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ISSUE 29

Let The Race Begin For those of us who know, The Hall of Fame Sprint, is the true opening event of each day of the Festival™. Anyone suggesting you have to wait until 1.30pm and the Skybet Supreme Novices Hurdle, has never heard the roar of our Annual Members that bravely tackle the varied terrain across Level 3 on their way to the prized seats in the Insurance Bar and beyond. There are no jumps as such, but there is a wide array of varied obstacles along the route. Those poseur tables can cause more incidents than any of the Glenfarclas Cross Country chase fences. That said, with no jumps, it’s a bumper, in the true sense of the word. As perilous as the sprint can be, for hundreds of our most loyal customers, it is a race worth competing in and it sums up the huge excitement, and of course the massive desire to watch the greatest race meeting on earth from most privileged of positions. I’ll let you into a secret. The racecourse staff, many of whom are naturally racing fans, try and do the same. I’ve often looked up in the gods of the grandstand and wondered why XYZ from the Hospitality Sales Team is standing right up there with a perfect view across the finish line as the commentator reaches crescendo. It’s a perk of the job. That said. being called to deal with a security issue in the car park at 3.25pm on Gold Cup Day is a cause for real concern. These sort of matters need dealing with very quickly, for all sorts of reasons. A point I would like to make is that the occasion is as equally exciting for our racecourse team as it is for those lining up at the turnstiles. As important as every race meeting is, these four days are what the year is about. Whilst most attendees will view success by the balance between winning and losing bets, for us it goes way beyond that. We will judge ourselves on the enjoyment our racegoers, and in particular our Annual Members have whilst soaking up the incredible atmosphere The Festival™. For those of you lining up in the Hall of Fame Sprint, best of luck. The good news is, if you lose out on Tuesday, unlike those stragglers down the field on the track, you can line up again at the start on Wednesday.

You would think it would go without saying that the residents of the Cheltenham Town would have an affinity with the trophy, and be proud of the fact that one of the greatest races on Earth has been run and won on your doorstep nearly every year since 1924. Judging by the interest being shown in the inaugural Boodles Gold Cup Community Tour, you would be absolutely correct. Literally everyone wants to get up close and personal with the Cup and putting the itinerary together ended up in the necessity to hold a ballot. Andre Klein, Cheltenham Racecourse’s Community Engagement Manager, once stood on the top of Mt Cook in New Zealand, with the Melbourne Cup trophy in the company of legendary jockey, Greg Hall who won the Australian showpiece in 1992 . Whilst the Cheltenham Gold Cup Community tour isn’t heading to those sort of heights (it might go up Cleeve Hill) the objectives of the exercise remain the same. “We want people to build an association with the Gold Cup at a different kind of level. It means so much more to people if they can see it up close and even lift it up. It’s an honour usually restricted to the race winners so in a way it is a massive privilege. I love the idea of chefs at a local pub or classes of school children lining up to have their picture taken with it. It is a memory that will last with them forever. It is the town of Cheltenham’s Gold Cup after all and the people of the town should enjoy it more than anyone!” The Boodles Gold Cup Community Tour will be become an annual event. If you wish to be part of the tour in 2023, please don’t hesitate to ask. You may have to join a long list of hopefuls in the race to secure some time in its company though!

Andre Klein On behalf of the Cheltenham Team

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Important information ahead of The Festival™.

Grandstand Seating (Insurance Bar) Grandstand seating is still available to purchase for The Festival at a cost of £340.00 for all four days. Alternatively the cost is £90.00 per day for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and £105.00 on Friday. If you do wish to purchase a seat for a guest this is possible but they must already have Club admission to the Racecourse. This will only allow your guest access to The Insurance Bar and Grandstand seating it does not permit access to any other member’s areas. Reserved Parking Reserved parking is still available both in the Hall of Fame for the rest of the season and the North entrance for all four days of The Festival. Special offer for a limited time!

Hall of Fame reserved parking space for the rest of the 2021/2022 season including The Festival™

£330 (rows A-C) £280 (rows D-J) *Limited availability

For further information or to purchase one of the above offers please contact our Membership Department on 01242 537662 or email us at cheltenham.membership@ thejockeyclub.co.uk.

31427 Cheltenham Festival 2022 Map E Outlined.pdf 1 19/02/2022 19:23

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HORSES FOR COURSES Inside information from the team who hope to guide you from nags to riches. Here are four less obvious selections for the Festival.

WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER MERCUREY

12-1

It would be no surprize if Facile Vega, the odd-on favourite, and son of Cheltenham favourite, Quevega wins the Festival’s only flat race. However, quite often the stable hotpot gets usurped by a wild card in this race and this year the jolly toppler could be Mercurey. One low key start at Gowran Park at the end of January resulted in an emphatic win. In the colours of Douvan, Annie Power, Faugheen….Mercurey could be another superstar waiting in the wings for the Riccis.

PADDY POWER STAYERS HURDLE FLOORING PORTER

5-2

Restaurant GL50, enabling you to enjoy the occasion in style. VIP access is £40pp (£400 table of 10) – Enjoy a luxurious cheese and charcuterie platter with a welcome drink on arrival and seating at the front of the theatre next to the stage. Please ring the hospitality team on 01242 806570 to book your space. Hosted by Oli Bell , the panel will include Ruby Walsh , Barry Geraghty , Emma Lavelle and Michael Shinners from Sporting Life. Cheltenham Annual Members can apply for their complimentary ticket by calling the Membership Team on 01242 5 37662. We hope very much that our Members will join the fundraising drive and make a donation on the night. It is madness that a horse that won this race unchallenged last year was available at 10-1 a few months ago after being beaten in a very strangely run Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown. He was always held by the enigmatic Klassical Dream, but to my eye at least he was making ground on him at the end. He lost nothing in defeat and only emphasised how brave, tough, willing and consistent he is. I see no reason to doubt he will relish being back at Cheltenham and I find it hard to see him being toppled even by some sturdy opposition. MARES NOVICE HURDLE LOVE ENVOI 12-1 Rumours say she might not make the line-up but if she does here is a horse that seems to have arrived somewhat under the radar. Toughened up by four starts this season, for four strong wins, Love Envoi is a very good-looking Harry Fry-trained daughter of Westerner and frankly put, she could be anything. It’s nothing unusual to see the betting for this race dominated by Mullins and Elliott but in Love Envoi you have some real value. If she doesn’t start, then Party Central is the one.

NATIONAL HUNT CHALLENGE CUP THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE 12-1 Make no mistake there will be some British winners over the four days and chances are one of them will come from the Paul Nicholls yard. The McNeill family-owned Threeunderthrufive was a comfortable winner in the Wigley Group Hampton Novices Chase (Grade 2) at Warwick in mid-January, a race that has thrown up many Festival winners in the past.

Official Festival Preview Night Join us in The Centaur on Sunday 13 March 2022 from 6.00pm for our Official Cheltenham Festival Preview Night.

All proceeds raised on the evening will be donated to our Festival Charity partner, WellChild.

The official Cheltenham Preview raises the curtain on the festivities of The Festival™. Hear the views and opinions of our expert panellists as they gallop through the form of the best races of Four Days of Extraordinary.

We are excited to announce a new VIP hospitality option supported by Daylesford, Ellenborough Park and

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Exclusive Reciprocal Meetings

Please ensure when attending a reciprocal fixture that you take your badge and pass card. You will not be granted access without them.

Friday 11 March

Leicester

Tuesday 22 March

Wetherby

Saturday 2 April

Newbury (Jumps finale)

Sunday 3 Apri

Plumpton

Saturday 9 April Saturday 9 April

Bangor-on-Dee

Newcastle Saturday 16 April (evening) Brighton Sunday 17 April Market Rasen Easter Monday 18 April Fakenham Tuesday 26 April Punchestown Saturday 30 April Uttoxeter Saturday 7 May Hexham Friday 13 May York Sunday 15 May Ripon Saturday 21 May Goodwood Thursday 26 May Great Yarmouth Monday 30 May Royal Windsor Sunday 12 June Salisbury Tuesday 14 June (evening) Beverley Friday 17 June Redcar Saturday 18 June Newmarket Sunday 26 June Cartmel Sunday 26 June

Name In T he Stand Golden Miller Champagne Bar

If one horse can take credit for making the Cheltenham Gold Cup the race it is today, Golden Miller is the one. Competing in a time when the world was in the middle of the great depression, Golden Miller lit up the hearts and souls of millions of people giving them a remedy to forget the woes they might have been experiencing elsewhere in their lives at the time. He won an incredible five Gold Cups in succession between 1932 through to 1936 and also won the Aintree Grand National in 1934, and remains to this day the only horse to have achieved the feat of winning the Cheltenham and Aintree feature races in the same year. He was owned by one of the most popular and colourful owners in racing history, Dorothy Paget, who would later own two further Gold Cup winners in Roman Hackle and Mont Tremblant. A little known fact is that Golden Miller was bred at the yard of Laurence Geraghty, grandfather of Cheltenham Festival ambassador Barry Geraghty. Golden Miller, won 29 of 52 starts. If you search British Pathe, you can watch incredible footage of him enjoying his post racing life at Dorothy Paget’s home near Stanstead. Best Listen CheltenhamFestival Radio It’s back! Cheltenham Festival Radio can be enjoyed on 87.7FM on every day of The Festival. The broadcast will be hosted by Rupert Bell with special guests Hayley Moore and Lee McKenzie. Headsets are for sale from the Information Point with all proceeds from sales going to our charity partner WellChild. You can also stream the station through The Jockey Club app or Cheltenham racecourse website, so remember to bring some headphones to stay in touch with all the latest news on the day.

Cowdray Park Polo Club

Sunday 26 June

Curragh

Sunday 3 July

Ayr

Tuesday 5 July Sunday 17 July

Pontefract

Newton Abbot

Tuesday 19 July Southwell Tuesday 26 July (evening) Worcester Friday 29 July Hickstead Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 July Cowdray Park Polo Club Saturday 30 July (evening) Hamilton Monday 29 August Epsom Downs Tuesday 6 September Catterick Saturday 10 December Chelmsford Friday 16 September Downpatrick Sunday 16 October Kempton Park Saturday 5 November Aintree Sunday 4 December Kelso Dates continue to be added to our reciprocal programme, all updates will show on our website. We will not communicate every time a reciprocal date is agreed.

CHELTENHAM.CO.UK

Special Member Offer – Weatherby’s Betting Guide The 2022 Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide, written by Paul Ferguson and Guest Authors, is the complete guide to The Festival, with every fact, stat and trend covered to help you make the most informed bets throughout the best week of the year. Last year’s guide featured gems such as APPRECIATE IT (Supreme Novices’), SIR GERHARD (Champion Bumper), GALVIN (National Hunt Chase), BOB OLLINGER (Ballymore Novices’) and TELMESOMETHINGGIRL (Mares Novices’).

To redeem this Members offer please visit weatherbysshop.co.uk/cheltenham USE PROMOCODE festival22 at the checkout for £4 off the print or digital version of the guide.

Key Features: • Now in its 23rd year • Extensive trends analysis of ALL 28 races • Positive & negative trends boxes for quick and easy referencing • Editorial from Guest authors • Detailed Analysis of the Irish challenge • Banker or Bust’ analysis of the big Festival favourites • Exclusive Aintree preview included with Grand National analysis and race by race trends for the key races from the Aintree Grand National Festival • Spring Horses to Follow section

We would like to thank all of our Members for your continued support and hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Stay up to date with the latest news and information by ensuring that we have your up to date email address and contact information. If you have any queries or concerns regarding your Membership, please contact the team on 01242 537662.

CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE Cheltenham Racecourse, Evesham Road, Gloucestershire, GL50 4SH Telephone: 01242 513 014 Ticket hotline: 0344 579 3003 Email: [email protected] THEJOCKEYCLUB.CO.UK/CHELTENHAM