Excitement is mounting for this year’s Cheltenham Festival in the Cotswolds.

The festival, commencing on March 12th, spans four days and features a total of 28 races, including 14 Grade 1 events. This highlight of the National Hunt calendar is eagerly anticipated by fans ready to immerse themselves in the racing action.

The pinnacle of the season unfolds at the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March, spanning Tuesday to Friday. This 28-race spectacular showcases the best of jumps racing.

Key highlights include the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle, and the crowning event on Friday, the Gold Cup. However, the entire Festival is brimming with high-quality races and some of the sport’s most prestigious prizes.

The Festival kicks off with the iconic roar that greets the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, marking one of the most historic meetings in the world of racing.

At the heart of the Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the ultimate prize in National Hunt racing, revered by jockeys, trainers, and enthusiasts alike.

Rachael Blackmore, who captured the spotlight in 2022, continued her success at the 2023 Festival by leading Honeysuckle to a second victory in the Mares’ Hurdle, marking the mare’s final race.

Willie Mullins, maintaining his status as the leading trainer with a dominant presence over the past several years, will be attending the festival with a strong lineup, including notable names like Lossiemouth, Ballyburn, El Fabiolo, and Galopin Des Champs, the favorite for the Gold Cup.

Key contenders returning to the festival include Marine Nationale, the favorite for the 2024 Arkle following a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle win, and Allaho, seeking a third consecutive victory in the Ryanair Chase following wins in 2022 and 2023.

The Champion Hurdle on Tuesday stands out as the marquee race, with Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill aiming for back-to-back wins. State Man poses as a notable rival, having been defeated only by Constitution Hill in the previous year’s race.

Wednesday’s Ladies’ Day promises an exciting showdown between El Fabiolo and Jonbon in the Champion Chase, with El Fabiolo being the favorite following an Arkle win.

Thursday features two Championship races, including the Ryanair Chase where Allaho aims for a third win, and a competitive Stayers’ Hurdle with Irish Point and Teahupoo as joint favorites.

Concluding the festival on Friday, the Cheltenham Gold Cup stands as the pinnacle event. Last year’s winner Galopin Des Champs, despite facing challenges, is favored to win again, bolstered by a commanding performance at Leopardstown.

Who are the top Cheltenham Trainers to follow?

Willie Mullins, the esteemed trainer from Closutton, has achieved an extraordinary feat with 94 winners at the Cheltenham Festival throughout his career. This tally includes three Gold Cups, thanks to Al Boum Photo and last year’s victor, Galopin Des Champs.

Mullins was the top trainer at last year’s Festival, boasting six winners. Several of these champions are expected to return triumphantly at this year’s event, including El Fabiolo, Impaire Et Passe, Lossiemouth, and Galopin Des Champs.

Mullins is set to send a powerful contingent to Prestbury Park this March, potentially featuring Tullyhill, last year’s Champion Bumper runner-up, Facile Vega, the 2022 Champion Bumper winner, State Man, who is Constitution Hill’s closest rival, and Lossiemouth, the recent International Hurdle winner.

The chances of Mullins reaching a landmark 100 Festival winners this year are increasingly promising.

Nicky Henderson is widely regarded as Britain’s most skilled trainer for the Cheltenham Festival, with a remarkable 72 winners to his name at the March event.

His most notable winners include Gold Cup champion Long Run, Sprinter Sacre, and Altior, both two-time Champion Chase winners.

Another standout is the seemingly invincible Constitution Hill, who clinched last year’s Champion Hurdle impressively and is the favorite to repeat the feat this March.

Joining Constitution Hill at this year’s Festival could be Supreme Novices’ Hurdle contender Jeriko Du Reponet, Jonbon in the Champion Chase, and Shishkin, who recently returned to form with a win in the G2 Denman Chase at Newbury, now eyeing the Gold Cup.