Jump racing is back, and with it comes the excitement and anticipation of the Cheltenham Festival. March 2024 is still well in the distance, but once the best horses in the jumping game make their returns to action, the Cheltenham Festival is what dominates the minds of those involved in the sport.
Trainers, jockeys, and owners have waited all summer to unveil their jump racing stars, with the latter, in particular, having been counting down the days to when they can see their equine heroes return to action.
Living the dream 🤩
Watch Corach Rambler's syndicate owners as they experience the biggest thrill of their lives from start to finish in the Grand National.
🎥 @AintreeRaces
— Great British Racing (@GBRacing) April 16, 2023
The Excitement Of Ownership
Although it is the trainers and jockeys that take the limelight in racing, it is the owners that keep the industry running, and it is they that enjoy the greatest excitement of seeing a horse circle the track in their colours.
Whether they be sole owners or those with racehorse shares involved in syndications, all owners’ hearts skip an extra beat as they see their equine investments take on the best of the rest at places like the Cheltenham Festival.
Although they may not be involved in the day-to-day preparations of the horses, owners are afforded the chance to see behind the scenes from time to time, with lucky syndicate members getting to visit the training yards, talk to the people who do the hard work in the background and even get to watch their horses putting in the hard yards on the training gallops.
Even as they watch their horses being put through their paces on the gallops, the owners are dreaming of seeing that same horse cross the line in front at Cheltenham.
Horses To Look Out For This Season
Constitution Hill
If you have even just the smallest passing interest in horse racing, then you will certainly have heard of the brilliant, Constitution Hill. The best horse in the jump racing world today, Constitution Hill is unbeaten over hurdles and was breathtaking in winning last season’s Cheltenham Champion Hurdle by 9 lengths.
If you watch one horse this year, make sure it’s Constitution Hill!
Galopin Des Champs
If Constitution Hill is the king of the hurdling sphere of jump racing, then the chasing equivalent is the Irish-trained, Galopin Des Champs. Last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is an awe-inspiring specimen, big, bold, and full of fighting spirit, he is a credit to his trainer, Willie Mullins, and his lucky owner, Audrey Turley.
Corach Rambler
Last season’s Aintree Grand National winner, Corach Rambler, is another to keep an eye out for in the 2023/24 campaign. A Grand National defence will be at the top of his agenda, but there is the exciting possibility that the Scottish-trained horse could take on the aforementioned, Galopin Des Champs, at Cheltenham.
Corach Rambler has been victorious at the past two Cheltenham Festivals, so he may well deserve to take his chance in the Gold Cup this year. He will have to recover from a poor return to action last month, but he has always been a quirky character and he always seems to save his best for Prestbury Park every March.
These are just three horses worth watching as the jump racing season picks up a full head of steam, and now that the rain has softened the ground to the required standard for trainers, jockeys, and owners, expect to see these and many more of the sport’s biggest names make their returns soon.
