Most Memorable Horses At Cheltenham Festival

Over its long history, the Cheltenham Festival has been the stage for some of the greatest and most famous horses in National Hunt racing. Over the many iterations of this horse racing meeting, there has been a remarkable number of equine contestants whose performances have cemented themselves and left undeniable marks on the sport. So much so that we here at BoyleSports have selected some of the most famous Cheltenham horses who have not only thrilled fans due to their performances, but also defied the odds in the process.

Arkle

Beginning with Arkle, this horse is often regarded as being the greatest steeplechase the sport has ever seen. The Irish-bred legend dominated the Cheltenham Festival in the 1960s, becoming the first-ever horse at the festival to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup on three consecutive outings. This occurred between the years 1964 and 1966, with the extraordinary performances of this runner seeing him earn a 212 timeform rating, the highest that has ever been awarded. Although claiming victory 2 times already, it was the 1966 edition of the Gold Cup which was most dominant, winning by 30 lengths over the next closest horse.

Best Mate

Although Arkle was the first to do it, he was not the only horse to claim 3 consecutive Gold Cup victories, with modern legend Best Mate also achieving this extremely impressive feat. 2002, 2003, and 2004 saw Jim Culloty ride Best Mate to victory 3 times over, capturing the hearts of racing enthusiasts around the world thanks to its impressive consistency. However, compared to Arkle, who won by large margins, this wasn't the case with Best Mate, with his Gold Cup horse racing results often being hard-fought, a testament to both its class and tenacity.

Quevega

Moving on to one of the most dominant mares Cheltenham Festival has ever seen, Quevega claimed a record likely to be beaten any time soon. Between 2009 and 2014, this Willie Mullins-trained horse won the Mare’s Hurdle six consecutive times, becoming a fan favourite in the process thanks to her incredible consistency.

Istabraq

A master of the hurdling division specifically, Charlie Swan-ridden Istabraq won the Champion Hurdle 2 times. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, it did so 3 times consecutively, with the first victory coming in 1998. Compared to its rivals, Istabraq had an incredible turn of foot on the turf around the Cheltenham racecourse, dominating rivals thanks to this aspect alone. The only thing that stopped this runner from winning his 4th Champion Hurdle in a row was Cheltenham Festival actually being cancelled for the first time ever in 2001, denying him the chance to add another impressive win to his already remarkable record.

Big Buck’s

Between the years of 2009 and 2012, Big Buck’s became one of the most famous Cheltenham horses, winning the Stayers Hurdle four years in a row. Ridden by Ruby Walsh, one of the most iconic jockeys at the festival, this horse redefined the division, managing to go unbeaten in 18 consecutive races. This was all down to his immense stamina and tactical speed, two things that made him almost untouchable during his prime.

Kauto Star

The last of the famous Cheltenham horses we will be mentioning at Kauto Star, with this being an especially memorable contender thanks to it managing to reclaim the Gold Cup title, something which hadn’t been done previously. Winning the prestigious race for the first time in 2007, Kauto Star ultimately finished second in 2008 to fellow stablemate Denman. However, in 2009, Kauto Star bounced back in the best way possible, becoming the first runner to regain the Gold Cup.

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