Cheltenham 2009 - Big Race Trends
Champion Hurdle
Multiple winners are not uncommon here. Istabraq won three years in a row in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and Hardy Eustace won the race in both 2004 and 2005.
Only one five year old has been victorious since 1985 (Katchit in 2008).
Runners that finished 1st or 2nd previously at the Cheltenham Festival make up 14 of the last 17 winners.
22 of the last 25 winners won last time out.
2009 Cheltenham Festival Trends Day 1
Queen Mother Champion Chase
This is normally one of the smaller fields of the meeting. Favourites and Arkle winners have a strong record.
There is a strong negative for young horses, with the only two five year old winners since 1973.
Five of the last ten Champion Chase winners had previously won at the festival over fences.
2009 Cheltenham Festival Trends Day 2
World Hurdle
The feature race of day three. Look for a horse aged between six and eight. Favourites have a better than average record and hold up horse also tend to do well.
A must for this race is a horse that has finished first, second, third or fourth last time out.
No five year old has never won the race.
An Irish trainer has not won the World Hurdle for 14 years.
2009 Cheltenham Festival Trends Day 3
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Avoid horses younger than seven or older than ten (No winner older then 10 since 1969 and 14 of the last 15 winners have been aged between 7 and 9).
Previous win or place form at the festival is a must (9 from the last 11 winners had been placed at the Cheltenham Festival previously).
Lightly raced horses hold an advantage, look for runners with less than fourteen career runs. Second season chasers and horses that have won over three miles or more are worth noting.
7 of the last 8 winners were rated 166 or bigger.
Only one horse since 1994 has won the Gold Cup after already being beaten in the race.
2009 Cheltenham Festival Trends Day 4