Cheltenham Gold Cup Day

Cheltenham Gold Cup Day 13 March 26

Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Racecourse

Nothing feels quite like Cheltenham. Gold Cup Day is packed with great racing, including the 'Gold Cup Chase' the pinnacle of National Hunt Racing, with a winner's pot of £351,687

I pushed the boat out with Club Enclosure tickets (£99 PP) but well worth it with grandstand views opposite the Winning Post and full access to the Parade Ring, etc..

Cheltenham Racecourse consists of 75 acres of racing surface with 5 different tracks. It has a Chase and Hurdle course on the Old and New Courses and the Glenforclas X Country Course. During the festival 100 staff looked after the track 

Time	Race	Distance
1320	The JCB Triumph Hurdle, (Grade 1) (GBB)  for juveniles (4 yo)	2m 179 yds
1400	The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Prem H) (GBB) for 5+	2m 179 yds
1440	The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2) (GBB) for Mares	2m 4f 127 yds
1520	The Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB) for Novices	2m 7f 213 yds
1600	The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) (GBB)	3m 2f 70 yds
1640	The Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase	3m 2f 70 yds
1720	The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (GBB) for 4+ rated 0-145	2m 4f 56 yds

I was to have winners in the '1400 William Hill County Handicap Hurdle' with 'Wilful' ridden by Jonjo O'Neil in the colours of Mrs Friti Hay (£300), and in the Boodles Gold Cup Chase with 'Gaelic Warrior' ridden by Paul Townend in the colours of Rich Ricci (£80)

After arriving in a taxi from Cleeve Hill we enter the home of National Hunt Jump Racing 

Sue meets AP McCoy

20 times Champion Jockey

Best Mate won 3 consecutive Gold Cups between 2002-04

Sue in the Plaza, behind the Princess Royal Stand 

The Parade Ring towards the stands

The Guinness Village

The viewing area of the Princess Royal Stand

On Parade at the Parade Ring💂

The Parade Ring

The PR in motion

Posing next to Golden Miller who won the Gold Cup on 5 consecutive occasions from 1932-36

Apolon De Charnie trained by W Mullins and ridden by Patrick Mullins wins the JCB Triumph Hurdle at huge odds of 50:1

Opposite the Grandstand is the Best Mate Enclosure

72,000 racegoers packed into the stands for the Gold Cup

Arkle won 3 Gold Cups 1964-66. In his last win he remains the horse with the shortest odds ever for the Gold Cup at 1:10.

This year's Champion Jockey lifts the Cup

View across the Parade Ground 

In the bowels of the Grandstand 

Racecourse Art

Getting ready for the big race, come on Gaelic Warrior!

The crowd is getting excited

Atmosphere

The Hussars lead the horses on to the Gold Cup race

and they're off 🐴

Gaelic Warrior strides home to win by 8 lengths

Katie and Sue at the races

View of the Grandstand from beyond the winning post

The Grandstand in all of it's glory

The 7th and final race comes to an end, what a great day💥 Now lets get the bus and hit Cheltenham!

Ladies Day Southwell Racecourse

Ladies Day

Southwell Racecourse 

17 August 2025

It's Ladies Day at Southwell Racecourse and we're off to see the 'neddies' and maybe some Gypsie fights😆

The standard Grandstand tickets were quite reasonable as they were on the advanced saver price of £36 each

The racecourse is dual purpose for both National Hunt jump racing and Flat racing. It is also an all weather course

Time	Race	Distance
1322	Newark Advertiser Apprentice Handicap Stakes, (Cl6) for 3+	6f (about)
1352	Flame UK 10th Anniversary Trophy Nursery Handicap Stakes, (Cl5) for 2yo	6f,16 yds
1422	Ambitions Personnel Maiden Stakes, (Cl5) (Div 1) (GBB) for Maiden 3+	6f,16 yds
1452	Ambitions Personnel Maiden Stakes, (Cl5) (Div 2) (GBB) for Maiden 3+	6f, 16 yds
1522	Grace & Dotty Fedoras & Feathers Novice Stakes, (Cl5) (Div 1) (GBB) for nov 3+	1m (about)
1552	Grace & Dotty Fedoras & Feathers Novice Stakes, (Cl5) (Div 2) (GBB) for nov 3+	1m (about)
1622	Reach Flower Pod Southwell Handicap Stakes, (Cl4) for 3+	7f (about)
1652	Coopers Marquees Handicap Stakes, (Cl4) (GBB+) for 3+	1m, 4f, 14 yds
1722	Aroracing Handicap Stakes, 0-75 for 3+ purebred Arabians	1m, 3f

On arrival we do a little explore

The Picnic Area 

Enjoying a beer in the shadow of the Grandstand

What is good for the Goose!

In the midst of the Betting Hall & Bars

The Parade Ring is just behind the Grandstand

'Up the Monk' from Rutland on parade before the 1st race

The Betting Ring and the Grandstand

We settled for a spot at the far left of the Grandstand

Our view to the Winning Post

Just prior to the Novice Stakes at 1552

A chance encounter with Lee Cope

View from the Winning Post

The 1652 'Coopers Marquees Handicap Stakes'

The final Race was only open to pure bred Arabs. This is 'Hattie Sparks' owned by Mrs Sheila Collington

Randox Grand National

Randox Grand National Day 5 April 2025

The Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase

Aintree Racecourse

At long last we made the journey up to Merseyside to witness the Grand National, the greatest national Hunt horse race of them all. The race is a gruelling 4 miles, 2 furlongs and 74 yards long, with the horses having to jump 30 fences which are at least 4 foot tall and are rigid structures. Fences such as 'Becher's Brook', 'the Chair' and 'Canal Turn' have become infamous in their own right. Today's race is the 177th Grand National with last year's champion 'I Am Maximus' coming back to defend his title. 

Time	Race	Distance
1320	The William Hill Handicap Hurdle Race, (Cl1) (Prem HC) (GBB)	3m 149 yds, 13 Hurdles
1355	The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle Race, (Cl1) (Grade 1) (GBB)	2m 4f, 11 Hurdles
1430	The William Hill Handicap Steeple Chase, (Cl1) (Prem HC) (GBB)	3m 210 yds, 19 Fences
1505	The Ivy Liverpool Hurdle Race, (Cl1) (Grade 1) (GBB)	3m 149 yds, 13 Hurdles
1600	The Randox Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase (Cl1) (Prem HC) (GBB)	4m 2f, 74 yds, 30 Fences
1700	The Rosccon Group Maghull Novices’ Chase (Cl1) (Grade 1) (GBB)	1m 7f,176 yds,12 Fences
1735	The Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Cl1) (Grade 2) (GBB)	2m. 209 yds

I really pushed the boat out for this one and went for 2 tickets in the Lord Daresbury Roof which set me back £165

After getting dropped off by our hostess from Birches Brow to Aughton Town Green train station. We then managed to get the train to Aintree before the first race at 1320

Outside the Princess Royal Stand which was opened in 1998 just before the 98 Grand National by the Princess Royal herself. Famous for the Royal Suite on the 4th floor 

Our Stand gives easy access to the Red Rum Garden

The Famous Bronze Statue of Red Rum

Take 2

Red Rum is the most famous race horse in history, winning the Grand National three times in 1973, 1974 and 1977. Runner Up in 1975 and 1976, he was renowned for his jumping ability. and never fell in over 100 races

The Parade Ring and the Lord Sefton, Earl of Derby and Queen Mother Stands in the background

Earl of Derby and Queen Mother Stands along the home straight

Earl of Derby County FC

The course looking out to the Embankment

The Gorgeous Mrs H

The Lord Daresbury Stand is the oldest stand at Aintree Racecourse and offers views directly opposite the finishing line. It was in place when the Formula1 British Grand Prix was located at Aintree between 1955-62

A great day of racing ahead

1505: The Liverpool Hurdle Race

Our view of the Winning Post

The National is up next

The views out to Melling Road are stunning

Another capacity crowd at Aintree (72,000 +)

The Grand National starters getting lined up on the bend 

1600: The Grand National

The sad moment when No 23, 'Broadway Boy' falls at the 25th fence, suffering fatal injuries. The oldest horse in the race No 31, 'Celebre D'Allen' also collapsed but recovered.  

No 3 'Nick Rockett' ridden by Patrick Mullins is crowned the Grand National Winner 2025 after holding off last year's champion 'I am Maximus' by 2.5 lengths.

The after Party in the Red Rum Garden

Craig David gets the party going 

Craig David - A Lovely Day

... and the train journey back to Maghull