Cheltenham Parks Lido is the home of Cheltenham Swimming and Water Polo Club. Cheltenham Festival is a significant National Hunt racing meeting, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National. It is an event where many of the best British and Irish trained horses race against each other, the extent of which is relatively rare during the rest of the season. The festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse. The meeting is often very popular with Irish visitors, mostly because of that nation's affinity with horse racing, but also because it usually coincides with St. Patrick's
Long Run (horse) Commander (who pulled up), Denman, and Kauto Star. Returning in the 2011/12 National Hunt season, Long Run finished second to Kauto Star in both the Betfair Chase and the King George VI Chase, with Kauto Star winning the latter for the fifth time. Long Run had another clash with Kauto Star in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He went into the race 7-4 favourite and with Kauto Star recovering from injury. However, both horses were upstaged by JP McManus' horse Synchronised, who won the race by 2 and a quarter lengths from The Giant Bolster, with Long Run finishing in