Cheltenham Festival Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. It is an event where many of the best British- and Irish-trained horses race to an extent which is relatively rare during the rest of the season. The festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The meeting usually coincides with Saint Patrick's Day, and is particularly popular with Irish visitors. It features several Grade I races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase
Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls (born 17 April 1962) is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007–08 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money. To date, he has trained over 2000 winners, won the 2012 Grand National, four Cheltenham Gold Cups and has been crowned British jump racing Champion Trainer ten times. The son of a policeman, Nicholls was educated at Marlwood School, Alveston before leaving at 16 to take up