Last Updated; 15/02/2009

Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th March 2009

Excitement is building now that most of the major trials are behind us and all roads lead to Cheltenham. The roar of the crowd as the tapes rise for the first race of the Festival each year tells you everything you need to know, 12 months of waiting is over!

Well over £500 million will be wagered on the outcome of the 26 races. Total Prize Money in 2009 is £3.56m, an astonishing average of almost £140,000 for each Festival race.

The feature race on Tuesday is The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, the most sought after prize anywhere for 2 miles hurdlers. The Irish have won seven of the last ten runnings of this historic contest, but Katchit led home a 1,2,3 for Britain in 2008.

Wednesday sees the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase take centre stage, as the best two mile chasers produce a fast and furious contest over the famous Cheltenham fences. For many, this is the most exciting race of the year and Master Minded produced one of the greatest performances of the modern era in 2008. In 2009, Wednesday will have seven races for the first time since The Festival became a four day meeting.

On Thursday, the long distance hurdlers contest The Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Only the brave and the strong prevail in this three mile contest. Inglis Drever made history by winning the race for the third time in 2008. The Ryanair Chase is another Grade 1 highlight on Thursday, which will once again be Ladies Day.

Then comes Friday and the highlight of the entire Jump season: the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. This is the race that every owner trainer and jockey dreams of winning and it takes a very special horse to win more than once.

Denman led home Kauto Star and Neptune Collognes in a Paul Nicholls-trained 1,2,3 in 2008 and will be looking to add his name in 2009 to those of legends Golden Miller, Arkle and Best Mate as multiple winners of Jumping's Blue Riband event.