“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a boy or a girl, it doesn’t matter who you are, if you want something and you’ve got the support, then go on and keep kicking and doing it.”
Those were the words of Briony Frost who joined Lizzy Kelly and Rachael Blackmore in each having ridden winners at the Cheltenham Festival yesterday.
Horse racing is one of the few sports where men and women compete against each other on an equal basis and these three asre lighting up the sport as a beacon of equal opportunity.

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It’s the most wide open race for the Holland Cooper sponsored Top Jockey title in years with seventeen different riders having scored at least one win and only four having managed to nab a second.

Barry Geraghty and Mark Walsh are flying the flag for Ireland being among that four but it is all to play four on the final day.

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Irish content agency Fifty-Three six led by Tom Fox and Marcus McDonnell were commissioned by Bet365 to do a piece of content to stir the blood ahead of and throughout the Festival.

They succeeded admirably with this video capturing in images and thoughts of leading players in the sport just what makes the meeting so special.

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Yesterday’s crowd on ‘St Patrick’s Thursday’ came to 67,821, a new record figure since The Festival became a four-day extravaganza in 2005.  The attendance was up 1,439 on the same day in 2018, which saw 66,382 stream through the gates.
 
Wednesday’s attendance of 59,209 was a new record for the second day of The Festival since the meeting switched to a four-day format in 2005.  Last year’s total on Ladies Day came to 58,959.
 
There was also a record crowd on the opening day of The Festival 2019, with 67,934 attending Champion Day.  Last year’s attendance on the Tuesday came to 66,632, with the previous record for the day being 67,770 in 2016.

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We have had one winner from our six selections so far having gazed into the crystal ball at Sport for Business HQ.  Topofthegame was a 5.5 chance so we are just marginally behind in financial terms.

Here are our three horses that we think will give a good run for your money on today’s closing day.

The opening race can go to Joseph O’Brien with Sir Erec.  Birchdale has a strong chance in the 2.50 and our selection in the main race of the meeting, the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup at 3-30 is Clan Des Obeaux.

Best of luck and enjoy the day if you are there or if you get a chance to see the action.

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