Cheltenham Festival memories: We want your favourite memories

Before my time there was Arkle and Flyingbolt, horses that raised the bar so high in terms of ratings that nothing to have graced a racecourse since has got within even hailing distance.

That’s not to say we’ve been short of magic over the years. Think back to the Golden Age of Hurdling to Night Nurse, Sea Pigeon and Monksfield, and a support cast that contains names that still resonate to this day.

To Michael Dickinson’s glorious reign in the early 1980s which culminated in a 1-2-3-4-5 in the Gold Cup. See You Then appeared fleetingly to win three Champion Hurdles, Bobsline beat Noddy’s Ryde in a Sporting Life Arkle battle they still talk about on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Istabraq lit up four Festivals for Aidan O’Brien, Ireland and JP McManus, a man whose contribution to the sport of National Hunt racing is in itself a thing of legend.

Baracouda turned the Stayers’ Hurdle into his own for the owner and France before Inglis Drever and Big Buck’s wrestled it back for the home team and kept hold with vice-like grips.

Kauto Star and Denman were neighbours at home but rivals on the track and brought Battle Buses and legions of fans to their Gold Cup clashes where the likes of Imperial Commander and Long Run were around to underline the fact these were halcyon days.

There was Best Mate and three Gold Cups for Hen, Terry and the two Jims. Moscow Flyer lit up a two-mile division that was as deep as it’s ever been, Sprinter Sacre produced two performances at Cheltenham that rivalled any since the Irish behemoths of the 1960s – and then clambered off the canvas for one final hurrah after a spell in the wilderness. The Impossible Dream indeed.

Danoli raised the roof and Master Minded briefly the boundaries of two-mile chasing. Norton’s Coin stunned the sport – if not connections – by winning a Gold Cup, One Man twice failed to snare chasing’s blue riband but then dropped back to two miles and had an unforgettable day in the sun in the Champion Chase.

Desert Orchid got up, as did Dawn Run – both races and commentaries that will replayed through time immemorial. Great days all, but there have been countless others that don’t even make that list.

And we want to know your favourite.

If you could nominate one moment as being your Cheltenham Festival highlight over the years, what was would it be and why?

Email feedback@sportinglife.com or head over to our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/sportingliferacing to join in the debate.

We'll publish your comments below.

John Latimer: So many memories but the first one as a student stands out in 1966. Three days of great racing starting with Flyingbolt winning the Champion Chase very easily. Wednesday saw Flyingbolt favorite for the Champion Hurdle and going to the third last in front. But Salmon Spray, with my small wager, stalking him with Johnny Haine, a specialist hurdles jockey, on board. A good leap at the last and Salmon Spray came home three lengths ahead. Thursday was Arkle in the Gold Cup with the famous incident at the fence turning into the final circuit where he didn't come up but somehow got over and kept his jockey. The Irish say it was a leprechaun that saved him.

Steve Miller, London N14: I’ll always remember seeing Arkle win his third Gold Cup in 1966, when I was just ten on one of my first visits to a racecourse, and have been hooked ever since. Arkle had never fallen, his jumping was effortless but, as he approached the eleventh, he seemed only to see the fence a fraction of a second before he met it. Barely rising at it he hit the fence with the force of a Sherman tank, the packed birch flying in all directions, smashing a gaping hole through the obstacle. Yet Arkle barely flinched as he breasted his way through it. His stride pattern seemed barely disturbed and he flew the next (an open ditch) with all the exuberance of a leaping gazelle. From then on he simply went about grinding the opposition into the ground. The great horse jumped the last unchallenged and charged up the Cheltenham hill to win his third Gold Cup by a record 30 lengths!

The most memorable steeplechaser I have seen since then was Denman. In the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup he simply knocked the stuffing out of the opposition, leaving them stumbling about like new-born giraffes in his wake. In putting his field to the sword (including stablemate Kauto Star) he had won 14 of his 15 starts (including nine chases). If not the best in purist terms (in deference to the likes of Arkle and Sprinter Sacre) Denman was my favourite steeplechaser. I was mesmerised over six seasons by a racehorse that defied logic and confounded the sceptics. A true heavyweight champion for the modern era.

Andrew Pelis: As a little boy in 1979, I already had a love of racing and a knowledge of a few racehorse names.

I remember running home from school to watch Playschool and turning on the television to see a snow storm and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Tied Cottage quickly built up a huge advantage and the camera struggled to keep the field in shot because he was so far clear and because of the blizzard.

Coming down the hill for the final time, two challengers emerged out of the pack: Alverton and Royal Mail.

It was Alverton and Jonjo O'Neill who joined Tied Cottage at the last.

I desperately wanted to see Tied Cottage, with his big sheepskin noseband prevail, but he knuckled over on landing and Alverton was left to gallop through the snowflakes to a wide margin win.

The second and third home would play their own drama on an even bigger stage, two years later, with Royal Mail finishing ahead of Aldaniti in the Gold Cup. Night Nurse's bid to add a Gold Cup to his two Champion Hurdles, floundered in the snow.

This race taught me so much about racing and it's tough nature but the drama of the way the race was run, it's ending and the snowstorm, always stuck with me and set the imagination on fire.

Jeff Parkes: Danoli - 1994 Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle. The Irish at Cheltenham was always a sight to behold, yet never more so than the year of Danoli. They had a few fancied runners that year on the Tuesday, but no winners. Sound Man lined up jolly in the Supreme, a tremendous horse who would go on to win a brace of Tingle Creek's. Yet he would never quite finish off a race up the hill at the Festival, not here, nor in two subsequent attempts.

In the get out stakes, the same Sound Man combo of Eddie O'Grady and Charlie Swan had Gimme Five. Yet this one was owned by JP, and JP was wearing his punting boots. The crowd followed suit and the horse went from 10s to 4/1, the price in the end, beared little resemblance to his chance in a 32 runner Pertemps Final. Wearing first time blinkers the horse ran away with Charlie Swan, both down to the start and in the race it's self. Disaster.

I attended most Festivals in the 90's an Englishman up from London for the three days. We would stay in town and enjoy the craic in the evenings. And as that Tuesday night wore on, a plan was emerging from the hoards of Irish punters. Danoli or bust, meaning : Danoli or the early ferry home Wednesday. It sounded like a desperate plan, yet as the pints flowed so did the belief, by the end of the night everyone went to bed happy, dreaming of the resurrection.

Tom Foley made the trip over with Danoli and the ride in an aeroplane was a first for both, it had turned his stomach with worry. Now, after the first day disaster of the Irish and the financial recovery plan built around his horse, he could feel the weight of a nation.

In a big field Charlie Swan stayed out of trouble and fairly prominent, the horse jumped into the lead four out and was travelling well. Up the hill, Corrouge in second started to find for Carl Llewellyn. And yet each time Danoli found a bit more, the crowd responded with a roar, and the roar seemed to propel the horse to find more, and so on and so forth to the line.

The first thing I saw after Danoli's win was a Priest kissing the turf, the feeling of relief was everywhere, the stupid plan had paid off.

G'wan Danoli ya good thing!

Peter Bredhauer: In 2010 we travelled all the way from Australia to attend the Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival. I always thought our Melbourne Cup that stops a nation was electrifying.

But to see you jolly fine English gentry and with a wee little bit of help from the Irish do it four days in a row was amazing. The win by Imperial Commander and the following celebrations was brilliant, I will never forget the experience of going to Cheltenham.

Good luck to you all in 2021.

Mark Beal: My festival highlight must be Norton coin winning the gold Cup because I went and said to my family. I think Norton coin is worth a little bit each way but they just all looked at me. After the race they asked how much did you have on.The irony of it all is I once went to the grand national and met barney curley and he said what do you fancy. I said little polvier. So the 2 times I went to a big race I had a 100/1 and a 50/1.Dont often drink champagne but did that day

Chris Anthony: The 2002 Champion Chase was the race that really got me hooked on the sport. The winner Flagship Uberalles barely travelled a yard but got the better of Cenkos just after the last in what seemed to be the most stamina sapping two miler I've seen. And absolute drama at the second last when Latalomne crashed out having centred down the hill. Magic stuff and the best ride Richard Johnson has ever given a horse he was exhausted at the finish.

Michael Gough: To be present when the master trainer Martin Pipe and the master jockey Tony McCoy enabled the monster public gamble on Unsinkable Boxer.

Genius at work.

Darren Ashworth: Badsworth Boy.

Moscow Flyer , Pearlyman , Master Minded , Sprinter Sacre all 2 mile legends who could not achieve a hat trick of QM Chase wins. One horse and and one horse only has this accolade ,Altior may have something to say about this a week on Wednesday. In 1985 Badsworth Boy won by 10 lengths ,amazingly the narrowest of his 3 wins. His main rival Bobsline fell , they were both travelling powerfully , but jumping is everything for 2 mile speedsters. I believe his trainer stated he was his best horse , that tells you everything.

Ian H: I Have had Many Great Memories of the Festival over the years But two Have left me with that Wow Factor spine tingling Moment .

89 When Dessie was Passed by mud lover Yahoo around the final bend and Looked Like He was Well spent on Ground He Loathed with two to jump and a hill to climb. The Crowds Roar On Course Lit him up Again and the Bravest Horse Ever to Grace a Saddle Blatantly Refused to Lose. Sprinting Away from The Last to win going away. Nominated for Sports Personality and As popular as Gazza.

Equally as Amazing And Similar in the Sense of Attitude Was A.P Aboard Wichita Lineman - Will Hill Trophy Day one 09, I Stood to Profit A Four Figure Return if The Champ could Nurse Him Round to Victory But When He Jumped through the 9th Fence and took out The Railings and AP Had to Drag him Of the Floor Unseated or a refusal Looked the likely Outcome as he ploughed through Every other fence on the Final Circuit, On this Occasion AP refused to Lose On a Horse that Had his own Ideas About the game ,Getting Lineman up on the Line Was A "What Have we just Witnessed" Moment and national Hunts Equivellent to The Four Min Mile, Ronnie's 5 Mins Maxie or Phil Taylors Two Nine Darters In the Same Game. ...Unbelievable Fitness Level's and A Refuse to lose Will to Win That Only The Elite Sportman/Woman Possess..

My Two Unforgettable Festival WoW! Moments.