2004 |
The multi-million-pound Centaur centre is ready in time for the 2004 National Hunt Festival. It includes a 2,200-seat arena and another 4,000 to the capacity of the 50,000 course on race days. The centre also provides Cheltenham with an arena big enough for pop concerts for 6,000 people. |
2003 |
The new National Hunt season opens with more than 25,000 tickets already sold for the 2004 Festival. |
2003 |
Best Mate completes an historic double by winning the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second year running. |
2002 |
It is announced that prize money for the new season at Cheltenham will break the £4 million barrier for the first time, with more than half the money is attached to the Festival meeting in March. There are also plans to extend the meeting from three to four days from 2005. |
2002 |
Work starts on a multi-million redevelopment at the course. |
2002 |
Tickets for 2002 Gold Cup Day sell out in record time. |
2002 |
Ambitious plans are announced for a £15 million redevelopment scheme at the racecourse including a new purpose-built arena and widening of the course to increase crowd capacity from 50,000 to 54,000. |
2001 |
After being postponed from March until after Easter as a result of foot and mouth restrictions, the Festival is cancelled for the first time in 50 years. |
1997 |
The £10 million Tattersalls grandstand and Panoramic Restaurant opens. |
1996 |
The luck of the Irish strikes gold with seven Festival winners from the Emerald Isle, the best Irish tally since 1977. |
1993 |
Cheltenham Hall of Fame exhibition opens, a display of the history of racing at Prestbury Park featuring a gallery of truly great Gold Cup winners including multiple winners Easter Hero, Golden Miller, Arkle and L’Escargot. |
1992 |
New parade ring opens with 25 open boxes and facilities to accommodate up to 1,000 spectators. |
1989 |
A £5 million grandstand extension opens, with standing room under cover for 2,000 people and seating for an extra 300. There are also restaurants, boxes and entertainment rooms. Later the same year a £1 million stable block for 160 horses is completed at the racecourse entrance. |
1981 |
Work begins on a new landscaped paddock, weighing room and permanent facilities for the tented village. |
1979 |
After substantial investment and improvement of facilities during the 1960s work begins on new £30 million stands. |
1959 |
The first Queen Mother Champion Chase takes place, named in honour of the keen royal racing fan and trainer who makes the meeting a must on her engagements calendar until past her 100th birthday. |
1949 |
The Festival meeting, by now extended to three days and the highlight of the National Hunt season, becomes popular with Irish punters following Vincent O’Brien’s Gold Cup success with Cottage Rake. |
1934 |
Golden Miller becomes the only horse ever to win the Aintree Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season. Affectionately known as ‘The Miller’, this amazing horse wins a record total of five Gold Cup races between 1932 and 1936. |
1927 |
The first Champion Hurdle was run over two miles. |
1924 |
The first Gold Cup Steeplechase is won by Red Splash with prize money of £685. |
1904 |
The course is established as a major racing venue when the first four-mile National Hunt Steeplechase is run there. |
1902 |
Big crowds attend a two-day Cheltenham Festival to mark the reopening of the Prestbury Park course. |
1898 |
Mr Baring Bingham buys the course and racing is re-established in the town. He builds a grandstand and erects rails around the course. |
1865 |
The first course at Prestbury Park is mapped out. |
1845 |
Racing in Cheltenham resumed with the first ever steeplechase from Noverton Lane across country to the Hewletts. |
1829 |
After several years of warning local congregations of the evils of gambling, Cheltenham's parish priest, the Rev Francis Close, leads protest demonstrations at the course in which rocks and empty bottles are thrown at the horses and riders. The following year the grandstand is burned down. |
1819 |
The first official three-day event takes place. Winner of the 100 guinea prize for the first Gold Cup race held over three miles is Spectre. |
1818 |
The first official race meeting takes place. The winner is Miss Tidmarsh, a five-year-old bay mare. |
1815 |
Racing first begins on Nottingham Hill above Bishop’s Cleeve. |
