While Ireland has dominated the action throughout the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, there have been so many great stories to enjoy during the most prestigious race meeting in the British National Hunt (jump) racing calendar.

Irish trainer Henry De Bromhead became the first person to send out winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the same meeting, after Minella Indo narrowly beat his stable companion A Plus Tard to the Gold Cup on the final day.

Meanwhile Rachael Blackmore was crowned the meeting’s top jockey with an impressive six winners across the Festival, while the leading trainer trophy went to Willie Mullins once again, not withstanding Henry De Bromhead's outstanding achievement.

The Festival is an embarrassment of riches for racing fans with 14 Grade One races spread across the four days. The most prestigious race at the meeting is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which has been won by such iconic horses as Arkle, Golden Miller, Best Mate, Kauto Star and Denman. After winning in 2019 and 2020 Al Boum Photo’s attempt to join the elite group of horses that have won the flagship race three times in a row fell short when he finished third in 2021.

Other top races held at the festival include the Champion Hurdle (Tuesday), the Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday) and the Stayers’ Hurdle (Thursday).

The Cheltenham Festival also hosts the Festival Hunters’ Chase, formerly called the Foxhunter Chase, for amateur riders. Around the same course and distance as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it typically follows the famous race on the final day of The Festival. No amateur jockeys will be allowed to ride at the Festival due to Covid-19 restrictions in 2021, therefore all horses in the Hunters’ Chase were ridden by professionals on this occasion.

View the full Cheltenham Festival race card

Ruby Walsh has ridden 59 winners at the Cheltenham Festival and was crowned leading jockey at the Festival on 11 occasions between 2004 and 2017 before retiring in 2019. On two occasions he set the record of riding seven winners across the four-day Festival, the first time in 2009 and again in 2016.

Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to claim the leading jockey award at the Festival after riding six winners in 2021.

Golden Miller holds the record for winning the most Cheltenham Gold Cups. He won the race five years in a row, from 1932 to 1936, and in 1934 he became the only horse ever to win the Grand National at Aintree and the Gold Cup in the same season.

Cottage Rake (1948-1950), Arkle (1963-1965) and Best Mate (2002-2004) all won the race three times in consecutive years, claiming their place in the history books.

The dates of the Cheltenham Festival 2022 are Tuesday 15 March to Friday 19 March 2022.