It is once again time for those brave souls of the jump jockey world to grab their boots and helmets and make their way to the home of British racing for the Cheltenham Festival. The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest meeting in jumps racing, with 28 races across four days featuring the best trainers, jockeys, and horses in the sport.

Top Jockeys to Follow in 2023

Making it to the top table of the sport can be a long and winding road for jockeys. The chance to ride at the Cheltenham Festival is the ultimate goal and the jockeys mentioned below will be lucky enough to be riding some of the popular Cheltenham 2023 bets, including 6/4 Gold Cup favorite, Galopin Des Champs.

Paul Townend

Paul Townend is the champion Irish Jump jockey and has the envious position of stable jockey to the all-conquering trainer, Willie Mullins. Townend will be many people’s idea of the best Cheltenham Festival top jockey bet, and he currently heads the market at odds of 2/5.

Twice crowned Leading Rider at the Festival, Townend now has 22 Cheltenham wins to his name, and has a CV chock full of wins in the most prestigious races in the sport.

Nico de Boinville

SHISHKIN IS BACK! 🔥

Are we looking at the Ryanair winner? ✈️ pic.twitter.com/b3bQ9QmrVm

— Lucas Coppin (@Lucas_Coppin) February 18, 2023

Britain’s go-to jockey for the big races, Nico de Boinville has partnered with some of the greatest horses to ever grace the hallowed turf at Cheltenham. Thanks to his association with the legendary trainer, Nicky Henderson, de Boinville has 15 festival wins to his name and was crowned Leading Rider in 2019.

The Englishman is booked to ride a strong team of horses for Henderson again in 2023, with the likes of the rejuvenated Shiskin, Arkle Chase hopeful, Jonbon, and Champion Hurdle favorite, Constitution Hill, all ready to run big races.

Another big festival may be in store for the three-time Champion Chase winner.

Rachael Blackmore

Now one of the most recognizable faces in jump racing, Rachael Blackmore has broken down many barriers and created history on many occasions in the last few years. She is the only woman ever to have won the Aintree Grand National, and in 2021 she became the first lady rider to win a Champion Hurdle, as well as the first to be crowned Leading Rider at the Cheltenham Festival.

12 months later, Blackmore would again create history by becoming the first woman to ride the winner of the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup. Although she may not have the same quality of rides for this year’s festival, it would be strange if she were not to reach the winner’s enclosure at least once.

Townend, de Boinville, and Blackmore are just three of the top jockeys that you can expect to see at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023. The majority of races on offer throughout the week are likely to go their way, but other talented riders such as Danny Mullins, Davy Russell, and Mark Walsh, will also be hoping for their own piece of the pie. 

Every year the Cheltenham Festival meeting in Gloucestershire, England sees the best National Hunt horses from each of the respective divisions in the sport compete. It is watched around the world, and for many horse racing fans, this is the highlight of the year.

The meeting is often described as being “The Greatest Show on Turf.” Here is a look at what makes the Cheltenham Festival so special, and what there is to look forward to this year.

Cheltenham Gold Cup the Blue Riband Event

The most prestigious race at the Cheltenham Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It is scheduled for the fourth and final day of the meeting. The Grade One contest takes place over three miles, two and a half furlongs.

🏆 Rachael Blackmore makes Cheltenham Gold Cup history by becoming the first female jockey to win the great race, with the help of the relentless A Plus Tard. #RTVFlashback | #CheltenhamFestival | #9DaysToGo | @Betfair pic.twitter.com/Hcs1qlBSS3

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 5, 2023

When you look through the honors’ board of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the greatest staying chases in history have been successful in this race, including Golden Miller, Arkle, Mill House, and Kauto Star. Galopin Des Champs is one of the leading Cheltenham betting tips this year to add his name alongside those horses. He is the +150 favorite to win the 2023 renewal of the race.

28 Races Across Four Days

There are 28 races spread across four days at the Cheltenham Festival, with one Championship contest on each of those race days. All 28 contests mean a lot to every jockey, owner, and trainer competing at the meeting.

Exceptional! Al Boum Photo wins the Gold Cup again 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KG9Qsv265A

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 13, 2020

Irishman Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival. He has had an incredible 88 winners at the meeting, including two wins in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Al Boum Photo. The Irish trainer will be hoping to add to his tally in 2023 when he heads across the Irish Sea with a strong team of horses.

Prestbury Cup Battle

Although the Cheltenham Festival is primarily about individual successes, it also involves a fascinating battle between Great Britain (home team) and Ireland across the week. Those two teams compete for the Prestbury Cup, with the nation with the most winners over the four days taking the trophy.

Great Britain and Ireland both appoint a celebrity captain before the meeting to represent each nation. Those who train in Great Britain feature for the home team, while Irish trainers compete for Ireland.

Ireland has won the last three renewals of the Prestbury Cup, including in 2022 when they prevailed 18-10. They go into the 2023 meeting as the favorites to defend their trophy.

Electric Atmosphere on Course

The atmosphere across the four days at Cheltenham is often described as electric and up there with the leading sports events around the world. There is a traditional roar from the crowd when the starter lets the horses go for the opening race of the week, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Gold Cup Day is the busiest of the four days, as racing fans love to see the best 3m chasers in the sport compete for the biggest prize. It is also the afternoon when the Prestbury Cup is settled, as well as the leading jockey and trainer awards.

The 2023 Cheltenham looks set to be another thrilling renewal of the meeting and it’s likely to throw up some big storylines. 

Few people know that the word February comes from the Latin februa, meaning to cleanse. Originally named after a month-long purification festival, the second four-week cycle of the year is best known as the time of the year when people celebrate Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, and African-American History. Plus, it is in this period when the most important sporting event on US soil takes place. The Super Bowl.

Over the past three decades, people holding parties in the days leading up to the NFL championship game or during it has become an annual American tradition. The practice has reached such popularity that sites like the Hollywood Reporter and Forbes have annual Super Bowl party guides, informing people about the biggest Bowl-themed shindigs in the country come mid-February. To illustrate the grandness of some of these happenings, all one needs to mention is that in 2022, Sports Illustrated threw a Bowl-bash that cost three million, featuring names like Jack Harlow, Kygo, and Frank Walker. And in 2015, Rolling Stone magazine held a pre-game gathering where the price of admission was $4,000!

With the rise of online sportsbooks to bet on the Super Bowl, engagement levels should be higher than ever, and the number of celebrities and famous brands organizing NFL final festivities before and amidst the conclusion of the football season should go through the roof. Here is a quick rundown of what the internet believes to be five parties to take note of in 2023.

The MAXIM Super Bowl Party

The international men’s magazine that hails from the UK yet operates from New York claims it throws some of the most influential and anticipated parties year-on-year. Their happenings combine music, art, fashion, and sports, delivering functions that excite all the senses. Their 2023 Super Bowl party will go down at the Southwest Jet Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, on February 11th. Partnered with Tao Group Hospitality, Maxim brings Zedd, Loud Luxury, Offset, DJ Unkommon, and Plastik Funk for those willing to pay at least $433 to get into the Southwest Jet Center a day before the Bowl and mingle with influencers and big shots while listening to some modern, hip tunes.

Netspend Brings Shaq’s Fun House

Shaquille O’Neal is a name that needs no introduction. The legendary NBA center transcended the sport of basketball and is now one of the most endearing TV personalities on the US airwaves. In 2023, Shaq is bringing his Fun House event, part music festival and party carnival to Scottsdale, to the Talking Stick Resort, where performers such as DJ Diesel (Shaq himself), Diplo, and Snoop Dogg have gotten scheduled to appear. The event will be run by Medium Rare Live, O’Neal’s company, with all-inclusive tickets for $399 and VIP ones for $1,299. Shaq’s Fun House is now teaming up with Wynn Nightlife, so gamblers can get seating at a Table Deck that will offer a premium view of the main stage and bottle service. Betting VIP fans can claim a Super Bowl Bonus.

h.wood Homecoming

Presented by Cash App and Visa, h.wood is kicking off the Super Bowl weekend in a big way, following the Homecoming installment in Los Angeles last year that left a lasting impression on everyone who attended it. In 2023, h.wood Group Homecoming, the famed hospitality and lifestyle marketing company, aims to leave its mark on Arizona by transforming the luxury jet complex Scottsdale Hangar One into an adult playground that will showcase Drake. Held on Friday, February 10th, h.wood Homecoming in Scottsdale’s Hangar One will be produced by Uncommon Entertainment with support from Grey Goose, Taco Bell, Mezcal El Silencio, NUTRL, and Celsius. And IT will feature a star-studded guest list for this invite-only event.

Big Game Fiesta

Hosted in North Phoenix on High Street, here is a three-day concert series, with Rick Ross performing on February 9th, Flo Rida on the 10th, and Tyga on the 11th. For Super Bowl weekend, expectations are that this lineup will morph Phoenix’s outdoor entertainment district into a unique under-the-stars nightclub with a two-hundred-foot-long bar and the most massive dance floor this area’s valley has ever seen. General admission tickets run $130, while a three-day pass to the Big Game Fiesta costs $250.

Big Game at Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas Strip

Okay, here is a highly-anticipated Super Bowl celebration not occurring in the Grand Canyon State. Instead, it is thrown on Sin City’s Strip at the Hard Rock Café. It supplies a four-hour premium open bar and multiple chef-selected stations with various novel and classic game-day meal choices. The cost to get in is $300 per person, and top-shelf spirits are available for an extra charge. This is a perfect option for those who want to take in the game along with quality food and drinks.