Cheltenham Festival - the self proclaimed World Championships of Jumps Racing

What is the best way to describe an event that only really happens in 3 countries?

Breeders cup was innovative when it first started back in the 80's... there wasn't really a season culminating event whereby the best of the world came together to race for serious money. They have ruined it now by diluting it into too many categories and not having it on alternating seasons in America/Europe/Asia/Australia.



Cheltenham is a similar idea to a season culminating event whereby the winner of the Champion hurdle will be crowned the horse of the season...
But its not at the end of the season, it only happens at Cheltenham, there are too many categories.  


In all other racing there are prizes through the season that owners/trainers/jockeys want to win (Guineas/Derby/Royal Ascot/Arc) and then the breeders cup

Unfortunately, Grand national apart, I think all the big prizes are at Cheltenham.  (parochial winners apart where winning at your local track is a must)

I think sponsorship has a lot to do with it... who wants to win the bet365 cup, or the Coral Gold Cup? ..But everyone wanted to win the Whitbread or the Hennessey.

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but going back to the opening question... what were the best horses that were in their stables in France dodging Cheltenham?

That may or may not be true but plenty of GB and Irish jump horses go to France and win. I'm sure a few more from France would come to Cheltenham or Aintree if they were superior to any of ours. What about the baseball world series? No foreign team has ever entered.

Imo, the French horses, (their best ones) are not dodging..They just are not interested in coming over....Look at the prize money in French jumps racing...

And don't forget, french bread and horse who started their careers in France are generally dominant over here.

*french bread and horses. *

Jesus..lol, french bred...

Mind you,French baguettes are much tastier than British sliced bred...

Correct. We are misguided because we think if we were owners, we'd want to join the greats if our horses compete in Gold Cups, Champion Hurdles etc. The French can stay at home and win much more prize money and continue to support their own niche product the French racing industry. If I was an owner, trying to make this pay, or at least cover most of my costs, I'd be over the Channel regularly trying to bag one of their Group/Graded races.

We are also seeing that more and more as well.

British trainers seem to dodge French jump races which either means they agree with the OP that they are better over thhere but more likely because they are fixated on our programme and don't want to subject a potential Cheltenham or Aintree winner to travelling and different obstacles. Flat trainers seem more flexible.

Flat trainers on this side of the channel are going to France more often than they used....Which is wise given french flat racing to me has been struggling since a lot of the yards were struck down with virus 6 or 7 years ago..

Sageform  - the programme is relevant both here and in France....Which is maybe why the french dont take their best over here?  And as i said, why risk a horse at Cheltenham, when they can stay at home making fortunes in surroundings that suit their horses.

What happened to the Colonial Cup in the US. A lot of top-class GB trained horses won that.
There was big invitational steeplechase in Japan two or three decades ago as well. Does that still exist ?

What would stop the top British and Irish trainers setting up satellite yards in France to take advantage of the generous prize money.?

you would think that the joint trainers (Gosden/Crisford/Johnston) would have the young lad training a few in France (or Ireland)

A few already have. Amy Murphy and Tom George for just two examples. I'm surprised that more Irish trainers have not doe so. No EU issues, proven superiority in terms of horses so why not send the second best squad to France? I think that the answer lies in the rivalry between Mullis and Elliott for the trainers championship. Like Paul Nicholls in GB they are after place money as well as winners in all of the valuable races.
On the topic of Irish racing, why are there not more female riders there? After the success of Nina Carberry and Rachael Blackmore I would have expected the number to increase but there are virtually no other professionals on the flat or jumps. Stark contrast to GB and France.