Cheltenham Festival: Nigel Farage arrives by helicopter on Gold Cup day
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at Cheltenham. Tom Ward live updates
14 March 2025 • 11:46am
12:32PM
Galopin can join the greats
"He looks like a very similar horse to Best Mate"
Galopin Des Champs can join a list of horse racing greats today. But has he got enough credit for his career so far? 💭 #ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @olibellracing | @AP_McCoy pic.twitter.com/AgAGybF0ZS
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 14, 2025
12:25PM
Wiuth an hour to go...
...until the first race on Gold Cup day, let's take a look at the market for the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.20).
East India Dock 6/4F
Lulamba 5/2
Hello Neighbour 5/1
Blue Lemons 14/1
Lady Vega Allen 14/1
Mondo Man 22/1
Gibbs Island 25/1
Larzac 40/1
50/1 Bar
12:15PM
I'm just going to...
...leave this here and let you all make your own judgement.
Ex-Arsenal & England star David Bentley is having a fantastic time at the Cheltenham Festival 🤣 🐎 pic.twitter.com/NAOO7vKw2S
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) March 13, 2025
Never a bad time to remember this though...
12:14PM
A famous(ish) faces...
12:04PM
Crouchy gets em in – sort of
Paddy Power once again struck the best PR coup at the festival, with their latest stunt seeing Peter Crouch forced to fork out for 1,000 pints in the Guinness Village. The Premier League striker announced during an ITV Racing interview on Thursday that he had 'a bet with Paddy' to effectively pay for £7,800 round if there was an Irish winner in Stayers' Hurdle. Later on, footage emerged of Crouch, who has a lucrative advertising deal with the bookmaker, handing out the pints after Bob Olinger won the race, trained in Ireland.
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12:03PM
Move in the County Hurdle market
The County Hurdle (2.00) is one of the toughest betting heats of the week, with virtually a case to be made for every horse in it. With that in mind, it is worth noting a move for one at the top of the market.
Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: 'We're delighted to be back sponsoring at the Festival and the William Hill County Hurdle looks a wide-open affair. The one punters seem to want to side with is Joseph O'Brien's Lark In The Mornin, who won the Fred Winter at last year's Festival and has shortened into 4/1 from 5/1.
'History is set to be made at around ten-past four this afternoon if Galopin Des Champs can land a historic third Gold Cup, but at 4/7 he's prohibitively short for most punters and we've seen each-way money for William Hill ambassador Gavin Cromwell's Inothewayurthinkin, who is 13/2 from 7/1.
'Money has also come for another William Hill ambassador's runner in the Albert Bartlett (3:20), with Lucinda Russell's Derryhassen Paddy now 8/1 from 11/1.'
11:57AM
Just one arrest
There has been just one arrest – for assault – at the racecourse so far this week after signs were put up in various spots urging revellers to show 'respect'. 'We responded to a report that a man had been assaulted on Wednesday (12 March) sustaining an injury to his head,' a Gloucestershire Police statement says. 'A 46-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of common assault in connection with the incident. He has since been released from custody after being issued with a conditional caution.'
11:50AM
Connections of the big-race favourite
"It's out of this world"
The connections of Galopin Des Champs speak to Sally Ann ahead of their attempt at history this afternoon 🗣️ #ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival | @sagrassick pic.twitter.com/zz45TA2XZ3
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 14, 2025
11:47AM
'The most adorable day'
Nigel Farage has arrived by helicopter with an entourage. 'The atmosphere, the people, I've been coming over 40 years,' he told reporters of his love for Cheltenham. 'It's just the most adorable day.' Asked what he thought of gambling, he replied: 'I love it.'
11:47AM
National treasure....
....Mary Berry arrives. Hope the caterers don't serve a dry sponge – there may well be hell to pay if they do.
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In a training career spanning 46 years, Easterby won major races at all the premier meetings under both codes – Cheltenham, Aintree, Royal Ascot, York and Doncaster. When he handed the reins to his son, Tim, in 1996, the only real change was the name on the licence as it was basically business as usual. It was a move typical of him that with a younger man at the helm, it would give Habton Grange stables in North Yorkshire the impetus, if any was needed, as the millennium approached. The transition was not only seamless, but barely noticeable with the winners being churned out as they always had been. Easterby, christened Miles Henry, had the rare achievement of sending out more than 1,000 winners under both codes, having taken up training in 1950 following the completion of his National Service. His career ran parallel for decades with his brother Mick, two years his junior. The pair have been giants of the racing scene in Yorkshire – and reputed to own a lot of it between them. Peter Easterby was champion jumps trainer for three consecutive seasons from 1978 to 1981 and had a total of 13 Cheltenham Festival winners in just 10 years. Five Champion Hurdles and two Cheltenham Gold Cups were his best achievements over jumps, while handicaps were his territory on the Flat with the Lincoln, Chester Cup, Ebor and Ayr Gold Cup among the many he farmed. Born on August 5, 1929, he learnt his trade assisting his uncle Walter and honed his skills during a three-year stint with Irishman Frank Hartigan at Weyhill in Hampshire. He first held a licence in 1950 and showed his intent when in 1951 he cycled five miles to get a lift in a horse box to the Newmarket sales. He got back home via a furniture van, bus and bike. He spent £380 on three yearlings and had sold them all within 24 hours. His first winner came over jumps in 1953 and his first on the level in 1955. His breakthrough year was 1965 when he won the Lincoln at Doncaster with Old Tom and the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot with Goldhill. Two years later, he won the Champion Hurdle for the first time with Saucy Kit, a horse he bought at the sales for 700 guineas as a three-year-old. Easterby paid 1,100 guineas for Night Nurse, who was his favourite horse, winning the Champion Hurdle in 1976 and 1977. He was not afraid to have a good bet and admitted backing Night Nurse three times before the 1977 renewal after his price drifted as it was felt he would not handle the heavy ground. Easterby knew different. Sea Pigeon, who joined his team during the winter of 1976-77 from Gordon Richards, took the crown in 1980 and 1981 after finishing second in the two previous years. He was also a classy Flat performer, winning the Chester Cup in 1977 and 1978 plus three Vaux Gold Tankards and the Ebor under top weight of 10st in 1979, albeit after a heart-stopping photo finish. Easterby had a permanent reminder of his two superstars as they were buried side by side less than 50 yards from his office window. Night Nurse went close to completing the Champion/Gold Cup double when runner-up to stablemate Little Owl in 1981. Alverton had won chasing's blue riband prize for Easterby in 1979. Other famous names in an enormous list of his big-race winners and popular performers included Bronze Hill, Sonnen Gold, Clayside and Ryeman. His legacy lives on with the highly-successful Tim, grandson William and the rest of the Easterby dynasty that will continue to grace Yorkshire and the racing world beyond.
