What Is the Prestbury Cup at the Cheltenham Festival?
The Prestbury Cup is an annual competition that takes place between British trainers and Irish trainers at the Cheltenham Festival. The team with the most winners across the 28 races at the BHA run meeting scoops the trophy.
Each team is assigned a celebrity captain every year, often someone outside of racing. Their job is to promote the competition and to represent the winning team when the trophy is handed out at the end of day four of the biggest week in the sport.
The Prestbury Cup was first contested in 2014. It was won by the home team 15-12 in the opening year. Britain defended their crown a year later in 2015, but they have not won the competition outright since. The best they have done is finish in a tie in 2019.
Ireland have won the last five consecutive Prestbury Cups. Their most dominant performance came in 2021 when they prevailed 23-5.
Ireland Were Far Too Strong In 2024
The visitors, Ireland, were far too strong for the hosts in 2024, winning the Prestbury Cup 18-9. There were only 27 races across the week, as the Cross Country Chase was abandoned due to a waterlogged course.
Ireland won the feature race on each day of the meeting in 2024, with wins in the Champion Hurdle (State Man), Queen Mother Champion Chase (Captain Guiness), Stayers’ Hurdle (Teahupoo) and the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Galopin Des Champs). The only championship race they did not win was the Ryanair Chase, as that went the way of British trainer Dan Skelton, who prevailed with Protektorat.
Irish trainer Willie Mullins played a big role in Ireland’s success in the 2024 Prestbury Cup. With seven winners, he was the leading trainer at the meeting. He also capped off the season with a victory in the Randox Grand National.
Irish Team Have a Strong Team This Year
The defending champions will travel across the Gloucestershire-based racecourse with another strong team this year. They dominate the betting for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. As of 24th January, defending champion Galopin Des Champs is the 4/5 favourite in Betways horse racing betting markets for the Blue Riband event of the week.
On day one of the meeting, Salvator Mundi may be able to get Ireland off to a winning start in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Mullins’ hurdler won the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on his last run.
Teahupoo will defend his crown in the Stayers’ Hurdle on day three of the meeting. Gordon Elliott’s horse dominated the division last season, winning three Grade One races. He ended his campaign with a triumph at the Punchestown Festival. The eight-year-old will be bidding to become just the fourth horse to win back-to-back renewals of the 3m hurdles contest at the meeting.
As they often do, Ireland dominate the entries for the mares’ only races at the Festival. Brighterdaysahead of Lossiemouth could be set to dual in the Mares’ Hurdle, while in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Maughreen, a relative of former Champion Hurdle winner Faugheen, goes into it with a big reputation.
Team Britain Hoping to Bounce Back
With Skelton, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls all finding form heading into the Cheltenham Festival, there is much more optimism from the British team this season going into the Prestbury Cup.
Skelton leads the GBR Trainers’ Championship standings in his pursuit of a maiden title. He has already netted over £2 million in prize money in what is turning out to be his best season since leaving his job as Nicholls’ assistant and picking up his own licence. The Lodge Hill trainer will saddle Grey Dawning in the Gold Cup, Protektorat in the Ryanair Chase and The New Lion in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle. All three of those horses have strong claims.
Henderson has arguably the strongest team of the British trainers for the Festival. As you can read in the BBC race report, Constitution Hill is set to return to the Champion Hurdle following his victory in the Christmas Hurdle. Jonbon will get his first shot at the Queen Mother Champion Chase, while Sir Gino will put his unbeaten record over fences on the line in the Arkle Trophy.
The 2025 Cheltenham Festival takes place over four days between Tuesday, 11th March and Friday, 15thMarch. The feature race of the week, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is scheduled for the final day at 15:30.