How are jockeys preparing for Cheltenham Festival 2024?

One of the top events to savour each year in British horse racing is the iconic Cheltenham Festival. Scheduled to take place from Tuesday 12th March to Friday 15th March in 2024, race lovers don’t have long to wait now until the action gets underway. With famous races like the Gold Cup to catch, all fans of UK racing will be looking forward to watching how they pan out.

It is also fair to assume that lots of people will betting on races at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival – either on-track or when watching the action from home. As sports betting is so closely linked with horse racing, it is likely that lots of wagers will be made over the four days. Just remember to find the best odds if you plan to bet take note of Cheltenham festival betting odds and fully research any wagers before making them.

Jockeys will play a key role in Cheltenham 2024

It may sound strange to say but jockeys can sometimes be forgotten about when people talk about events like Cheltenham 2024. Lots of attention is usually given to the horses in any race and who the favourite is or who might be one to watch. Although the horse is naturally important, the person who guides them to potential victory is also crucial.

This is even more pertinent when you discover that certain jockeys seem to like certain events. Ruby Walsh for example loved the Cheltenham Festival and rode a massive 59 winners before retiring. Current jockeys like Nico de Boinville and Rachel Blackmore also seem to love racing at this hugely popular festival.

Preparation is key to any chance jockeys have of doing well at Cheltenham and all who are booked for a ride this year will already be getting ready for it. But just how are jockeys preparing for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival?

Focus on training, diet and weight

Following a proper diet which allows them to remain at their optimum weight is certainly something which will be part of jockey’s prep for Cheltenham 2024. This will see them follow a tightly controlled diet which gives them the energy to compete and the nutrients to remain healthy, whilst also helping them maintain goals around weight.

Once the festival has started, jockeys will also tend to eat something like a slice of toast for breakfast each day and have their evening meal no later than around 7pm. This helps them to not only make weight for the upcoming days racing but also do the same for the next day of the festival.

In addition to the above, jockeys will be preparing for Cheltenham 2024 by hitting the gym and staying in the best shape possible for it. For those with niggling injuries, they will be doing all they can to rest and recuperate for the event.

Race strategy and competition

As well as spending as much time as possible with the horse(s) they will be riding, another key preparation all jockeys will be making for Cheltenham 2024 is considering how they may run any race. This is something which is usually done in conjunction with the trainer, who may have lots of experience to rely on which directly relates to this event.

When deciding how they might run a race at the festival in 2024, jockeys will also be thinking about the strengths of their horse(s), how they might deal with the course at Cheltenham and how this impacts their race decisions.

A horse with lots of stamina who finishes well for example, may be held back a little to surge past others on the steep uphill finish. Jockeys who do not know Cheltenham Racecourse well will also be learning the layout in preparation for the event starting.

Plenty of sleep and route planning

Any jockey preparing for the Cheltenham Festival 2024 will also be getting as much rest as they can – especially in the days leading up to it. This helps them to remain relaxed before the action begins and also be alert enough to do well in any race they compete in.

Jockeys will also be taking care to plan out their route in advance before travelling down to Cheltenham and finetuning their schedule for the festival. This is especially true for jockeys who have not raced at the festival/course before and are keen to make suer everything is in place to avoid any last-minute panics.

Preparation for Cheltenham 2024 as a jockey

Although getting ready for Cheltenham Festival 2024 as a race lover might involve some prep, the above shows that professional jockeys also have lots to do when getting ready for this iconic event. To do well at such a top-class meeting as Cheltenham, it is not simply a case of turning up a few minutes before a race and hopping onboard your horse!