THE totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup will be worth £500,000 for the first time when it is run on March 18, next year.

Jonjo O’Neill and Frankie Dettori led the tributes following the death of legendary Irish trainer Paddy Mullins.

THERE seems little doubt the Cheltenham Festival will undergo a major alteration as early as 2012.

Smurfit Kappa are to end their backing of the Champion Hurdle which they have sponsored since 1991.

WESTLIN’ Winds is on course for a crack at the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday week.

John Smith's Grand National winner Mon Mome is to parade at Cheltenham's evening meeting a week on Friday, when he will also have a race named in his honour.

AT last year’s Cheltenham Festival ‘credit crunch’ could well have been Howard Johnson’s likely outsider in the Triumph Hurdle.

Cheltenham supremo Edward Gillespie poured cold water on the prediction from Racecourse Association chairman David Thorpe that sponsorship could fall by 40% in 2009.

Cheltenham’s newest race at the Festival is to be named in honour of Martin Pipe, the most successful National Hunt trainer of all time.

CHELTENHAM yesterday announced some significant changes to The Festival in 2009, which takes places from 10th to 13th March.

CHELTENHAM chief executive Edward Gillespie could make some minor adjustments to next year’s meeting in the wake of one of the busiest weeks of his life.

Cheltenham are not expecting further unwelcome interventions from the weather for the remainder of the week after the second day of the prestigious festival was abandoned due to high winds.

This afternoon’s meeting at the Cheltenham Festival has been abandoned due to high winds. Officials made the startling announcement after another morning of intense gusts at Prestbury Park.

One of the temporary structures at Cheltenham racecourse could be out of commission for the four-day Festival meeting after being damaged by strong winds.

Denman spearheads a five-strong Paul Nicholls hand in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Chase, for which a total of 73 entries have been received.

Irish-trained horses make up more than half of the 28 entries for this year’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Seasons Holidays has been confirmed as the first-ever sponsor of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Kauto Star tops a bumper 49-strong entry for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Horses possessing an official BHB rating of less than 130 will no longer be allowed to take part in any of the four non-novice championship events at the Cheltenham Festival.

Cheltenham have announced the Racing Post will sponsor the Mildmay of Flete Chase at the Festival meeting for the next two years.

Jim Lewis has chosen to have Best Mate’s ashes laid to rest at the scene of his three victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate is likely to be remembered at the scene of his greatest triumphs in the form of a statue.

Best Mate’s much-anticipated racecourse return ended in tragedy as he suffered a fatal heart attack in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.

Ryanair have stepped in to replace the Daily Telegraph as sponsors of the newest championship chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

A massive crowd of 66,767 basked in glorious sunshine on the final afternoon of the new-look four-day Cheltenham Festival.

THAT was some over-reaction by Ladbrokes to the smooth success of Accordion Etoile at Cheltenham on Sunday.

Cheltenham have unveiled a major name change and a boost in prize money for the Stayers’ Hurdle at next year’s Festival meeting.

TO mark the 40th anniversary of the first of the legendary Arkle’s three successes in the Gold Cup, a commemorative 1960s display is to be unveiled in the stand near the statue of the great horse at Cheltenham.

A record number of entries have been made for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival next week.

Manchester United fans have called off their protest on Cheltenham Gold Cup day on March 18.

Reigning champions Best Mate, Rooster Booster, Moscow Flyer and Baracouda were declared to go forward to defend their Cheltenham Festival titles following yesterday’s forfeit stage for the nine championship races.

Manchester United fans have been given permission to stage a protest against Irish tycoons John Magnier and JP McManus on Gold Cup day at Cheltenham.

THE group of Manchester United fans planning a protest at the Cheltenham Festival have been told they have the right to demonstrate outside the racecourse but any action inside would be subject to further discussions.

Cheltenham racecourse officials expect to be able to tell a group of Manchester United fans in the next few days whether they can stage a protest at next month’s Festival meeting.

Manchester United fans plan to step up their protests against major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus on Gold Cup day at Cheltenham next month.

THE brinkmanship engaged in between the Coolmore Mafia and Alex Ferguson continued last night with the world’s richest club, Manchester United, and racing’s blue riband, the Cheltenham Gold Cup caught in the cross hairs.

Manchester United fans are planning a major protest against their club’s principal shareholders John Magnier (pictured) and JP McManus at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

A record number of 125 horses have been entered for the JCB Triumph Hurdle on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival on March 18.

Best Mate heads the 32 entries revealed today for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place on March 18.

There will be an inspection at Cheltenham at 12.30pm today after the track became shrouded in thick fog.

BOOKMAKERS Paddy Power were yesterday revealed as the new title sponsor of The Open meeting at Cheltenham in November.

Cheltenham have announced the introduction of supplementary stages for each of the four championship races at the Festival this season.