Horse racing betting is all about the experience and this year thousands of fans will be back at Cheltenham after missing out last year due to Covid-19. And that means they can impact on the first race on Tuesday by ringing out the iconic Cheltenham roar.
Here at Paddy Power our Cheltenham Festival betting suite offers literally thousands of markets covering every race of the four-day meeting. And one of the things you’ll notice when you live stream Cheltenham is the incredible roar heard from the grandstands on Day One.
So what is the Cheltenham roar? This guide will explain what it’s all about, why it exists and what to expect in 2022.
What is the Cheltenham roar?
Cheltenham is famed for its incredible atmosphere as 71,000 spectators cram into the grandstands to watch elite-level horse racing each day of the four-day meet. Cheltenham really does have a party atmosphere that can be fuelled by dazzling sunshine in mid-March if the punters are lucky!
While the horses will get used to the noise of the crowd as they trot around the parade ring and gallop up to the start of the race, what no-one is quite ready for is the sheer noise of the Cheltenham roar.
The Cheltenham roar is a cry made by the thousands of racing betting fans in the grandstands when the starter raises the tape for the first race of the festival. This takes place on Tuesday with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade 1 race that runs on the Old Course over 2 miles and 1/2 furlong. The noise is likened to a jumbo jet flying overhead and is the starting call for four days of amazing racing action.
Cheltenham Festival is famed for its raucous and knowledgable fans (GETTY)
Does the Cheltenham roar make a difference to the race?
You might think the jockeys would be inspired when they hear the Cheltenham roar at the start of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. But as Ruby Walsh told Paddy Power’s Countdown To Cheltenham podcast, you can barely hear it when you’re on the horse!
“I can’t say that I ever did hear the ‘Cheltenham Roar’ at the start of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle,” said Ruby. “Last year (2020) was obviously the first year that I was at the Festival working for ITV, so I was behind the grandstand in the parade ring and I didn’t think there was anything untoward about the ‘Cheltenham Roar’ from that side of the stand.
WELCOME TO PADDY POWER NEWS!
“Maybe if you’re on the front side you might hear and feel it way more, but when you’re at the bottom of the home straight at Cheltenham – at the 2m start – it’s just a distant din in the background.”
Will we hear the Cheltenham roar in 202?
Absolutely we will. Horse racing was denied one of its traditions last year when fans were unable to attend the racecourse. And while the Cheltenham roar is more a media and fan spectacle than something that actually affects the racing, it will signal a return to normality for many punters this year.
The roar takes place ahead of the first race on Tuesday, and could well ring out for longer than usual!
- What does it mean when a horse is On the Bridle?
- What is a Black type horse race?
- What are the different types of going in horse racing?
- What is a bumper horse race?
- What are blinkers and why do some horses wear them?
- What is an Allowance Race in horse racing?
- What is the difference between hurdles and fences in National Hunt racing?
- What is a halter and why do some horses wear them?
- What does it mean when a horse has spread a plate?
- What is the Rule 4 betting rule in horse racing?
- What is the difference between graded, handicap and selling horse races?
- What does a novice hurdle in horse racing mean?
- What is a listed horse race?
- What does a novice chase in horse racing mean?
- Why do race horses have different ratings and what do they mean?
- When does the National Hunt season start and when does it end?
- Why are there different grades of horse race?
- Why are there 3 different types of National Hunt race?
- Why are race horses given different weights and what does it mean?
- How many different classes of horse race are there?
- What is a claiming race and what do they mean?
- What is an optional claimer in horse racing?
- What is a shadow roll and why do some race horses wear them?
- Why do some races start from stalls and some not?
- What is the difference between Derby and Oaks races?
- What does it mean when a horse knuckles during a horse race?
- What is a stayer in horse racing?
- What is a yearling horse and when are they ready to race?
- What does it mean if a horse has won a point race?
- What does a maiden mean in horse racing?
- How are horses’ ages calculated and why is it not the same as humans?
- What advantages do apprentice jockeys get when riding against professionals?
- What is a conditional jockey?
- What does the term ‘connections’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear cheekpieces?
- Who are the stewards in horse racing?
- What does ‘weighed in’ mean at the end of a horse race?
- What is a nursery race?
- Why are some National Hunt races run without fences?
- Why are some horses given a tongue tie during races?
- What does it mean when a horse is ‘pushed out’?
- How are horse racing ratings calculated?
- What does it mean when a horse has a ‘wind operation’?
- How high are the fences and hurdles in horse racing?
- What is an apprentice jockey?
- What is a Bull Ring in horse racing?
- What does the phrase ‘Look of Eagles’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear a ‘weight cloth’ during races?
- What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?
- What is a Steeplechase race in horse racing?
- How high are the Cheltenham Festival fences and hurdles?
- Why is the Champion Chase named after the Queen Mother?
- Why does Cheltenham racecourse have an Old Course and a New Course? What’s the differences between the two?
- Why are there no jumps in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper?
- How many fans usually attend the Cheltenham Festival? How big is the capacity?
- What is a juvenile in horse racing?
The latest Cheltenham horse racing odds are on PaddyPower.com now
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
LIKE PADDY POWER NEWS? OR MAYBE YOU JUST LIKE TO WHINGE? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN OUR READER SURVEY
