Cheltenham Racecourse - The Old Course and The New Course

Somewhat confusingly for newcomers to the sport, there are two courses at Cheltenham’s Prestbury Park Racecourse. Simply put, the two courses overlap and then diverge away from one another - the Old Course and the New Course. These two courses provide different racing challenges for the horses, which means a wider variation of races can be staged during the four days of the Cheltenham Festival. Both courses end at the finishing post in front of Cheltenham’s grandstands, and both courses loop anti-clockwise into the countryside. But there is a split where the New Course extends further into the distance, therefore creating ideal conditions for longer races.

Each horse may perform differently on each course, depending on their particular running style. This means that when you know the form of a horse, there is better insight into how the horse will fare in a particular race when you know on which course the race will take place.

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The Old Course

The Cheltenham Old Course is the original course and is a shorter, tighter and gentler run. It’s much less demanding than the New Course, and the loop back towards the finish post cuts in a lot earlier. This means the Old Course is used for speedier horses who love to charge on enthusiastically, as opposed to the more steady, disciplined horses who feature in the longer steeplechase races on the New Course.

The last half mile of the Old Course is uphill, and there are some tight turns. Yet there are usually fewer changes of the lead on this course compared to the New Course. There are also only four starting positions at the Old Course, including one in front of the grandstand.

The Old Course is used on Tuesday and Wednesday at Cheltenham Festival, meaning betting often focuses on more excitable sprinters during these two days.

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The New Course

The New Course is used for the final two days of the Cheltenham Festival and will include The Gold Cup. If the Old Course is about speed, then the New Course is about stamina. It requires real staying power from the horses for them to succeed. The New Course runs in a wider arch into the countryside before coming back towards the grandstands. The additional bend on the New Course offers a wider racetrack and a more gradual charge towards the final straight. It breaks from the Old Course after an open ditch and features just two extra jumps before the charge to the post begins. There’s a steep climb to the top of the hill on the New Course, which makes it a stamina-sapping run. Consequently, trainers will generally field their most durable horses for races on the New Course.

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