The Festival

Tuesday 16th to Friday 19th March 2010

The Festival is over for another year, with a memorable week of magnificent performances by horses, jockeys and trainers etched into the history books.

The major championship races produced drama and brilliance in equal measure, with Punjabi's neck defeat of Celestial Gold in Tuesday's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle all that stood between an unprecedented clean sweep for trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Ruby Walsh.

Master Minded defended his title in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, Big Buck's was a gritty winner of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, but the highlight of the week was undoubtedly Kauto Star's demolition of the opposition to make history and reclaim his totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup crown.

For photographic images of this and previous Festivals, including Festival montages, individual winners and special orders, visit the gallery here.

Vist BBC Radio Gloucestershire's 'Virtual' Cheltenham and get an idea of what it is like to ride around the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup course. Click here

For an Irish angle on The Festival, read the thoughts of award winning author and journalist Donn McClean here.

The roar of the crowd as the tapes rise for the first race of the Festival each year tells you everything you need to know - 12 months of waiting is over!

Over the course of the week, over 200,000 people are here to witness the action and soak up the atmosphere and across the country, well over £500 million is wagered on the outcome of the 26 races.