Day two of the Cheltenham Festival is upon us, and the battle for the Prestbury Cup has well and truly begun. But what is the prize - why is it so special to those involved?
Four days of racing take place at Cheltenham Racecourse each year as part of the Festival. Split seven races each day; there are 28 for spectators in attendance or those watching from home to look forward to.
Whilst much focus is placed on the winning of money through betting on the horses or being an owner of one, there is another subtle prize the Festival offers. That prize would be pride.
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Fans take huge interest in the Prestbury Cup, which is an award contested annually at Cheltenham by all horse trainers involved in the races. It is named after the village closest to the Festival.
Those hailing from the United Kingdom go up against those from the Republic of Ireland right from the very first race on Tuesday to the last on Friday. To win the Cup, trainers from either territory must collectively win 15 races.
A customary feature is that a piece of turf from Cheltenham Racecourse is placed inside the trophy itself.
As there are 28 races in total, 15 therefore signifies a majority. It must be remembered that trainers at Cheltenham are not exclusively from either the UK or Ireland.
After 2024's Festival the Irish are on a four-year winning streak and have come out on top eight times in total since the Prestbury Cup became official in 2024.
2019 finished as a draw and it was 2015 the last time the UK-based trainers managed victory. They will therefore be encouraged after finishing Tuesday, aka Champion Day, with a 4-3 advantage.
Victories for Nicky Henderson (Jango Baie), Lucinda Russell (Myretown), Jeremy Scott (Golden Ace) and Rebecca Curtis (Haiti Couleurs) beat out Willie Mullins (Kopek Des Bordes, Lossiemouth) and Joseph Patrick O'Brien (Puturhandstogether).
