Arena Racing Company, the largest racecourse Group in the UK operating Chepstow Racecourse, has sourced some of the top names in the horse racing industry for a virtual Cheltenham Preview Night presented by Coral to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.
Streamed across Arena Racing Company’s 16 racecourse websites at 7pm on Friday 12 March, the top panel of industry experts will be running through the runners and riders set to compete at one of the highlights of the jump racing season; The Cheltenham Festival.
Dialling in for a unique video call, the panel will consist of:
Davy Russell – The exceptional Gold Cup-winning Irish jockey and partner to Tiger Roll of double Grand National fame. This former Irish champion jockey has 25 Cheltenham Festival winners to his name, including a win in the Gold Cup on Lord Windermere in 2014.
Evan Williams – One of Wales’ leading racehorse trainers, and winner of this year’s Coral Welsh Grand National. He sends stable star, and winner of the G1 Christmas Hurdle, Silver Streak for another shot in the Champion Hurdle in March.
Richard Johnson – Former Champion Jockey and always a player on a big day., Johnson has had 23 Cheltenham Festival wins to date, including winning two Gold Cups with Looks Like Trouble in 2000 and Native River in 2018. All being well, Native River will give it another shot this year with Johnson in the saddle.
Dan Skelton - 2020 Grimthorpe Chase winning trainer, Skelton has more than 900 career winners, including four Cheltenham Festival winners. Winning the County Hurdle in 2016, 2018, 2019 with Superb Story, Mohaayed and Ch’Tibello, respectively. In 2019, he also won the Mares’ Hurdle with Roksana and she will be back at Cheltenham this year.
The host for the evening will be Sky Sports Racing’s Hayley Moore.
Although completely free to view, viewers are being encouraged to make a donation to Prostate Cancer UK.
Shockingly, prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK and funds raised will help fund lifesaving research to stop the disease wrecking lives. In addition, ARC and Coral will match fund donations from racing fans, with text to donate details available throughout the event.
Simon Clare, PR Director of the Gala Coral Group, said: “We are delighted to be involved with the ARC Virtual Cheltenham Preview Night. With such a prestigious and insightful panel, I’m confident that we’ll be able to guide punters towards a few winners, alongside raising some money for Prostate Cancer UK, a charity which Coral is very proud to support.”
Matt Holdstock, Sport Engagement Manager at Prostate Cancer UK, said, “We’re very grateful to ARC and Coral for supporting Prostate Cancer UK in this event.
“One man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer; it’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. This partnership sits at an iconic time on the racing calendar and will play a valuable role in raising awareness and encouraging men to know their risk of prostate cancer throughout the UK. Funds raised will go towards lifesaving research into treatments and better tests to stop this disease being a killer.”