The Road to Cheltenham is a series of four British top-class horse races over hurdles, culminating in the Champion Hurdle

Champion Hurdle

The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...

 at the Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...

. The Road To Cheltenham is a concept developed by Racing For Change – an arm of the British Horseracing Authority

British Horseracing Authority

The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain.It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board and the Horseracing Regulatory Authority .Its stated objectives are to: “provide the most...

 charged with leading a fundamental reappraisal of the way racing is promoted – and the online sportsbook StanJames.com.

The four races that comprise The Road To Cheltenham are the Fighting Fifth Hurdle

Fighting Fifth Hurdle

The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped...

 at Newcastle Racecourse

Newcastle Racecourse

Newcastle Racecourse is a horse racing course located at Gosforth Park near Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It stages both flat and National Hunt racing, with its biggest meeting being the Northumberland Plate held annually in June.-History:...

 in November, the International Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...

 in December, the Champion Hurdle Trial

Champion Hurdle Trial

The StanJames.com Champion Hurdle Trial is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. From 2011, the race will be sponsored by the online sportsbook StanJames.com. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards ,...

 at Haydock Park in January, and the Champion Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival in March.

The overall concept of The Road To Cheltenham revolves around the basic premise of raising the profile of British horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 among the general public’s consciousness and thus attracting new followers to British horse racing.

The Road To Cheltenham series is part of a five-year sponsorship deal signed by StanJames.com. The deal begins with the 2010 Fighting Fifth Hurdle.