Close Brothers and Cheltenham Festival 2024
Tuesday 12 to Friday 15 March 2024
Lossiemouth wins the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle
Day 1 - Champion Day, saw our named race, the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle take place at 4.10 pm. The favourite Lossiemouth, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, surged to victory, with last year's winning jockey Rachael Blackmore coming second on Telmesomethinggirl.
The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle also saw Love Envoi run her final race, as trainer Harry Fry announced her retirement. Love Envoi previously finished second behind Honeysuckle in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle last year and we wish her all the best in her retirement.
Cheltenham Festival 2023
Watch the video to see our 2023 sponsored race highlights.
Honeysuckle signs off as one of the all-time greats
It was a fairytale ending in 2023 with Honeysuckle, ridden by Rachael Blackmore and trained by Henry de Bromhead, signing off her career with a fourth Cheltenham Festival victory in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, a race she previously won in 2020.
Honeysuckle was also awarded the Judges Choice Award at The McCoys, The Jockey Club jump racing awards ceremony back in September 2023, and it was a fitting tribute for Close Brothers to be sponsor of the award.
Watch the video to take a look back at Honeysuckle's success over the years, and of course her wins in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle race.
Proud partner of The Jockey Club
Since 2016, we have been proud to partner with The Jockey Club, supporting British horse racing at 15 of the country’s most iconic racecourses.
At Close Brothers, we believe in hard work, determination, teamwork and resilience, and these values are at the heart of our people and our business. It’s these values that have drawn us to the world of horse racing – a world where success comes from following these same principles.
Horse racing also attracts a broad audience from all demographics, and just as we provide financial support and advice to SMEs and individuals all around the country, it is a great fit for Close Brothers.