Cheltenham Festival
Races
Table:
Day
Race
Obstacles
Distance
Class
Current Sponsor

Tuesday
Supreme Novices' Hurdle
Hurdles
2m 1/2f
Grade 1
SkyBet

Tuesday
Arkle Challenge Trophy
Fences

2m
Grade 1
Racing Post

Tuesday
Festival Trophy Handicap Chase
Fences
3m 1/2f
Grade 3
Ultima Business Solutions

Tuesday
Champion Hurdle
Hurdles
2m 1/2f
Grade 1
Unibet

Tuesday
David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle
Hurdles
2m 4f
Grade 1
OLBG.com

Tuesday
Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase
Fences
2m 4 1/2f
Listed
Close Brothers Group

Tuesday
National Hunt Challenge Cup
Fences
4m
Grade 2
–

Wednesday
Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle
Hurdles
2m 5f
Grade 1
Ballymore

Wednesday
RSA Chase
Fences
3m 1/2f
Grade 1
RSA Insurance Group

Wednesday
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Fences
2m
Grade 1
Betway

Wednesday
Coral Cup
Hurdles
2m 5f
Grade 3
Coral

Wednesday
Cross Country Chase[A]
Cross Country
3m 7f
Ungraded
Glenfarclas

Wednesday
Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle
Hurdles
2m 1/2f
Grade 3
Boodles

Wednesday
Champion Bumper
NHF
2m 1/2f
Grade 1
Weatherbys

Thursday
Golden Miller Novices' Chase
Fences
2m 4f
Grade 1
Jardine Lloyd Thompson

Thursday
Pertemps Final
Hurdles
3m
Listed
Pertemps

Thursday
Festival Trophy
Fences
2m 5f
Grade 1
Ryanair

Thursday
Stayers' Hurdle
Hurdles
3m
Grade 1
Sun Racing

Thursday
Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup
Fences
2m 5f
Grade 3
Brown Advisory / Merriebelle Stable

Thursday
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Fences
3m 1 1/2f
Ungraded
–

From the provided table and the supporting text listed below.

Provide an answer to this question: What is the sponsor of the hurdles race that takes place in March and was once won by Persian War ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

The Supreme Novices ' 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 on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong ( 2 miles and 87 yards , or 3,298 metres ) , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped . The race is for novice hurdlers , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . It is the first event on the opening day of the Festival , and its start is traditionally greeted by the Cheltenham Roar , a loud cheer generated by the crowds of onlookers .
A hurdle race in Great Britain and Ireland is a National Hunt horse race where the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles that are over three and a half feet high . They are typically made of a series of panels made of brush and are flexible . Hurdle races always have a minimum of eight hurdles and a minimum distance of two miles ( 3 km ) . National Hunt horses that have the size and scope to jump higher than the height of a hurdle use these types of races in order to gain experience of jumping obstacles so they can later be sent to jump bigger obstacles called fences . Hurdle races tend to be run at a faster pace than Chases as the height of the hurdle is much lower than a chasing fence . The best hurdlers have a low and efficient style of jumping , which means they do not lose much momentum when they run over or hurdle a hurdle . Australian hurdle races are now conducted over wooden fences which provide some flexibility when ran over or hurdled . In Victoria , these runs consist of portable hurdles in which the natural brush has been replaced by bright yellow soft synthetic brush . Hurdle races are usually run over a minimal distance of 2 800 metres . Victoria and South Australia are the only two states in Australia that conduct jumping races .
Sky Betting & Gaming is a British-based Canadian gambling company , owned by The Stars Group , with headquarters in Leeds , West Yorkshire and offices in Sheffield , London , Guernsey , Rome and Germany . Sky Betting & Gaming consists of six core brands : Sky Bet , Sky Vegas , Sky Casino , Sky Poker , Sky Bingo and Sky Lotto . It also owns online betting odds comparison site Oddschecker . Sky Betting & Gaming also operates popular , free-to-enter football prediction game Soccer Saturday Super 6 . In 2015 , Sky plc sold an 80 percent stake in the company to CVC Capital Partners for £600 million , with Sky retaining a 20% stake in the company and agreeing to a long-term licence of the Sky brand . In 2018 , CVC and Sky agreed to sell Sky Betting & Gaming to The Stars Group for £3.4 billion .
The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham , England , over a distance of about 2 miles ( 1 mile , 7 furlongs and 199 yards , or 3,199 metres ) , and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped . The race is for novice chasers , and takes place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . It is the leading minimum-distance chase for novices in the National Hunt calendar . It is the second race on the opening day of the festival .
A steeplechase is a distance horse race in which competitors are required to jump diverse fence and ditch obstacles . Steeplechasing is primarily conducted in Ireland ( where it originated ) , the United Kingdom , Canada , United States , Australia and France . The name is derived from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple , jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside . Modern usage of the term steeplechase differs between countries . In Ireland and the United Kingdom , it refers only to races run over large , fixed obstacles , in contrast to hurdle races where the obstacles are much smaller . The collective term jump racing or National Hunt racing is used when referring to steeplechases and hurdle races collectively ( although , properly speaking , National Hunt racing also includes some flat races ) . Elsewhere in the world , steeplechase is used to refer to any race that involves jumping obstacles . The most famous steeplechase in the world is the Grand National run annually at Aintree Racecourse , in Liverpool , since its inception in 1836 ( the official race was held three years later ) , which in 2014 offered a prize fund of £1 million .
Racing Post is a British daily horse racing , greyhound racing and sports betting publisher , appearing in print form and digitally .
The Festival Trophy is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong ( 5,029 metres ) , and during its running there are twenty fences to be jumped . It is a handicap race , and it is scheduled to take place each year on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March . The event was originally known as the National Hunt Handicap Chase , but its title has included the name of a sponsor from the early 1980s . It was backed by Ritz Club from 1981 until 1996 , Astec Buzz Shop in 1997 and William Hill between 1998 and 2010 . In 2011 the race was run as the Stewart Family Spinal Research Handicap Chase and sponsored by the Stewart family , headed by businessman and racehorse owner Andy Stewart to raise awareness of , and highlight the work done by , the charity Spinal Research . In 2012 and 2013 the race was sponsored by JLT Specialty Ltd , and in 2014 Baylis & Harding were the sponsors . Since 2015 the race has been sponsored by Ultima Business Solutions . Winners of the race often take part in the Grand National , although not always in the same year . Horses to have achieved victory in both events include Royal Tan , Team Spirit , West Tip , Seagram and Rough Quest .
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 gambling operator Unibet , the race is now known as the Unibet Champion Hurdle . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong ( 2 miles and 87 yards , or 3,298 metres ) , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped . The race is the last leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling and is scheduled to take place each year on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March . As its title suggests , the Champion Hurdle is the most prestigious hurdling event in the National Hunt calendar . Its list of winners features many of the most highly acclaimed hurdlers in the sport 's history , and several of these , such as National Spirit , Istabraq , Hatton 's Grace , Persian War and Lanzarote , have had races named in their honour .
Unibet provides a platform for sports betting , online casino , bingo and online poker to over 11 million customers in over 100 countries . Unibet is a part of Kindred Group - an online gambling operator which consists of 11 brands along with Maria Casino , Stan James , 32Red , and iGame . Today , Unibet has over 1,500 employees and offices in Malta , London , New York , and Gibraltar among others . Unibet launched its first online website in 1999 , launched live betting service in 2003 and introduced mobile site in 2004 .
The OLBG Mares ' Hurdle ( known as the David Nicholson Mares ' Hurdle until 2011 ) is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to mares aged four years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs ( 2 miles , 3 furlongs and 200 yards , or 4,005 metres ) , and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped . The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . The winner 's trophy for this event is named in memory of David Nicholson ( 1939-2006 ) , who was successful as both a jockey and a trainer in National Hunt racing . Nicholson 's record at the Cheltenham Festival included five victories as a jockey , and seventeen as a trainer . This race was established in 2008 , and in its inaugural year it was held on the final day of the Festival on Cheltenham 's New Course . It was switched to the opening day on the Old Course in 2009 . It was initially given Grade 2 status and was upgraded to Grade 1 status from the 2015 running .
The Centenary Novices ' Handicap Chase , known for sponsorship purposes as the Close Brothers Novices ' Handicap Chase , is a Listed National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs ( 2 miles 4 furlongs and 44 yards , or 4,064 metres ) , and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped . It is a handicap race for novice chasers with a handicap rating between 0 and 145 , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . The event was established when a fourth day was added to the Cheltenham Festival in 2005 . The winning ride by Mattie Batchelor in the inaugural edition subsequently won the Lester Award for Jump Ride of the Year . The race was sponsored by Jewson from 2005 to 2010 and run as the Jewson Novices ' Handicap Chase on the third day of the Festival . Jewson transferred their sponsorship to a new race at the 2011 Festival , the Jewson Novices ' Chase , which remained on the third day while the Novices ' Handicap Chase was moved to become the final race on the opening day of the Festival . The race title commemorated the centenary of the Cheltenham Festival in 2011 . In 2012 the race was sponsored by Pulteney Land Investments and from 2013 to 2014 by Rewards4Racing . In 2015 it was sponsored by Chaps Restaurants Barbados and since 2016 the race has been sponsored by Close Brothers Group .
Close Brothers Group plc is a UK merchant banking group , providing lending , deposit taking , wealth management and securities trading . The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index .
The National Hunt Challenge Cup is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain for amateur riders which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles 7½ furlongs ( 3 miles 7 furlongs and 147 yards , or 6,371 metres ) , and during its running there are twenty-five fences to be jumped . The race is for novice chasers , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March .
The Baring Bingham Novices ' Hurdle ( known as the Ballymore Novices ' Hurdle for sponsorship reasons ) is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs ( 4,225 metres ) , and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped . The race is for novice hurdlers , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March .
Ballymore Group is an Ireland-based international property development company . The majority of the Company 's employees and business activities are located in the UK .
The RSA Insurance Novices ' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles ( 3 miles and 80 yards , or 4,901 metres ) , and during its running there are twenty fences to be jumped . The race is for novice chasers , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March .
RSA Insurance Group plc ( trading as RSA , formerly Royal and Sun Alliance ) is a British multinational general insurance company headquartered in London , United Kingdom . RSA has major operations in the UK & Ireland , Scandinavia and Canada and provides insurance products and services in more than 140 countries through a network of local partners . It has 9 million customers . RSA was formed by the merger of Sun Alliance and Royal Insurance in 1996 . RSA is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index .
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online betting company Betway , the race is now known as the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles ( 1 mile 7 furlongs and 199 yards , or 3,199 metres ) , and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped . The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . It is the leading minimum-distance chase in the National Hunt calendar , and it is the feature race on the second day of the Festival .
The Betway Group ( commonly referred to Betway and stylized as betWay ) is a global online gambling company with a number of brands including Betway Sportsbook , Betway Casino , Betway Vegas , Betway Bingo and Betway Poker
The Coral Cup is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs ( 4,225 metres ) , and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped . It is a handicap race , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . The event was established in 1993 , and it has been sponsored by Coral throughout its history . The inaugural winner , Olympian , was given a bonus prize of £50,000 for having won the Imperial Cup the previous weekend . The race was promoted to Grade 3 status in 1999 . There were high winds on the day of the planned running in 2008 , so the Coral Cup was rescheduled and run on Cheltenham 's New Course . The distance of the rearranged event was 2 miles and 4½ furlongs .
Ladbrokes Coral is a British betting and gambling company . It is based in London . It previously owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States , and was known as Hilton Group plc from 1999 to 2006 . In November 2016 , Ladbrokes acquired Gala Coral Group , and changed its name to Ladbrokes Coral . The company was acquired by GVC Holdings in March 2018 . The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange , and was a member of the FTSE 250 Index , until its acquisition .
The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase is a National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the Cross-Country Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 6 furlongs no-repeat ; background-position : right .1em center } . The event was established when a fourth day was added to the Cheltenham Festival in 2005 . It is now one of three cross-country chases held at Cheltenham - the others take place in November and December . All three were originally sponsored by Sporting Index , and in the 2007-08 season they were backed by BGC . The whisky distillery Glenfarclas began supporting the series in 2008-09 .
Glenfarclas distillery is a Speyside whisky distillery in Ballindalloch , Scotland . Glenfarclas translates as meaning valley of the green grass . The distillery is owned and run by the Grant family . The distillery has six stills which are the largest on Speyside and are heated directly by gas burners . The distillery has a production capacity of around 3.5 million litres of spirit per year . Normally four stills are used for production with two kept in reserve . The distillery has approximately 68,000 casks maturing on site , in traditional dunnage warehouses , with stock from every year from 1953 to the current year . Glenfarclas produce a traditional Highland malt with a heavy sherry influence .
The Fred Winter Juvenile Novices ' Handicap Hurdle , known for sponsorship purposes as the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle , is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong ( 2 miles and 87 yards , or 3,298 metres ) , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped . It is a handicap race for juvenile novice hurdlers , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . The event is named in memory of Fred Winter ( 1926-2004 ) , who was successful as both a jockey and a trainer in National Hunt racing . Winter 's record at the Cheltenham Festival included seventeen victories as a jockey , and twenty-eight as a trainer . The Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle was one of several new races introduced at the Festival when a fourth day was added to the meeting in 2005 . It was initially classed at Listed level , and it was promoted to Grade 3 status in 2009 .
The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four to six years . It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong ( 2 miles and 87 yards , or 3,298 metres ) , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . The event was established in 1992 , and it was initially called the Festival Bumper . In its early years it had various sponsors , including the Tote and Guinness . A more sustained period of sponsorship began when Weatherbys began supporting the race in 1997 , and since then it has been known by its present title . The Champion Bumper is the most prestigious flat race , or bumper , in the National Hunt calendar . It often features horses which go on to become leading performers over obstacles , such as Florida Pearl and Dunguib . Occasionally leading jockeys from Flat racing ride in the race and the 2002 winner , Pizarro , was ridden by Jamie Spencer , a Flat racing jockey .
National Hunt Flat races , informally known as Bumper races , are a type of Flat racing but run under National Hunt racing rules in Britain and Ireland . National Hunt Flat races were created on 15 July 1891 when a conference between the stewards of the British and Irish National Hunt Committees decided to abolish the distinction between the hunter and handicap horses and created a new amalgamated rule :
Weatherbys is a privately owned English company , established 1770 , and currently based in Wellingborough , Northamptonshire . The company provides British horse racing with its central administration under contract to the British Horseracing Authority , acts as its bank and maintains the Thoroughbred breed register .
The Golden Miller Novices ' Chase , currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Marsh Novices ' Chase , is a Grade One National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs ( 2 miles 3 furlongs and 168 yards , or 3,976 metres ) , and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped . It is a race for novice chasers and it is scheduled to take place each year on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival in March . The race was initially sponsored by Jewson and was established in 2011 as a new race at the Festival . Jewson had sponsored a handicap race for novice chasers from 2005 to 2010 , the Jewson Novices ' Handicap Chase , which was run on the third day of the Festival . Jewson transferred their sponsorship to this new race at the 2011 Festival which took the place of the Novices ' Handicap Chase on the third day , while the handicap race was moved to become the final race on the opening day of the Festival and retitled the Centenary Novices ' Handicap Chase . The Jewson Novices ' Chase was upgraded to Grade One by the British Horseracing Board from its 2014 running . The race 's registered unsponsored title is the Golden Miller Novices ' Chase , although it has always been run under sponsored titles . The race was sponsored by insurance brokers JLT from 2014 until 2019 . The JLT group had already been associated with sponsorship of a festival race , having sponsored the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase since 2012 . The 2020 renewal will be the first following the merger of JLT and Marsh , and will be run as the Marsh Novices ' Chase .
Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc , also known as JLT Group or simply JLT , is a British multinational corporation that has its headquarters in London , England . It provides insurance , reinsurance , employment benefits advice and brokerage services . It was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index until it was acquired by Marsh & McLennan Companies in April 2019 .
The Pertemps Final is a Grade Three National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles ( 2 miles 7 furlongs and 213 yards , or 4,785 metres ) , and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped . It is a handicap race , and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March .
The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs ( 2 miles 4 furlongs and 127 yards , or 4,139 metres ) , and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped . The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . It was one of several new races introduced at the Festival when a fourth day was added to the meeting in 2005 . Prior to this there had been a similar event at the Festival called the Cathcart Challenge Cup , but this was restricted to first and second-season chasers only . The registered ( non-sponsored ) title of the race is the Festival Trophy , and it was initially classed at Grade 2 level . The inaugural running was sponsored by the Daily Telegraph , and since then it has been backed by Ryanair . The event has held Grade 1 status since 2008 .
Ryanair DAC is an Irish budget airline founded in 1984 , headquartered in Swords , Dublin , Ireland , with its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports . It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family of airlines , and has Ryanair UK , Ryanair Sun , Malta Air and Lauda as sister airlines . In 2016 , Ryanair was the largest European budget airline by scheduled passengers flown , and carried more international passengers than any other airline . Ryanair operates more than 300 Boeing 737-800 aircraft , with a single 737-700 used primarily as a charter aircraft , but also as a backup and for pilot training . The airline has been characterised by its rapid expansion , a result of the deregulation of the aviation industry in Europe in 1997 and the success of its low-cost business model . Ryanair 's route network serves 40 countries in Europe , North Africa ( Morocco ) , and the Middle East ( Israel , Lebanon and Jordan ) . The company has been criticised over its employee conditions and heavy use of extra charges . It has also been noted for its intentional provocation of controversy as a means to generate free publicity . As of 2019 , it has been voted the least-liked short-haul airline six years running in Which ? surveys , and came last in a 2019 rating of 100 UK brands ' customer service .
The Stayers ' 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 on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles ( 2 miles 7 furlongs and 213 yards , or 4,785 metres ) , and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped . The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . It is the leading long-distance hurdle event in the National Hunt calendar , and it is the feature race on the third day of the Festival .
The Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older . It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs ( 2 miles 4 furlongs and 127 yards , or 4,139 metres ) , and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped . It is a handicap race , and is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March .
The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup is a National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain for amateur riders ; it is open to horses aged five years or older . The chase is run on the New Course at Cheltenham , over a distance of about 3 miles and 2 furlongs ( 5,230 metres ) and , during its running , there are twenty-one fences to be jumped . It is a handicap race and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March . The event was established in 1946 and it was originally called the Kim Muir Amateur Riders ' Steeplechase . It was introduced by Mrs Evan Williams and was named in memory of her brother , Kim Muir , a cavalry officer who lost his life during World War II . The name of Fulke Walwyn was added to the title in 1991 . This was in honour of the highly successful trainer , whose 211 victories at Cheltenham included 40 at the Festival .