SPONSORED CONTENT: The annual Cheltenham Festival offers racegoers and the watching public four days of top quality horse racing events from the world-renowned Cheltenham racecourse.

This event is one of the highlights of the jumping calendar, with reputations made (and lost) on the course every year. Some of the sport's brightest stars have emerged in this sporting theatre and some of racing's most memorable moments have taken place here.

The Cheltenham Festival offers one of racing's largest prizes, second only to the Grand National, which is one of the many reasons why it manages to attract the best British and Irish talent each year.

The festival's been held for over 150 years and has gained a reputation for its noisy and convivial atmosphere. The date each March coincides with St Patrick's Day, and many Irish punters count it as part of the celebrations.

You'll always have a good time at the Cheltenham Festival, whether you're knowledgeable about horse racing or just along as a casual observer.

The highlight of the races at Cheltenham is really the climactic Gold Cup event, held on the last day of the four day meet. In recent years, around a quarter of a billion pounds has been wagered over the duration of the festival, with much of the betting focusing on the Gold Cup.

This prestigious prize has been won by some major equine stars, including Desert Orchid, whose 1989 win astonished many. Although initially overtaken by Yahoo, the much-loved 'Dessie' managed to regain his lead in the crucial last moments of the race to reaffirm his status as the nation's favourite horse.

More recently, the Gold Cup has seen memorable battles on the turf between the likes of Denman and Kauto Star, who memorably beat each other in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

For many outside the world of horse racing, Cheltenham is memorable for its fashion, as much as for what happens on the green.

The Wednesday of the festival is traditionally called Ladies Day. This is one of the visual highlights of the event and is well covered by the national (and sometimes international) press for the zany and outrageous fashion choices of many of the spectators.

Naturally it hasn't all been plain sailing for this huge event. With so many jumping events on offer each year, there are a high number of horse fatalities associated with the festival. 2006 was a particularly bad year, with three horse deaths over the course of the race meeting.

Everyone should try to attend this historic race at some point in their lives - if you aren't able to make it this year, check the results online. You can check 2015 Cheltenham races results here to stay up to date with all of the racing action.

The Cheltenham Festival is one of racing's biggest spectacles, whether you watch from home or attend the event itself this coming March. For 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners visit William Hill's site . Already there's interest being taken in this year's event, as punters eagerly wait and see whether Coneygree can emerge victorious for the second consecutive year, or whether Lord Windermere can repeat his 2014 shock win.