Sporting Life, the home of in-depth horse racing analysis and expert tips, is back in print to herald day one of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
In a nod to tradition and a celebration of excellence in racing coverage, this limited-edition newspaper print run is making its one-day-only comeback—distributed free at London’s Paddington Station.
As festival-goers don their tweed and buzz with anticipation for one of the biggest weeks on the racing calendar, thousands are clutching their commemorative copies.
This special issue not only revisits the golden era of the iconic Sporting Life newspaper, which ran from 1859 to 1998, but also delivers an exclusive interview with Willie Mullins, the most successful Cheltenham Festival trainer of all time, along with expert tips and analysis that promise to illuminate the day’s big events.
Leading the charge in distribution was former England rugby union international and well-known racing aficionado Mike Tindall.
With an estimated 20,000 punters gathering their copy this morning, he shared his enthusiasm: “Cheltenham Festival is the most exciting week in the horse racing calendar for many fans, myself included!
“Sporting Life is an institution in racing, and when I heard that they were bringing the newspaper back for one-day-only, I was really pleased to be a part of it. Sporting Life remains synonymous with the very best coverage of racing to this day.
“The atmosphere at Paddington this morning has been great and you can sense the excitement for racing fans as they make the trip to Cheltenham.”
Sebastian Butterworth, Director of Sporting Life, added further insight into this unique celebration: “At Sporting Life we’ve been dedicated to giving our customers the very best content for over 165 years.
While now we operate purely digitally, we wanted to roll back the years and give fans heading to Cheltenham a keepsake to commemorate their day.
“Our limited edition print newspaper celebrates what Sporting Life is all about – exclusive, in-depth content from some of the best and most talented people in the industry.
“The Cheltenham Festival is a massive occasion and it has been great to mark it with a campaign which celebrates both the heritage of Sporting Life, and our present and future. We hope our readers enjoy it.”
Once famed for its comprehensive coverage of horse and greyhound racing, Sporting Life has evolved into a digital powerhouse delivering first-class editorial content across a range of sports.
For those hungry for more insight and expert reaction from the Festival, head over to sportinglife.com for the full experience.