Cheltenham: The Festival - Horse Racing: Day-by-Day Schedule

bet365 News Team Jan 25 2022

Ahead of this year's Cheltenham Festival here's a handy day-by-day guide to the most anticipated race meeting of the year.

A four-day extravaganza in the Cotswolds countryside in March, this is widely identified as 'the Olympics of jumps racing'. It catapults racing to the front of the sporting pantheon like no other event.

Here's our guide to the four days, with details on all 28 races at the Cheltenham Festival.

Tuesday 15th March: Day One

Traditionally known as 'Champion Day' the opening afternoon at Cheltenham is headlined by the Champion Hurdle – the two-mile Championship contest for the fastest hurdlers in the lands.

As always, the meeting opens with the Supreme Novices' Hurdle – sure to be sent off by the accompanying 'Cheltenham Roar' to greet the start of another Festival.

Time	Race	Class	Distance
13:30	Supreme Novices' Hurdle Race	Grade 1	2m½f
14:10	Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase	Grade 1	2m
14:50	The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase	Handicap	3m1f
15:30	Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy	Grade 1	2m½f
16:10	The Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle Race	Grade 1	2m4f
16:50	The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race	Grade 3 Handicap	2m4½f
17:30	The National Hunt Chase	Grade 2	3m6f

Wednesday 16th March: Day Two

The second day of The Festival is traditionally known as Ladies Day and it features the Queen Mother Champion Chase as the centrepiece – the fastest and most daunting test of two-mile chasers' speed and accuracy.

Amongst the other day two highlights are the Cross Country Chase – the most unique test at The Festival – and the Champion Bumper – the only Festival race without any jumping.

Time	Race	Class	Distance
13:30	Ballymore Novices' Hurdle	Grade 1	2m5f
14:10	Brown Advisory Novices' Chase	Grade 1	3m½f
14:50	Coral Cup	Grade 3 Handicap	2m5f
15:30	Queen Mother Champion Chase	Grade 1	2m
16:10	Cross Country Chase	Cross Country	3m6f
16:50	Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup	Grade 3 Handicap	2m½f
17:30	Champion Bumper	Grade 1	2m½f

Related Cheltenham News

Cheltenham: The Champion Hurdle: All You Need To Know

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Cheltenham: Irish novices' making statements

Cheltenham: The Cheltenham Festival: All You Need to Know

Thursday 17th March: Day Three

Day three at Cheltenham has now adopted the tag of being St Patrick's Thursday and once again this year, it will fall on the feast of Ireland's patron saint.

Depending on your point of view, the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle vie for top billing on day three, as Cheltenham celebrates all things Irish with the thousands of visiting racegoers from the Emerald Isle.

Time	Race	Class	Distance
13:30	Turner Novices' Chase	Grade 1	2m5f
14:10	The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final	Listed Handicap	3m½f
14:50	Ryanair Chase	Grade 1	2m5f
15:30	Stayers' Hurdle	Grade 1	2m
16:10	Paddy Power Plate	Grade 3 Handicap	3m6f
16:50	Mares Novices' Hurdle	Grade 2	2m½f
17:30	Kim Muir Challenge Cup	Handicap	2m½f

Friday 18th March: Day Four

The culmination of a fantastic four days at Prestbury Park, Friday is, of course, Gold Cup Day – the pinnacle of jumps racing.

Playing a major part in the sporting calendar in the UK and Ireland each year, winners of the Blue Riband go down in racing folklore – with the likes of Best Mate and Kauto Star becoming household names.

Time	Race	Class	Distance
13:30	Triumph Hurdle	Grade 1	2m1f
14:10	County Hurdle	Grade 3 Handicap	2m1f
14:50	Albert Bartless Novices' Hurdle	Grade 1	3m
15:30	Cheltenham Cup	Grade 1	3m2½f
16:10	Hunters' Chase	Handicap	3m2½
16:50	Mares' Steeple Chase	Grade 2	2m½f
17:30	The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle	Handicap	2m4½f