Cheltenham Festival 2023 | Cheltenham Races
Cheltenham Racecourse is the home of the Cheltenham Festival - one of the biggest and most exciting events in the world of horse racing. Cheltenham hosts meetings throughout the jumps season with the Festival taking place from the 14th - 17th March 2023.
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Cheltenham Major Races
We are all set for an epic 2022 Cheltenham Festival, which kicked off on Tuesday 15th March, where the feature race saw the unbeaten superstar mare Honeysuckle retain her Champion Hurdle crown for Henry De Bromhead-trained and Rachel Blackmore.
The action on Tuesday kicked off with a vintage renewal of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, as the Nicky Henderson-trained duo of Constitution Hill and Jonbon finished first and second, the former in quite some style and already getting short priced quotes for next year's Champion Hurdle. The Alan King trained Edwardstone took the Arkle Challenge Trophy, whilst there were wins for Lucinda Russell in the Ultima with Corach Rambler, Marie's Rock in the Mares and wins for Ireland with Brazil in the Fred Winter and Stattler in the National Hunt Chase.
Wednesday got underway in the rain with the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, and the top notch Sir Gerhard was the hot favourite who hosed up in the Grade 1 curtain-raiser, while the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase was won by the Venetia Williams trained favourite L'Homme Presse.
Arguably the best horse in training, Shishkin hated the ground in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and pulled up early to make way for Energumene to win the 2m Championship event and give trainer Willie Mullins his first ever win in the race. Multiple Cheltenham Festival and dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll bowed out of the sport finishing second behind Delta Work in the Cross Country Chase. There were also day two wins for favourite Facile Vega in the Champion Bumper, 50/1 shot Commander Of Fleet in the Coral Cup and 28/1 chance Global Citizen in the Grand Annual.
De Bromhead's Bob Olinger was the benefiter of the impressive Gallopin Des Champs' final fence fall in the Turners Novices' Chase, which kicked off Thursday's action, while the Ryanair Chase saw most punters' banker of the week win in the shape of Allaho, who retained that crown with ease. The Stayers' Hurdle looked a wide open contest with last year's winner Flooring Porter backing it up with victory again.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the feature event on Friday and reigning champion Minella Indo will aim to land the blue riband event once again, but A Plus Tard, Galvin and former dual winner Al Boum Photo will be lively adversaries in a wide open contest. The Triumph Hurdle will see the epic clash between Vauban and Pied Piper, while the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle looks a tough assignment on paper for punters.
What is the Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival is a four day National Hunt racing extravaganza held in March every year to celebrate the best in the sport. Known as the Olympics of jumps racing, there are 28 races run over the four days, featuring the very best horses across all of the different disciplines. Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival features the Champion Hurdle which is for the best two mile hurdlers plus some top novice races including the Arkle Challenge Trophy which is a two mile chase contest and the meeting gets underway with the Supreme Novices' Hurdle also run over two miles. Add in the Mares Hurdle and three competitive handicaps you could argue that Tuesday's the highlight of the week.
On Wednesday, Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival features the Queen Mother Champions Chase run over two miles. The Grade 1 contest is often one of the most exciting and some real legends of the sport have walked away as the Champion chaser including Sprinter Sacre and Altior in recent seasons. Other races on Day 2 include the Ballymore Novices Hurdle run over two and a half miles and the three mile Festival Novices' Chase. The Coral Cup is the most competitive of handicap hurdles of the week and there's also the Cross Country chase and the Champion Bumper for a real varied day of horse racing.
Thursday sees the Stayers' Hurdle as the highlight of Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival. Add into the mix the two and half mile Grade 1 Ryanair Chase and the Marsh Novices' Chase there's some excellent sport. If you like big handicaps, the Pertemps Final and the Festival Plate are always hugely competitive and the day is rounded off with the Mares' Novices' Hurdle and another handicap in the shape of the Kim Muir.
Friday is Day 4 at the Cheltenham Festival which features the big race of the week, the Gold Cup. Run over three and a quarter miles, the race is packed full of history and has returned such winners as Arkle, Best Mate and Kauto Star. It's the number one prize in jumps racing and the supporting cast includes the Triumph Hurdle for juveniles, two competitive handicaps with the County Hurdle, Martin Pipe, plus the Hunter Chase for amateur riders and the Mares Chase which is a new addition to the Festival.
When is the 2023 Cheltenham Festival?
The 2023 Cheltenham Festival will take up its traditional spot in the middle of March, run on Tuesday 14th to Friday 17th.
- Day 1 - Tuesday 14th March 2023
- Day 2 - Wednesday 15th March 2023
- Day 3 - Thursday 16th March 2023
- Day 4 - Friday 17th March 2023
Where can I bet on Races at Cheltenham 2023?
At Horseracing.net we have odds for all 28 races for the Cheltenham Festival. We'll have odds comparison grids set up for the races as soon as our trusted bookmaker partners have priced up a race ante-post and on the day of the race you can also find Cheltenham Odds via our detailed racecards for all 28 races.
We work with tried and tested bookmakers to give our users the best possible experience when betting on the Cheltenham Festival. Many of the bookmakers will have sign up offers and Cheltenham Festival Free Bets so keep your eyes peeled on the site before and during the Festival.
How many people attend the Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival is a hugely popular event and the racecourse has gone through many changes in recent years to increase capacity.
The capacity of the racecourse is 67,500 and would usually sell out for the four day Cheltenham Festival.
Home of the Centaur which is an indoor auditorium which is very popular with racegoers when the weather is bad and can watch and have a bet in the warm, whilst in 2015 the racecourse opened their 6,500 capacity Princess Royal Stand which completed the course redevelopments and sits within stunning surroundings.
Is there a Dress Code for attending the Festival?
There is no dress code as such at the Cheltenham Festival, although you are advised to dress for conditions if the weather is cold or wet and they also advise that if you are in the Club Enclosure you wear a suit if you are a man.
Where can you watch the Cheltenham Festival?
ITV Racing are the host broadcaster but all of the bookmakers featured on Horseracing.net offer users to watch a race if they have had a bet on it if you can't get in front of a television. Details below:
- Bet365 - need to have a funded account and have placed a bet int he last 24 hours.
- Paddy Power - need to be logged in and had a bet on the race £1.
- William Hill - need to be logged in and had a bet on the race £1.
- Betfred - need to be logged in and had a bet on the race £1
- Bet Victor - need to be logged in and had a bet on the race £1
- Boylesports - need to be logged in and had a bet on the race £1
- Betfair - need to be logged in and had a bet on the race £1.
- 888 Sport - need to be logged in and had a bet on the race £1
Cheltenham Course Guide
The course based in the outskirts of Cheltenham in the village of Prestbury is the home of national hunt racing and has three left hand tracks, the Old Course, the New Course and the Cross Country Steeplechase course.
There are 16 days of racing spread over 8 fixtures at Cheltenham the highlight of which is the four-day Cheltenham Festival which is held annually in March and features 28 races including top notch Grade One races such as the Champion Hurdle, Arkle Challenge Trophy and Queen Mother Champion Chase and the feature race is the Cheltenham Gold Cup.