The Cheltenham Festival will remain staged over four days after the Jockey Club announced today that jump racing’s biggest fixture WON’T be extended to a fifth day.
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Cheltenham Festival To Stay At Four Days
Over the last few years there has been talk about the Cheltenham Festival, which is held each year in March and is the pinnacle of the jumps horse racing season, might be extended to a fifth day.
The Cheltenham Festival is currently run over four days, Tuesday to Friday, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup the highlight on the final day. However, a potential extra day (Saturday) had been talked about which would mean each day having six races (there are currently 7 races a day over 4 days).
This would have brought the total Festival races up to 30 (from 28), so only two extra races would have had to be created if a fifth day was added.
However, despite some key racing figures that included top Cheltenham trainer Nicky Henderson, who has won 72 races at the Festival, in favour of an extra day the general feeling across the industry was to keep the fixture at four days.
Former champion jockey, AP McCoy, was one of the main voices strongly against extending the Cheltenham Festival (watch below).
With the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase only having four runners in 2022, plus other Festival races having single-figure fields, then many thought that even having to find two more races would dilute the schedule further.
Yes, an extra day, which was most likely to be the Saturday, would potentially have brought in more revenue to the track and Cheltenham area but the temptation of this was kicked into touch with even local MP’s agreeing.
MP Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury constituency) told the Racing Post “As the MP for the racecourse, I welcome this decision,” he said. “The whole area benefits enormously from the festival, but there is an optimum level and I believe that four days is it.”
See the 2023 Cheltenham Festival races and schedule below.
Cheltenham Festival Was Extended To 4 Days In
The Cheltenham Festival is no stranger to change. Up until 2005, the meeting had been run over three days – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – with the Gold Cup run on the Thursday.
However, the meeting was extended to four days, with Friday added in 2005, which meant there could be one championship race on each of the days.
When Is The 2023 Cheltenham Festival?
đź“…Date: Tues 14th March, Weds 15th March, Thurs 16th March, Fri 17th March 2023
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
đź“ş TV: ITV / Racing TV
2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting
See below the latest betting ahead of the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday 17th March
| Cheltenham Gold Cup Horse | Latest Odds | Bookmaker |
| GALOPIN DES CHAMPS | 3/1 |  |
| A PLUS TARD | 7/2 | |
| AHOY SENOR | 17/2 | |
| ALLAHO | 9/1 | |
| L’HOMME PRESSE | 12/1 | |
| STATTLER | 14/1 | |
| MONKFISH | 16/1 | |
| GALVIN | 20/1 | |
| BAR | 25/1 | |
All odds correct as of 12:31 BST on Mon 17 Oct and subject to change
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Watch A Plus Tard Winning The 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup
2023 Cheltenham Festival: Race guide and results
There will be 28 races run at the 2023 festival and here is your race-by-race guide.
Day One: Champion Day – Tuesday, March 14, 2023
- Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – 1.30pm
- Arkle Novices’ Chase – 2.10pm
- Ultima Handicap Chase – 2.50pm
- Champion Hurdle – 3.30pm
- Mares’ Hurdle – 4.10pm
- Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle – 4.50pm
- National Hunt Novices’ Chase – 5.30pm
Day Two: Ladies Day – Wednesday, March 15, 2023
- Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle – 1.30pm
- Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – 2.10pm
- Coral Cup – 2.50pm
- Champion Chase – 3.30pm
- Cross Country Chase – 4.10pm
- Grand Annual Handicap Chase – 4.50pm
- Champion Bumper – 5.30pm
Day Three: St Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, March 16, 2023
- Turners Novices’ Chase – 1.30pm
- Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle – 2.10pm
- Ryanair Chase – 2.50pm
- Stayers’ Hurdle – 3.30pm
- Paddy Power Plate – 4.10pm
- Mares’ Novice Hurdle – 4.50pm
- Kim Muir Challenge Cup – 5.30pm
Day Four: Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 17, 2023
- Triumph Hurdle – 1.30pm
- County Hurdle – 2.10pm
- Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – 2.50pm
- Gold Cup – 3.30pm
- Festival Hunters’ Chase – 4.10pm
- Mares’ Chase – 4.50pm
- Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle – 5.30pm
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