Cheltenham Festival 2023: Full schedule of race times, TV channel and latest odds today

A harbinger of spring and the showpiece event of the National Hunt season, the Cheltenham Festival remains the highlight of the British horse racing calendar.

This year's festival began on March 14 and runs to Friday, March 17. Plans to add a fifth day, on the Saturday, have been shelved because of concerns about damage to the racetrack and Britain's uncertain economic footing. For fans who think you can maybe have too much of a good thing, this has been welcome news.

UK TV viewers can watch every race live on ITV 1, or streamed online via ITV X. Racing TV also shows the festival in full. Talksport hosts the radio commentary.

Betting on the Cheltenham Festival? Take a look at the best Cheltenham betting offers and free bets.

Feature races in bold

13:30 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
14:10 Brown Advisory Novices’ Steeple Chase
14:50 Coral Cup Hurdle
15:30 Queen Mother Champion Chase
16:10 Cross-Country Steeple Chase
16:50 Grand Annual Handicap Chase
17:30 Champion Bumper

13:30 Turners Novices’ Chase
14:10 Pertemps Network Final Hurdle
14:50 Ryanair Chase
15:30 Stayers’ Hurdle
16:10 County Plate Chase
16:50 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
17:30 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

13:30 Triumph Hurdle Jump
14:10 Country Handicap Hurdle
14:50 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
15:30 Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase
16:10 Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
16:50 Mares’ Chase
17:30 Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

Has the scalps of both Energumene and Edwardstone (twice) in the bag already and yet still trades as third favourite behind them in the betting. Full marks for connections sticking with young up and coming jockey Niall Houlihan on the front-runner who loves Cheltenham, a huge chance for him to break into the big time.   

Trained in the Loire valley, better known for its chateaux, by relatively unknown (here, at any rate) Frenchman, Gabriel Leenders, hence his generous price based on his recent win at Cheltenham. He trains 90 horses and knows the time of day so should not be lightly dismissed. Great chance for veteran French jockey Jonny Charron to cap a long career. 

One of the smallest clubs in racing, in terms of membership, are horses which have won a Gold Cup and Grand National. Currently only Golden Miller and L’Escargot are in it but, with cheek-pieces reapplied, no horse in Friday’s race has the stamina depths of last year’s Aintree hero. As long as he does not get outpaced early on, he will be flying up the hill.

The Prestbury Cup is the competition between British and Irish trainers, running for the duration of the Cheltenham Festival. Ireland dominated last year's competition, winning 18 races to the UK's 10. With the Mullins contingent leading the charge, Ireland are 1-20 to win in this year so the home side, it's fair to say, are needing snookers.