Cheltenham Festival Day Four Tips: 1-2-3 Best Bets & Gold Cup

Our Cheltenham Festival day four tips will feature the Gold Cup on Friday as the meeting heads into its final day.

• 1.30: JCB Triumph Hurdle ITV1: LOSSIEMOUTH
• 2.10: McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle ITV1: SHARJAH (e/w)
• 2.50: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle ITV1: CORBETTS CROSS
• 3.30: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase ITV1: GALOPIN DES CHAMPS / MINELA INDO (PLACE)
• 4.10: St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase ITV1: BILLAWAY (e/w)
• 4.50: Mares’ Chase RTV: ALLEGORIE DE VASSY
• 5.30: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle RTV: COOL SURVIVOR (e/w)

Cheltenham Festival Day Four Tips: Friday 17th March 2023 – Can Galopin Des Champs Make Up for Last Year’s Disaster By Winning The Gol Cup?

Into Day four of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival and we’ve another seven races to take in, on what is thee final day of the meeting.

There are six decent supporting races on Friday, but – as all racing fans know – it’s all about the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the last day. All eyes will be on Galopin Des Champs as the Willie Mullins runner looks to atone for last year’s final fence tumble in the Turners Novices’ Chase.

The 7 year-old will be hoping to win the biggest race of them all at the Festival and if he can will provide Mullins with his third Gold Cup success. See below our Cheltenham Festival day four tips.

Cheltenham Festival 1-2-3 Best Bets on Day Four: Friday 17th March

1.30: JCB Triumph Hurdle ITV1

SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 CHELTENHAM TIPS: Willie Mullins has the big three in the betting here and all will have their backers. However, Lossiemouth gets a handy 7lbs allowance (on Blood Destiny) and that can be the difference. This talented grey wasn’t given the best of rides last time at Leopardstown (2nd), but with a better passage through the race can get back to winning ways. Gala Marceau, who beat Lossiemouth, last time is the other big player.

• LOSSIEMOUTH
  
• BLOOD DESTINY
  
• GALA MARCEAU
  

2.10: McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle ITV1

SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 CHELTENHAM TIPS: It could be a good day for owner Rich Ricci as the popular owner also has Sharjah running here. This former Champion Hurdle horse is dropping into a handicap here and that could be significant. Yes, he’s got a lot of weight 12st, but he’s the top-rated in the field and the last time he was out of the top three was 10 runs back in 2020. Pembroke for Skelton that does well in this race, and another Mullins runner Hunter Yard can also go well.

• SHARJAH
  
• PEMBROKE
  
• HUNTER YARN
  

2.50: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle ITV1

SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 CHELTENHAM TIPS: JP McManus won the bumper with a horse he recently bout and he’s got a great chance of doing that again here. Corbetts Cross has won his last three in the style of an improving staying hurdler and is 3 from 4 now over hurdles. He’s the top-rated in the field here too. Embassy Gardens for Mullins and Favori De Champdou for Elliott look best of the rest.

• CORBETTS CROSS
  
• EMBASSY GARDENS
  
• FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU
  

3.30: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase ITV1

SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 CHELTENHAM TIPS: Onto the ‘big one’ and it’s easy to see why the Mullins runner Galopin Des Champs is the leading fancy here. He’s won all bar one of his six chase starts, with his only bolt coming when falling at the last in the Turners Novices’ Chase here last year (with the race in the bag). He’s returned since that tumble to win three times and was super-impressive in taking the Irish Gold Cup last time. Mullins also has Stattler in the race, who is a past Festival winner, while Minella Indo could also outrun his odds. The 2021 Gold Cup winner was also runner-up last year and has a top Festival record 1-2-1-2.

• GALOPIN DES CHAMPS
  
• MINELLA INDO
  
• STATTLER
  

4.10: St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase ITV1

SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 CHELTENHAM TIPS: Not everyone’s favourite race run over the same trip as the Gold Cup. Vaucelet will be the favourite and commands respect, but also looks little value. So, a chance is taken on last year’s winner Billaway, who is back for more in the first-time blinkers too. The horse has won 8 of his 19 starts over fences and been in the top three 17 times! The Storyteller with Jamie Codd can also go well. He’s a past Festival winner (Brown Advisory in 2018) and even though he’s 12 years-old is the joint top-rated in the field with Chris’s Dream.

• BILLAWAY (e/w)
  
• VAUCELET
  
• THE STORYTELLER
  

4.50: Mares’ Chase RTV

SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 CHELTENHAM TIPS: Last year’s winner Elimay returns but she’s rather lost her way since. So, this looks a straight matchup between Impervious and Allergoire De Vassy. Both will have a lot of supporters but the last-named is just favoured. This Ricci runner has won both starts by 19 lengths and we also know she stays further than this 2m4 1/2f trip, which will be a big plus. They are both very exciting prospects that we are likely to see a lot more of.

• ALLEGORIE DE VASSY
  
• IMPERVIOUS
  
• MAGIC DAZE
  

5.30: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle RTV

SPORTSLENS 1-2-3 CHELTENHAM TIPS: Gigginstown have a good record in this Festival finale and so Cool Survivor is chanced. From the Gordon Elliott yard, this 6 year-old will strip fitter for a recent run at the Dublin Racing Festival (4th). But that also came in a Grade One so was solid form, while the promising Sam Ewing rides. Might I, for Harry Fry and Irish Hill for Paul Nicholls that won this in 2016, are respected too.

• COOL SURVIVOR
  
• MIGHT I
  
• IRISH HILL