Cheltenham Gold Cup 2023: What time is the race, what TV channel is it on and what are the latest odds?
The Cheltenham Festival builds towards Friday's Gold Cup, which provides jump racing's best chasers with the ultimate test of class, stamina and jumping.
Run over three miles and two furlongs and featuring 22 fences, the Gold Cup has produced some of the sport's greatest moments, including Dawn Run's win in 1984 and Denman and Kauto Star's duopoly in the late 2000s.
This is all you need to know about this year's renewal.
This year's race is on Friday, March 17 at 3.30pm.
ITV will have live coverage fronted by Ed Chamberlin. Alternatively, you can bookmark this page and return on the day to follow the race on our dedicated live blog.
1.30pm, JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 179y
2.10pm, McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3), 2m 179y
2.50pm, Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 7f 213y
3.30pm, Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1), 3m 2f 70y
4.10pm, Foxhunter Chase, 3m 2f 70y
4.50pm, Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 3), 2m 4f 127y
5.30pm, Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (0-145), 2m 4f 56y
A Plus Tard was a hugely popular winner for jockey Rachael Blackmore and trainer Henry de Bromhead, running away up the hill to finish miles clear of 2021 winner Minella Indo. Dan Skleton's Protektorat plugged on gamely for third.
You can read our full runners and riders guide to the race here. These are the best available prices:
Galopin Des Champs 15/8
Bravemansgame 13/2
A Plus Tard 15/2
Noble Yeats 9/1
Stattler 9/1
Conflated 12/1
Shishkin 12/1
Ahoy Senor 14/1
Protektorat 14/1
Minella Indo 20/1
20/1 Bar.
All odds correct as of March 8, 2023
The race for speedy juvenile hurdlers, the Triumph has produced numerous future Champion Hurdle winners while, remarkably, twice Grand National winner Tiger Roll won this in 2014. Four of the last five winners have been Irish trained, and Willie Mullins has the three most-fancied runners this year: Blood Destiny and fillies Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau who will receive the three-pound allowance. The one piece of course form comes from Joseph Patrick O'Brien's Comfort Zone, who won the trial for this race at Cheltenham in January, though none of the three Mullins contenders ran that day.
Best bet: Lossiemouth
This extremely competitive handicap was won by State Man last year, who is expected to provide Constitution Hill's main competition in this year's Champion Hurdle.
Nicky Henderson's First Street was second to State Man by just over a length, but will carry an additional seven pounds for this year's race. Much of that is due to a commendable third behind Dashel Drasher and Marie's Rock over an extra half mile at Cheltenham on New Year's Day. Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have produced six of the last seven winners. Skelton's Pembroke is well fancied, and is stepping back to the two-mile trip which has brought both of his wins this season. Finished second in a Grade Two Novices' Hurdle in January, and this is his first venture into the handicaps. Mullins' best chances appear Hunters Yarn and Winter Fog while Filey Bay for Emmet Mullins is currently favourite.
Best bet: Pembroke
This race for staying novice hurdlers is notoriously open and difficult to read. In fact, just one of the last nine winners have come at a single-figure price. Future Gold Cup winner Minella Indo won the race at odds of 50-1 in 2019. It is hard to find a British-trained horse at the front of the market this year, with Ireland dominating and no Festival form to fall back on. Corbetts Cross for Emmet Mullins has four wins and a second this season, including over three miles on soft to heavy ground at Fairyhouse in January. Willie Mullins' Embassy Gardens was grateful for the step up in trip when winning last time out at Thurles. Three Card Brag for Gordon Elliott is untested over this distance but looks a potential chaser in the making.
Best bet: Three Card Brag
Galopin Des Champs is the stand-out talent in the race, and would have romped home in last year's Turners Novices' Chase over two-and-a-half miles but for a slip after the last. Out-paced former Arkle runner-up Fakir D'oudairies at Punchestown this season, so speed is not in question. Has not run over the Gold Cup trip at Cheltenham, which is a question mark, but little evidence from previous runs to suggest he will struggle to stay. Mullins second-string Stattler will need to reverse an eight-length deficit on his stable-mate from the run at Leopardstown but has solid claims.
A Plus Tard has just one run since winning, pulled up. King George winner Bravemansgame is maturing for Paul Nicholls, but has not run in a Cheltenham chase after ground conditions saw him pulled out last year. Noble Yeats and Protektorat probably need more testing ground. Ahoy Senor won the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January, but his jumping is questionable and he veers right.
Best bet: Bravemansgame
This race is run over the same course and trip as the Gold Cup, but is for amateur jockeys. Last year's second behind Billaway in this race, Winged Leader, will be well-fancied while stable-mate Vaucelet is currently a strong favourite. While a seasoned campaigner at 11, Secret Investor for Paul Nicholls is worthy of consideration, with a chase win over Clan Des Obeaux at Newbury on his CV. No serious history at Cheltenham, though.
Best bet: Winged Leader
One of the two Mares' races that was added to the schedule in 2021, with Willie Mullins winning both renewals. No surprise then, that Allegorie De Vassy of the Mullins yard is currently favourite after an unbeaten run of four races. She will be challenged by fellow Irish Mares Impervious and Jeremys Flame.
Best bet: Jeremys Flame
A two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle for conditional jockeys, this race concludes the Festival. The last two winners include Galopin Des Champs and Banbridge who have both progressed to better things. Favori De Champdou for Gordon Elliott fits the profile of Martin Pipe winners as a lightly-raced novice hurdler, but could run in the Albert Bartlett. So we're going for his stable-mate Imagine who looks very unexposed as a five-year-old.
Best bet: Imagine
