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Cheltenham Festival is a well-loved horse racing event prominent in British horse racing history. First taking place in 1860, the Cheltenham Festival returns each year to provide bettors with four days of competitive races, excitement and history. Being one of the year's most prestigious events, the Cheltenham Festival attracts high-profile racehorses, jockeys and trainers all looking for a victory in the year's top races.
Cheltenham Festival takes place in March every year, with this year's festival spanning from Tuesday 12th of March to Friday 15th of March. Keep reading to learn more about this year's Cheltenham Festival dates, including specific dates and favourites.
The Schedule of Cheltenham 2024
Whilst Cheltenham is the most prominent horse racing event nationwide, some readers may be unaware of the festival and its schedule. Fortunately, our experts are here to explain. Cheltenham Festival spans four jam-packed days, each with seven races. This year is happening from the 12th to the 15th of March. Readers can attend one or all of the days based on their preferences.
If you are someone interested in betting on this great event check out our Cheltenham Festival Tips; read more here.
To learn more about each day's run down, read below.
Champion Day – Tuesday 12th March
Kicking off day one of this year's Cheltenham Festival is Champions Day 2024, with seven exciting races taking place from 13:30 to 17:30. The first race of the day is the Supreme Novices Hurdle, which begins at 13:30. Next up is the Arkle Chase which is a Novice Chase race. This kicks off at 14:10. The best odds for this race are currently Marine Nationale, a favourite from previous years.
At 14:50, the Ultima Handicap Chase is up, followed by the top race of the day, the Champion Hurdle, at 15:30. The favourite for this exciting race is a returning winner, Constitution Hill. The final races of the day include the Mares Hurdle at 16:10, the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at 16:50 and 17:30 the National Hunt Chase.
Ladies Day – Wednesday 13th March
One of the favourite days of the Cheltenham Festival has got to be Ladies Day 2024. The Ballymore Novices Hurdle starts the day with a bang at 13:30, with top odds on Ballyburn. Next is the Brown Advisory Novices Chase at 14:10, followed by the Coral Cup at 14:50. The most anticipated race of the day kicks off at 15:30, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, with the favourite being El Fabiolo, a previous victor. To conclude this spectacular day, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase is at 16:10, the Grand Annual Handicap Chase is at 16:50, and the Champion Bumper is at 17:30!
St Patricks Thursday – Thursday 14th March
Will the luck of the Irish be on your side when placing your best on day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival 2024? The day kicks off with a Novice Chase, the Turners Novices Chase, at 13:30, setting the tone for a day of excitement! Next up at 14:10 is the Pertemps Final, followed by the Ryanair Chase at 14:50. St Patricks Thursday 2024 feature race is the Stayerss Hurdle, a championship race at 15:30.
The favourite for this race is none other than Impaire Et Passe. To close the day, we have the Craft Irish Whisky Co. Plate at 16:10, the Mares Novices Hurdle at 16:50, and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at 17:30.
Gold Cup Day – Friday 15th March
To close off a fantastic four days of quality horse racing, Gold Cup Day 2024 is the final instalment of Cheltenham Festival 2024. This day features the long-awaited Cheltenham Gold Cup race, one of the festival's most lucrative events. To start the last day, the JCB Triumph Hurdle begins at 13:30. Next is the County Hurdle at 14:10, followed by the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at 14:50.
The biggest race of the day, and the event, takes place at 15:30, and the favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Galopin Des Champs. The main event is followed by the Hunters Chase at 16:10 and the Mares Chase at 16:50. The final race of day four is the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at 17:30. What an excellent way to finish a brilliant racing week.
The Highlights of Cheltenham 2024
With seven races spanning each day over the four-day Cheltenham Festival 2024, there is certainly a horse race suited to all bettors. There are, however, Championship Races each day, which are the most popular races of the day for their reputation and excitement. Read below to learn more about the top races and their popularity.
The Champion Hurdle
The highlight of the first day of Cheltenham Festival 2024 is the Champion Hurdle, thanks to its excellent history and desirable traits to jockeys. This race is so popular thanks to its long history, proving to be a hurdle race where only the best go head to head. The Champion Hurdle requires a strong run to be victorious.
Some previous champions of this race include Espoir DAllen and jockey Mark Walsh in 2019, and in 2018 and 2017, Buveuer DAir took the steal with jockeys Barry Geraghty and Noel Fehily. This year's favourite for the Champion Hurdle is the brilliant Constitution Hill, a strong contender.
The Queen Mother Champion Chase
On day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival 2024, the leading race is the Queen Mother Championship Chase, which runs over 1 mile and 7 furlongs. This race dates back to 1959, when it was first established, and the famous name was given in the 1980s in recognition of the Queen Mother's 80th birthday thanks to her continued support of jump racing.
Some past winners of this fantastic race include Energumene and jockey Paul Townend in 2023 and 2022 and Put the Kettle On and jockey Aidan Coleman in 2021. The best odds for this year's winner in the race are currently on El Fabiolo.
The Stayers Hurdle
The Stayers Hurdle is the Championship Race of day three at Cheltenham Festival 2024 and is a highly prestigious hurdle race run over a long distance. Dating back to 1972, the Stayers Hurdle has some excellent history at the festival, and only the top racehorses and jockeys will get a chance to compete. Some previous victors of this thrilling race include Flooring Porter and jockey D E Mullins in 2021 and Lisnagar Oscar and jockey Adam Wedge in 2020. The favourite for this year's race is currently the talented Impaire Et Passe.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup
To finish off a fantastic week in British horse racing, punters can enjoy the iconic Cheltenham Gold Cup race on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival 2024. The race is the most lucrative steeplechase race in the world, and winners of this Gold Cup become icons in the horseracing scene. The Gold Cup has the highest prize fund, with last year's total being a whopping 625,000.
Previous winners of this fantastic race include Galopin Des Champs in 2023, A Plus Tard in 2022 and Minella Indo in 2021. This year's favourite with the current best odds is Galopin Des Champs. Will he be victorious again?
Conclusion
Now that our valued readers are clued up on the exciting events of Cheltenham 2024, you can buy tickets to any of the four days (or all) to experience the joy and excitement of quality horse racing in person. Additionally, our readers can place their bets and wagers on the races as they desire. If you are betting from home, live streaming options are available, so you do not have to miss out on the fun. With the Cheltenham Festival 2024 just two months away, get your racing cards ready!
If you are curious about live-streaming betting on Cheltenham Festival 2024, check out our dedicated review.
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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Sahyadri Times journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
