These are the must-see races at the Cheltenham Festival this week

Race week
Biggest stars
Schedule
What to look out for
Tuesday 14th of March – Unibet Champion Hurdle (3:30)
Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1:30)
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (4:10)
Wednesday 15th of March – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (1:30)
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3:30)
Glenfarclas Chase (4:10)
Thursday 16th of March – Turners Novices’ Chase (1:30)
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3:30)
Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (4:50)
Friday 17th of March – JCB Triumph Hurdle (1:30)
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2:50)
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (3:30)
Race week

The Cheltenham horse racing festival is the pinnacle of jump racing, with trainers and owners often preparing for the premiere week months or years in advance.

Biggest stars

The week often brings out the most talented horses from Britain and Ireland, guaranteeing the best racing anywhere else in the world.

Schedule

The racing begins on Tuesday the 14th of March and runs until Friday the 17th of March, Gold Cup day, the biggest jump racing event of the calendar year

What to look out for

Here are the three biggest races to look out for on each day of the festival!

Tuesday 14th of March – Unibet Champion Hurdle (3:30)

The race to look out for on the opening day is at 3:30, in which superstar horse Constitution Hill will be fancied to dominate. Last year's Supreme Novices' winner looks better than before, but Willie Mullin's trained State Man will look to be a threat to the victory party.

Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1:30)

With no Constitution Hill in this year's Supreme Novices Hurdle, the race looks open for two horses to challenge for the race, with Facile Vega being the favorite and Marine Nationale coming in at a close second.

Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (4:10)

The final race of the day will be headlined by the horse Honeysuckle, which is looking at getting its fourth Cheltenham race win in what is likely to be her final race. Marie Rock, Love Envoi, and Epatante are the three major challengers in the race.

Wednesday 15th of March – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (1:30)

Trainer Willie Mullins will be confident he can stamp down the opening race on Wednesday, leading five horses into Ballymore Novices' Hurdle. The favorite to take the glory will be Gaelic Warrior.

Queen Mother Champion Chase (3:30)

The Queen's Mother Champion Chase is the biggest race of day two, with Mullins-trained Energumene favorite to win the race like they did last year. Edwardstone and Editeur Du Gite will both provide fierce competition for the favorite.

Glenfarclas Chase (4:10)

The 20-horse race at Glenfarclas Chase is the only race of the week that runs on the cross-country course. With 20 horses, anything can happen, making it one of the trickiest races to predict. However, Delta Work will be the favorite after winning it last year.

Thursday 16th of March – Turners Novices’ Chase (1:30)

The opening race on day three only drew up four horses last year, but it made for one of the most spectacular races of the week. This year, trainers Gordon Elliot and Joseph O'Brien will be hoping their horses Banbridge and Mighty potter can lead the charge.

Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3:30)

Blazing Khal and Teahupoo are the favorites for the staple race of day three at Cheltenham, but 11-year-old Paisley Park will be bidding to become the first horse to win at that age in 37 years after finishing third the past two years.

Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (4:50)

The Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle is the final race of the day on Thursday, with champion trainer Willie Mullins looking to secure this race with the inform Allegorie De Vassy.

Friday 17th of March – JCB Triumph Hurdle (1:30)

The JCB Triumph Hurdle is headed by Willie Mullins horses, with four out of the five belonging to the trainer. Blood Destiny and Lossiemouth are joint favorites heading into the first race of the final day.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2:50)

The 31-horse race at the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle always throws up a major surprise after 18-1 The Nice Guy won last year. Three Card Brag and Corbetts Cross are the favorites to win this three-mile race.

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (3:30)

The biggest race of the week is the Gold Cup Chase at 3:30, led by favorites Galopin Des Champs and Grand National hero Noble Yeats, who will be looking to win the race of the year.

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