by The Cheltenham Festival builds on today’s Gold Cup, which offers the ultimate test of class, endurance and jumping for the jump race’s best chasers.
Running three miles and two furlongs and boasting 22 jumps, the Gold Cup has produced some of the sport’s greatest moments, including winning Dawn Run in 1984 and the Denman and Kauto Star duopoly in the late 2000s.
That’s all you need to know about this year’s renewal.
When does the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup take place?
This year’s race will take place on Friday 17th March at 3.30pm.
What TV channel are the races on?
ITV will have live coverage moderated by Ed Chamberlin.
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2023 Odds
You can read our complete runners and drivers guide to racing here. These are the best available rates:
Champs gallop 6/4
A Plus Tard 9/2
Bravemansgame 6/1
Noble Yeats 1.12
Stadler 14/1
Merged 14/1
Protectorate 16/1
Ahoy Senor 22/1
Minella Indo 16/1
Sounds Russian 33/1
Hewick 50/1
Royal Pagaille 40/1
Eldorado Allen 100/1
All quotes are valid from March 17, 2023
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Cheltenham Festival day four tips
4.50pm Mrs. Paddy Power Mare Hunt
telegraph sports
One of two mare races added to the 2021 schedule with Willie Mullins winning both overtimes. No wonder Allegorie De Vassy of the Mullins stable is the current favorite after a four-race unbeaten run. She is impervious and challenged by other Irish Mares Jeremy’s flame.
Marlborough
Many will have Allegorie De Vassy as one of their bankers of the day if not of the week but it is perhaps notable that she has been kept in the right lane in 4 starts for coach Willie Mullins and has jumped right on occasion. If there’s a crack in their armor, this could be it, and if there’s one to capitalize on, it probably looks like it Impermeable, who took to jumping beautifully, winning each of her 3 starts this semester, most recently beating the boys to score in 3rd grade. Proving grounds will not be a problem for her and she may prove to be the one to beat.
Marcus Army Days
Jeremy’s flame
Ed Chamberlin
Allegory of Vassy
5:30pm Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle
telegraph sports
This race, a two and a half mile handicap hurdle for fit jockeys, concludes the festival. The last two winners are Galopin Des Champs and Banbridge, both of whom have risen to better things. Favori De Champdou for Gordon Elliott fits the Martin Pipe winners profile as an easy hurdler but could run in the Albert Bartlett. So let’s go to his stablemate Introduce who, as a five-year-old, seems very vulnerable.
Marlborough
Jockey Michael O’Sullivan, 23, has a week to remember and he may not be done yet having picked up the plum ride coached by Willie Mullins at the festival’s final race Spanish Harlem, who is yet to win in 3 starts this season but is a promising hurdler with a 135 that looks more than forgiving. This will likely be a tough test of the journey that Spanish Harlem can take to the ground, and while this is by far his toughest test yet, it looks very likely he’ll step up here and have a successful week round off for both his trainer and his jockey.
Marcus Army Days
iroko
Ed Chamberlin
No ordinary Joe
Ed Chamberlin’s Bet of the Day
I’m confident the home side can win the County Hurdle (10-2) as the skeltons are deadly in these big handicaps. You think of the world of Pembroke and back about the minimal travel he can come close to.
I want to interview the King of Potatoes after the Gold Cup
By Ed Chamberlin
Since ITV took over the television rights in 2017 this is by far the best Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup we’ve had. It packs a punch: a big field of 13 with each-way betting, which is so important on terrestrial television; a potential superstar in Galopin des Champs; the defending champions in Blackmore and A Plus Tard; last year’s Grand National Hero Noble Yeats; a strong home defense led by King George winner Bravemansgame; plus stories galore including the fairytale Hewick which cost just £800 and has already won a Bet365 Gold Cup, Galway Plate and US Grand National.
The race revolves around hot favorite Galopin Des Champs. I doubted he would have the stamina early in the season, but Willie Mullins found the secret to getting him to calm down. Ruby Walsh always judged endurance by how long it took to pull a horse up. Paul Townend almost ended up on the High Street in Dublin after the Irish Gold Cup. He has the potential to blow the race apart.
A Plus Tard did just that 12 months ago. I hardly would have given him a chance earlier in the week but with the week De Bromhead and Blackmore have there can’t be ruled out a return to his best form now.
With the bookies offering such generous each-way terms, I’ll take two darts at the Gold Cup (3.30) with Stattler and Noble Yeats and then pray the race has enough pace to make it a test of endurance.
Statler has an extremely important course form after winning the National Hunt Chase last year and had excellent preparation. I would love to interview Ronnie Bartlett, the king of potatoes, after winning the Gold Cup. He is so humble and in love with the game. That’s my wish for the day.
Ahead of the Cotswold Chase it was clear that the genius Emmet Mullins hadn’t “turned the knob” on Noble Yeats and he will be much sharper today, especially with the cheekpieces newly fitted. I would be surprised if he was in the top five.
Elsewhere on the map, Willie Mullins wins the triumph (1.30). I’m just not sure which one. The Brits are routed again and the results of the Bumper, Novices’ Hurdles and Novices’ Pursuits show it will be a long cycle of Irish dominance.
At Albert Bartlett (2.50) the tag is called Chianti Classico, a wine that I rather enjoy. When he won at Wincanton the race card said the owners were Brooke-Pilkington who I speculated on ITV must be a Hollywood actress, unaware that they were racing kings Sir Francis Brooke and Richard Pilkington acted. Corbetts Cross might be a different class than this lot, but I’m keen on Stay Away Fay. Paul Nicholls will be dying to get back into the pen after his Stage Star winner yesterday and is a great prize for either side if the ground stays on the soft side. Like his name, he will stay all day.
What a week it has been: from the brilliance of Constitution Hill and a burst of emotion for Honeysuckle, watched by over 1.3million on ITV, to underdogs winning and bettors slamming the bookies. All in Cheltenham’s magical playground. It’s been a week of racing escaping its worries and reminding the world what a great sport it is.
Cheltenham Festival 2023, full program for day four
Friday March 17 – Gold Cup Day
3.30pm, Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Class 1), 3m 2f 70y
4:10 p.m., Foxhunter Chase, 3m 2f 70y
4.50pm, Mrs Paddy Power Mare Hunt (Class 3), 2m 4f 127y
5.30pm, Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle (0-145), 2m 4f 56y
