When is the 2021 Cheltenham Festival? oddschecker cast an eye over this year's Greatest Show on Turf.
When is the 2021 Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner, with the 2021 meeting scheduled to take place between Tuesday 16 March and Friday 19 March.
Things get underway with the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at 13:30 on Tuesday. Sky Bet have once again rolled out their money back offer on the opening race, which you can read more about here.
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Will fans be allowed at Cheltenham 2021?
Unfortunately, under current restrictions that will not happen and looks unlikely to change. A week of enjoying the best Festival of the year on TV is no bad thing though.
The Cheltenham authorities released the following statement addressing the issue of fans at the festival in 2021.
"Based on current Government restrictions, professional sport is able to continue under stringent health and safety protocols, without spectators present. In horseracing’s case this is vital to support the livelihoods of the many thousands of people who rely on the industry and for the welfare of the thousands of Thoroughbred racehorses who live and train in Britain.
"This means that under current restrictions, The Festival will take place as a televised event, but sadly without spectators at the course. We continue to monitor Government guidance and should this change in advance of The Festival we will act accordingly."
Day 1: Tuesday
| Time | Race | Favourite |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 | Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Appreciate It (7/4) |
| 13:55 | Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase | Shishkin (Evens) |
| 14:30 | Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase | Escaria Ten, Lieutenant Rocco (10/1jf) |
| 15:05 | Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy | Honeysuckle (3/1) |
| 15:40 | OLBG Mares’ Hurdle | Concertista (5/4) |
| 16:15 | Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Quilixios (5/1) |
| 16:50 | National Hunt Challenge Cup Chase | Royale Pagaille (2/1) |
Day 2: Wednesday (Ladies' Day)
Wednesday 17 March is Ladies' Day.
Wednesday's feature race is The Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1). This is a chase with a distance of about 2 miles and total prize money of £400,000.
| Time | Race | Cheltenham 2021 Tips |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 | Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle | Gaillard Du Mesnil (11/4) |
| 13:55 | Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase | Monkfish (8/11) |
| 14:30 | Coral Cup Hurdle | Grand Roi (7/1) |
| 15:05 | Queen Mother Champion Chase | Chacun Pour Soi (5/6) |
| 15:40 | Cross Country Chase | Easysland (13/8) |
| 16:15 | Grand Annual | Sky Pirate (6/1) |
| 16:50 | Weatherbys Champion Bumper | Kilcruit (15/8) |
Day 3: Thursday (St. Patrick's Day)
Thursday has two feature races. The first is The Ryanair Steeple Chase (Grade 1), which is run over a distance of 2 mile and 5 furlongs. Prize money of £350,000 will be shared among the placed horses.
The second feature race is The Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1). This race is run over a distance of around 3 miles with prize money of £325,000.
| Time | Race | Cheltenham 2021 Tips |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 | Marsh Novices’ Chase | Envoi Allen (5/6) |
| 13:55 | Pertemps Network Final | Imperial Alcazar (13/2) |
| 14:30 | Ryanair Chase | Allaho (5/1) |
| 15:05 | Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle | Paisley Park (10/3) |
| 15:40 | Paddy Power Plate | Farclas (8/1) |
| 16:15 | Mares Novices’ Hurdle | Hook Up (11/2) |
| 16:50 | Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase | Run Wild Fred (7/1) |
Day 4: Friday (Gold Cup Day)
The final day of the Cheltenham Festival meeting takes place on Friday 19 March. It is known as Gold Cup Day because is host to the most prestigious race of The Festival.
The feature race for day 4 is The Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup. It is run over the longest distance of the Cheltenham Festival, with the runners covering a distance of 3 miles, 2 furlongs and 70 yards. The prize money for the Gold Cup is also the highest of The Festival, with £625,000 being shared amongst the top horses.
| Time | Race | Cheltenham 2021 Tips |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 | JCB Triumph Hurdle | Tritonic (5/2) |
| 13:55 | Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle | Multiple (10/1) |
| 14:30 | Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle | Stattler (11/2) |
| 15:05 | The Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup | Al Boum Photo (11/4) |
| 15:40 | St. James Place Foxhunter Steeple Chase | Billaway (3/1) |
| 16:15 | Mares Chase | Elimay (15/8) |
| 16:50 | Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle | Gentleman De Mee (13/2) |
Find all the very best expert insight and predictions for this year's Festival on our Cheltenham Tips page. For special offers and bookmaker signups head to our Cheltenham Free Bets page.
