What time does Cheltenham Festival start today?
This year’s meeting will take place over four days from Tuesday March 16 to Friday March 19.
The first race kicks off today at 1.20pm (see full schedule below).
What TV channel are the races on?
For the first time ever, ITV will broadcast six races per day live with coverage also available on Racing TV. With the Festival taking place behind closed doors, rights manager Racecourse Media Group has given ITV one-off permission to broadcast the first six of seven daily races. This change means that the gap between each race will be reduced to 35 minutes. You will also be able to follow the live action on Telegraph Sport’s dailylive blog.
What are the big races?
The Cheltenham Festival is not a case of separating the small races from the big races – it only contains big races and even bigger races.
Each of the four days has a headline event. Tuesday’s showpiece race is the Champion Hurdle, while the Queen Mother Champion Chase tops the Wednesday bill.
Thursday features two prize races in the Ryanair Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle, and everything builds up to the Gold Cup on Friday.
Cheltenham Festival 2021 race schedule
Tuesday, March 16
- 1.20pm, Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 87y, Winner: £52,754
- 1.55pm, The Sporting Life Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1), 1m 7f 199y, Winner: £73,855
- 2.30pm, Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3), 3m 1f
- 3.05pm, Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 87y, Winner: £189,912
- 3.40pm, Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 3f 200y, Winner: £50,643
- 4.15pm, The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race (Grade 3), 2m 4f 44y
- 4.50pm, National Hunt Chase (Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Chase) (Grade 2), 3m 7f 147y,Winner: £50,643
Wednesday, March 17 (St Patrick’s Day)
- 1.20pm, Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 5f, Winner: £52,754
- 1.55pm, Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1), 3m 80y, Winner: £73,855
- 2.30pm, Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3), 2m 5f
- 3.05pm, Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1), 1m 7f 99y, Winner: £168,810
- 3.40pm, Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, 3m 6f 37y
- 4.15pm, The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Grade 3), 2m 44y
- 4.50pm, Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1), 2m 87y
Thursday, March 18
- 1.20pm, MARSH Novices’ Chase (Grade 1), 2m 3f 166y, Winner: £73,855
- 1.55pm, Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle) (Grade 3), 2m 7f 213y
- 2.30pm, Ryanair Chase (Grade 1), 2m 4f 127y, Winner: £73,855
- 3.05pm, Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 7f 213y, Winner: £135,048
- 3.40pm, Paddy Power Plate (Handicap Chase) (Grade 3), 2m 4f 166y
- 4.15pm, Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2), 2m 179y
- 4.50pm, Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase, 3m 2f
Friday, Match 19
Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 13
- 1.20pm, JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 179y, Winner: £52,754
- 1.55pm, Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3), 2m 179y
- 2.30pm, Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m 7f 213y, Winner: £52,754
- 3.05pm, Wellchild Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1), 3m 2f 70y, Winner: £263,766
- 3.40pm, Foxhunter Chase, 3m 2f 70y
- 4.15pm, Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 3), 2m 4f 127y
- 4.50pm, Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-145), 2m 4f 56y
Content courtesy of The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2021/03/16/cheltenham-festival-2021-races-schedule-time-tv-channel-odds-watch/