Cheltenham Festival LIVE: Results, winners and latest updates
The Cheltenham Festival is back for 2023 with a thrilling week of racing lined up in the Cotswolds for what is known as ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’, as racegoers descend on the iconic course.
The Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup bookend the four-day meeting as perhaps the two highest-profile Grade 1 races, with Constitution Hill triumphing in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, showing his class to win at a canter after starting as the overwhelming, heavily-backed favourite.
Meanwhile, Rachael Blackmore returns to Cheltenham looking to create more history after an astounding win to retain the Gold Cup in 2022 –a victory that helped the Irish trainers triumph handily over their British counterparts to easily land the prestigious Prestbury Cup, with a mighty 18 wins compared to just 10 for the home horses.
The festival provides a massive £274m boost to the local economy, a study from the University of Gloucestershire has found, and while organisers will be hoping the rain holds off, it promises to be an exciting week of racing regardless.
Follow all the Day 3 action from Cheltenham below:
Cheltenham Festival LIVE: Results on Day 3
Cheltenham Festival tips: Experts on best bets and 11 horses to watch
Cheltenham today: Day 3 weather forecast and going
Cheltenham race card 2023: Festival runners and full schedule
Cheltenham Festival Day 3 odds
09:57 , Michael Jones
1.30 Turners Novices Chase
Mighty Potter 5/4
El Fabiolo 5/2
Banbridge 3/1
Appreciate It 4/1
Sir Gerhard 7/1
Balco Coastal, Stage Star 10/1
Dysart Dynamo, Journey With Me 12/1
Adamantly Chosen, James Du Berlais 14/1
Hollow Games, I Am Maximus 20/1
Bronn, Fil Dor 25/1
Ha D’or, Kilcruit 33/1
Ruby Walsh’s tips for Day 3
09:50 , Michael Jones
Former jockey Ruby Walsh spoke to Paddy Power about today’s races and gave his picks for the potential winners. Here’s who the Irishman is backing on Day 3:
13.30 - Turners Novices’ Chase: Mighty Potter
14.50 - Ryanair Chase: Shishkin
15.30 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle: Teahupoo
16.10 - Magners Plate: Frero Banbou
16.50 - Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle: Halka Du Tabert
17.30 - Kim Muir Handicap Chase: Stumptown
Where to watch Cheltenham Festival 2023 after ITV coverage ends
09:42 , Michael Jones
Cheltenham Festival 2023 kicked off on Tuesday and the biggest event on the racing calendar. has delivered some thrilling action already.
Prestbury Park still has two more days of action-packed days of racing, including some exciting horses and tips from the experts as we enter Day 3.
Rachael Blackmore steered Honeysuckle to a fairytale and highly emotional victory in the Mares’ Hurdle on Day 1, on her final career start for Henry de Bromhead, before Energumene and Delta Work were among the big-name winners on Day 2 and there is plenty of exciting racing on Thursday’s packed race card.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Cheltenham Festival:
What TV channel is Cheltenham Festival on?
09:35 , Michael Jones
ITV1 will broadcast the first five races of each day’s coverage, which starts from 1pm, while subscription channel Racing TV will show every race, including the final two of the day, with build-up ahead of the races. You can also follow all the action with The Independent’s live blog.
Cheltenham can be watched live in its entirety on Racing TV’s website and app by race fans, provided they are subscribers to the channel. Meanwhile, ITV also live-stream the first five races on the ITVX website and app.
A number of betting websites and apps also show all the races, provided you have a funded account with them.
Story of the day?
09:29 , Michael Jones
A remarkable final race of Day Two saw 18-year-old jockey, John Gleeson, triumph in the Champion Bumper to close out proceedings.
It was his first rider at Cheltenham and he steered A Dream To Share over the line. Will there be similar drama this afternoon?
Cheltenham top jockey standings
09:20 , Michael Jones
In the battle for top jockey of the Cheltenham Festival it’s the Irish who have dominated the opening two days.
Paul Townend tops the chart with three winners to his name, including on Energumene yesterday. Michael O’Sullivan is still holding his ground and is second after his two winners on Tuesday - he won the opening race of the Festival, then closed out the day with a win in the last race on Day One.
Patrick Mullins, Rachael Blackmore and Derek Fox round out the top five with one victory each while Nico de Boinville is the best of the UK riders having won aboard Constitution Hill on Tuesday
Cheltenham Festival Day Three
09:14 , Michael Jones
It’s been a brilliant two days and there’s a lot to still look forward to as the Cheltenham Festival heads towards it’s biggest race - the Gold Cup - on Friday.
On Tuesday Rachael Blackmore steered Honeysuckle to an emotional farewell in the horse’s last race before retirement then yesterday saw both Energumene and Delta Work regain the titles they won last year in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase respectively.
What stories will today’s racing bring us?
Cheltenham race card 2023: Festival runners and full schedule
08:55 , Jack Rathborn
Cheltenham Festival saw Rachael Blackmore steer Honeysuckle to an emotional farewell victory on Day 1 before Energumene and Delta Work were among the big-name winners on Day 2.
As well as the Gold Cup, punters will be excited to take on plenty of Grade 1 races this week and the action does not stop with plenty of attractive tips and exciting horses as the festival reaches Day 3.
In what could be a wet week at the festival, British trainers hope to hit back after taking a heavy beating to their Irish counterparts last year, conceding the Prestbury Cup 12 months ago with just 10 wins compared to 18 Irish victories.
Cheltenham race card 2023: Festival runners and full schedule
Cheltenham Festival: Brighton owner Tony Bloom celebrates Energumene win
08:50 , Jack Rathborn
Energumene retained his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at the Cheltenham Festival and its owner Tony Bloom, who also owns Brighton and Hove Albion, may have landed the biggest win of the week with the bookies.
There were reports of two bets totalling £600,000 on the horse, which would have returned approximately £830,000.
“He has done me proud. He ran a magnificent race and totally deserved to win. We are so fortunate to have such an amazing horse. He didn’t run at his best last time out but has shown his class today,” said Bloom, who conceded to “having a few quid on”.
“We have a huge game against Crystal Palace tonight so I will focus on that now before Grimsby in the FA Cup this weekend.”
Cheltenham favourites today: Latest odds and ante-post betting
08:45 , Jack Rathborn
Whether it’s Mighty Potter, Shishkin or other fine horses, fans will hope to pile on the misery for the bookies.
Now just a day away from the Gold Cup, it’s been a thrilling Festival so far.
Here’s a rundown of where we stand with the latest odds entering Day 3.
Cheltenham favourites today: Latest odds and ante-post betting
‘World’s most expensive’ pint of Guinness goes on sale at Cheltenham
08:33 , Jack Rathborn
Cheltenham Festival fans will be able to drink the “world’s most expensive” pint of Guinness.
While racing enthusiasts digest all the latest tips for Day 3, they can enjoy a different drink after online bookmaker Fitzdares launched a blend of the Irish stout and sparkling wine that will cost drinkers £20 a pint.
“Club Black Velvet” will mix the thick black beer equally with English fizz, with Fitzdares’ chief executive claiming he had concocted the beverage to celebrate the new post-brexit deal for Northern Ireland, agreed at Windsor in late February.
Price of Guinness at Cheltenham revealed
Cheltenham today: Day 3 schedule and race card
08:18 , Jack Rathborn
Thursday, March 16
Turners Novices’ Chase - 1.30pm
Pertemps Network Final Hurdle - 2.10pm
Ryanair Chase - 2.50pm
Stayers’ Hurdle - 3.30pm
County Plate Chase - 4.10pm
Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle - 4.50pm
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup - 5.30pm
Cheltenham today: Day 3 weather forecast and going
08:17 , Jack Rathborn
Going update: soft, good to soft in places for day three
Punters can use the forecast and going to adjust their selections on Day 3 accordingly, as of Thursday morning, the going is soft, good to soft in places, with the racing switched over to the New course after two days of racing on the Old course.
There has been 4mm of rain in the last 24 hours, but fans will be pleased to learn there is just a bit of drizzle and a small chance of light showers, which would provide an extra 1-2mm of rainfall.
