The penultimate day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival is set to take place this afternoon… but what time is the first race? How can you watch it? And when is the Stayers’ Hurdle?
- Seven races are expected to take place including the Stayers’ Hurdle
- LIVE BLOG: Follow all the Festival’s action as it happens with Sportsmail
- Click here for the latest Cheltenham Festival news, schedule and race results
Thousands of horse racing fans are set to be in attendance once again ahead of the third day of races at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Last year’s 2022 festival saw a total of 280,627 people attend the action over the four days of racing.
Day two saw Energumene take the Champion Chase as rival Edwardstone finished fifth, while The Real Whacker won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Over the final two days, there will be 14 races that will take place in total.
Sportsmail breaks down everything you need to know ahead the third day of the Cheltenham Festival.
The first race is expected to get underway this afternoon and will finish at around 5.30pm
Thousands of fans are once again set to make the trip to the Cheltenham racecourse
What is the Cheltenham Festival schedule on Day Three?
The first race is set to get underway at 1.30pm with the Turners Novices’ Chase
With seven races in total today, it is expected to draw to close at around 5.30pm.
The Opening Show will take place this morning and every day from 8.30am until 10am.
How to watch
This year’s Cheltenham Festival will be shown live on ITV, with coverage getting underway at 1pm each day.
Fans will also be able to stream the action on the ITVX app.
ITV will show the first five races, with the final two races being shown live on Racing TV and on a bookies’ live stream service.
Sportsmail will also be providing live coverage of the Cheltenham Festival, so you can keep up-to-date with all the latest developments here.
When is the Stayers’ Hurdle?
The biggest race of the day will see the Stayers’ Hurdle take place.
The Stayers’ Hurdle will be the fourth race of the day.
It is expected to get underway at 3.30pm.
Who are the favorites for the Stayers’ Hurdle?
Teahupoo – 5/2
Blazing Khal – 7/2
Flooring Porter – 11/2
Home By The Lee – 13/2
Klassical Dream – 15/2
Odds via Paddy Power and correct at the time of publication
Weather forecast
Horse racing fans heading to Cheltenham today can expect cloudy spells along with outbreaks of rain.
The rain is expected to hit in the early afternoon but will ease towards the end of the afternoon.
Today’s weather will see highs of about 14 degrees celsius.
It is expected to be cloudy heading into the afternoon races, with heavy rain also expected
Full Schedule
Thursday, March 16
- 1.30pm – Turners Novices’ Chase
- 2.10pm – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
- 2.50pm – Ryanair Chase
- 3.30pm – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
- 4.10pm – Plate Handicap Chase
- 4.50pm – The Mares Novices’ Hurdle
- 5.30pm – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Friday, March 17
- 1.30pm – JCB Triumph Hurdle
- 2.10pm – McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle
- 2.50pm – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- 3.30pm – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase
- 4.10pm – St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
- 4.50pm – The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple Chase
- 5.30pm – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
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