The biggest raving extravaganza in the National Hunt – jump racing – calendar is all set to enthral again with the Cheltenham Festival 2017 taking centre-stage from Tuesday.
Four days of exciting, riveting and closely-fought action awaits, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup being the biggest race of them all, set to be run on the final day of the festival at the Cheltenham Race Course.
The best British and Irish-trained will converge to Gloucestershire for this annual event, and with many of the best horses set to run, the Cheltenham Festival 2017 is expected to be one to savour.
Champion Day will kickoff the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday, before being followed by the Ladies Day, St Patrick's Thursday and, of course, the Gold Cup Day.
Here is the race schedule for the four days of the Cheltenham Festival:
Tuesday, March 14:
Champion Day:
1.30pm GMT, 7pm IST: The Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle Race.
2.10pm GMT, 7.40pm IST: The Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase
2.50pm GMT, 8.20pm IST: The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase
3.30pm GMT, 9pm IST: The Stan James Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
4.10pm GMT, 9.40pm IST: The OLBG Mares' Hurdle Race
4.50pm GMT, 10.20pm IST: The JT McNamara National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Amateur Riders' Novices' Steeple Chase)
5.30pm GMT, 11pm IST: The Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase
Wednesday, March 15:
Ladies Day:
1.30pm GMT, 7pm IST: The Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle Race
2.10pm GMT, 7.40pm IST: The RSA Steeple Chase
2.50pm GMT, 8.20pm IST: The Coral Cup Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race)
3.30pm GMT, 9pm IST: The Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase
4.10pm GMT, 9.40pm IST: The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase
4.50pm GMT, 10.20pm IST: The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race
5.30pm GMT, 11pm IST: The Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Thursday: March 16:
St. Patrick's Thursday:
1.30pm GMT, 7pm IST: The JLT Novices' Chase
2.10pm GMT, 7.40pm IST: The Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle Race)
2.50pm GMT, 8.20pm IST: The Ryanair Steeple Chase
3.30pm GMT, 9pm IST: The Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle
4.10pm GMT, 9.40pm IST: The Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate (Handicap Steeple Chase)
4.50pm GMT, 10.20pm IST: The Trull House Stud Mares Novices' Hurdle
5.30pm GMT, 11pm IST: The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase
Friday, March 17:
Gold Cup Day:
1.30pm GMT, 7pm IST: The JCB Triumph Hurdle
2.10pm GMT, 7.40pm IST: The Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle Race
2.50pm GMT, 8.20pm IST: The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Race
3.30pm GMT, 9pm IST: The Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase
4.10pm GMT, 9.40pm IST: The St. James's Place Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
4.50pm GMT, 10.20pm IST: The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle Race
5.30pm GMT, 11pm IST: The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
TV guide: UK: ITV. India: DSport.
