The 2023 Cheltenham Festival starts on the 14th of March. The four best horse racing days of the year are always an interesting puzzle to solve so we have gone over some of the main stats and trends for each of the 28 races over the four days to try and help you find some of the winners.
Tuesday 14th March
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
- 5/10 trained by Willie Mullins
- 8/10 priced 6/1 or shorter
- 9/10 aged 5 or 6, other ages 1 winner from 14 runners
- 9/10 already rated 148+
Arkle Novices’ Chase
- 7/10 sent off favourite (33/1 and 16/1 outliers)
- 9/10 aged 6 or 7, other ages 1 winner from 24 runners (Edwardstone last year)
- 7/10 won either the Wayward Lad (Boothill who doesn’t run) or the Irish Arkle (El Fabiolo) prior to winning here
Ultima Handicap Chase
- 10/10 UK trained
- 6/10 priced 10/1+
- 6/10 were previous course winners
- David Pipe has 2 winners and 2 places in the last 10 years
- 9/10 wore some sort of aid (blinkers, cheekpieces, tongue strap etc)
Champion Hurdle
- 7/10 sent off favourite
- 6/10 trained by Willie Mullins or Nicky Henderson
- 7/10 a horse at 16/1 or bigger has finished in the first 3
Mares’ Hurdle
- 5/10 trained by Willie Mullins
- 6/10 aged 7 (from 33% of total runners)
- 9/10 settled mid-div or worse. Apples’s Jade only winner having been close to leaders
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
- 6/10 priced 25/1+
- 3/10 (3/5 really as race only been going 5 years) won the Naas race in February won in 2023 by Sir Allen
- 4/10 carried 11-0 or 11-1
National Hunt Novices’ Chase
- 3/10 ridden by Jamie Codd
- 6/10 trained by Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott
- 1/10 was the SP favourite
Wednesday 15th March
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
- 8/10 aged 6 (from 56% of total runners)
- 5/10 were the SP favourite
- 8/10 Irish trained
The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
- 7/10 SP of 4/1 or shorter
- 6yo’s just 1/22 in last decade
- 6/10 won their final prep start
Coral Cup
- 5/10 priced 20/1+
- 3/10 trained by Nicky Henderson
- 5/10 wore some sort of headgear/tongue strap
Champion Chase
- 4/10 were the SP favourite
- 6/10 won their final prep race
- 2/10 trained by Henry De Bromhead
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
- 6/10 aged 9+
- 4/10 trained by Gordon Elliott
- 3/10 won their final prep start
Grand Annual Handicap Chase
- 9/10 rated 139+
- 6/10 priced 14/1+
- Only 1/10 won their final prep race, 4/10 were 8th or worse
Champion Bumper
- 5/10 trained by Willie Mullins including the last 3
- 4yo’s are 0/24
- 3/10 were the SP favourite and 3/10 were 16/1+
Thursday 16th March
The Turners Novices’ Chase
- 7/10 SP of 4/1 or shorter
- 7/10 aged 7 (from 39% of total runners)
- 8/10 won their final prep race
Pertemps Final
- 3/10 trained by Gordon Elliott
- 5/10 rated between 138-141
- 5/10 aged 6 (from 23% of total runners)
Ryanair Chase
- 5/10 trained by Willie Mullins
- 6/10 aged 7 (from 23% of total runners)
- 6/10 won their final prep race
Stayers’ Hurdle
- 5/10 priced 10/1+
- 8/10 aged 6 or 7 (from 42% of total runners)
- 5/10 won their final prep race
The Plate Handicap Chase
- 6/10 priced 12/1+
- 5/10 rated 140-142
- 4/10 won final prep run, 3/10 were 7th, 2/10 were pulled up
Mares Novices’ Hurdle
- 5/7 trained by Willie Mullins
- 7/7 aged 5 or 6, all other ages 0/26 combined
- 4/7 carried a penalty (11-7)
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase
- 6/10 aged 7 (from 21% of total runners)
- 9/10 rated 137-143
- 6/10 SP of 9/1 or shorter
Friday 17th March
Triumph Hurdle
- 6/10 priced 9/2 or shorter
- 7/10 had had no more than 4 flat runs prior to hurdling
- 7/10 won their final prep start for the race
County Hurdle
- 8/10 aged 5 or 6
- 7/10 trained by Willie Mullins or Dan Skelton
- 5/10 rated 137-139
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- 7/10 priced 14/1+
- 3/10 trained by Willie Mullins
- 6/10 were winners of a point to point before starting racing under rules
Cheltenham Gold Cup
- 7/10 aged 8 (from 33% of total runners)
- 7/10 priced 7/1 or shorter
- 9/10 rated 164 or higher
Foxhunters
- 8/10 aged 10 or 11 (from 43% of total runners)
- 5/10 SP of 6/1 or shorter, 4/10 16/1 or bigger
- 5/10 female ridden
Mares’ Chase
- 2/2 trained by Willie Mullins
- 2/2 aged 8
- 2/2 priced 9/4
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle
- 3/10 trained by Willie Mullins, 2/10 by Joseph O’Brien, 2/10 by Gordon Elliott, 2/10 by Paul Nicholls
- 7/10 priced 11/1 or bigger
- 6/10 rated 141-145 (145 is ceiling for the race)