The Cheltenham Gold Cup, one of the world’s most famous horse races, is the feature race of Cheltenham Friday. The Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle are the other two grade 1 races. 7 races will take place on Cheltenham Friday – the final day of the current 4 day Cheltenham Festival calendar. In 2023, Cheltenham Friday falls on 17th March. Here’s our Cheltenham Friday betting preview and tips for 2023:
Cheltenham Friday betting – Grade 1 Races
13:30 Triumph Hurdle
Our Tip: Lossiemouth
- (Hurdles, 2 miles 1 furlong)
- For Novice hurdlers. This is the leading National Hunt race, for juveniles only.
- Barry Geraghty’s 5 wins make him the race’s leading jockey. Nicky Henderson’s 7 wins make him the race’s leading trainer (including Pentland Hills in 2019).
- 4 horses who have won the Triumph Hurdle, have later gone on to win the Champion Hurdle, including Katchit (2007 Triumph Hurdle winner, 2008 Champion Hurdle winner).
- 2020 saw trainer Willie Mullins’ Burning Victory win, 2021 saw Quilixios (jockey: Rachael Blackmore) win, and 2022 saw Vauban win (jockey: Paul Townend).
14:50 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Spa Novices’ Hurdle)
Our Tip: Hiddenvalley Lake
- (Hurdles, 3 miles)
- Novice hurdlers, at least 5 years old (this is an increase of 1 year, from the 2023 renewal and onwards), take part.
- Tony McCoy is the leading jockey in this race with 3 wins – Black Jack Ketchum in 2006, Wichita Lineman in 2007, and At Fishers Cross in 2013.
- Willie Mullins is the leading trainer in this race with 3 wins, having been successful with Penhill in 2017, Monkfish in 2020, and The Nice Guy in 2022.
15:30 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP – CHELTENHAM FRIDAY’S FEATURE RACE
Our Tip: A Plus Tard
- (Fences, 3 Miles 2 1/2 Furlongs)
- Currently, this famous National Hunt steeplechase takes place on Cheltenham’s New Course. 22 fences are jumped, over a 3 miles 2.5 furlong course. Horses 5 years and over can take part in this race.
- Golden Miller holds the record for the horse with the most Cheltenham Gold Cup wins with 5 victories in a row – the horse won in 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936. Infact, Golden Miller is the only horse to have won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same year – achieved in 1934.
- Only three other horses, apart from Golden Miller, have won at least three times (they all happen to have won in consecutive years too). Cottage Rake won in 1948, 1949, and 1950. Arkle won in 1964, 1965, and 1966. Infact Arkle’s jockey for all three wins, Pat Taaffe, also won on another horse (Fort Leney) in 1968 – his 4 wins make him the most successful winning jockey at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Best Mate won in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
- One of the most famous winning horses of recent times is Kauto Star – by winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in both 2007 and 2009, the horse became the first to regain the trophy. In the intervening year (2008) Kauto Star finished 2nd to stablemate Denman. Denman finished 2nd to Kauto Star in 2009.
- In 2021 trainer Henry De Bromhead won with Minella Indo (jockey: Jack Kennedy). In both 2019 and 2020 trainer Willie Mullins’ Al Boum Photo won, jockeyed by Paul Townend. In 2018 Native River won (jockey: Richard Johnson, trainer: Colin Tizzard). In 2017 Sizing John won (jockey: Robbie Power, trainer: Jessica Harrington). In 2016 Don Cossack was victorious (jockey: Bryan Cooper, trainer: Gordon Elliot).
- 2022 saw the first female jockey ever to win this famous race – as Rachael Blackmore won on A Plus Tard (trainer: Henry De Bromhead). Rachael Blackmore finished 2nd on the same horse in 2021’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, and of course this historic victory was achieved less than a year after she became the first female jockey ever to win the Grand National (on Minella Times in 2021).
Cheltenham Friday betting – Non Grade 1 Races
14:10 County Hurdle (County Handicap Hurdle)
Our Tip: Hunters Yarn
16:10 Hunters’ Chase
Our Tip: Billaway
16:50 Mares’ Chase (Liberthine Mares’ Chase)
Our Tip: Impervious
17:30 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Our Tip: Cool Survivor
All tips above were published prior to the start of the first race in this article (and remain unchanged since then), but anything else in this article may have been updated afterwards.
