THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 14-17 MARCH 2023
DAY THREE
W hile Cheltenham Gold Cup Day is indisputably the headline act of the week, you would not struggle to find racegoers who pick out Thursday as their favourite day of The Cheltenham Festival. Any Irish winner during The Festival is greeted with roars of approval from those who have travelled to Cheltenham for the week. But it feels as if those who triumph on the Thursday are given an extra cheer as they make their way back past the grandstands and into the winner’s enclosure. It is also on this day that the Prestbury Cup – the annual competition between
for six of the seven races on Day Three heading back across the Irish Sea. Thankfully, for those following British runners things were much more even in 2022 for races on the supporting card, although there was a strong sense of déjà vu in the feature contests. Indeed, the 2021 and 2022 renewals of the Grade One Ryanair Chase will be remembered for the complete demolition jobs delivered by the Willie Mullins-trained Allaho, who somehow bettered his 12-length success from the previous year when romping to a 14-length victory this time around. Mullins notching up yet another
British and Irish-trained runners – takes shape, although the competition has been somewhat one-sided in recent years. Along with the atmosphere, Thursday’s card is special in that it is the only one across the four days to feature two ‘Championship’ races – the Ryanair Chase and the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle – with the Grade One contests held back to back. A stellar supporting card means that the action is of a relentlessly high quality and there is certainly a feeling that this is the day that champions are made. The story of the 2021 meeting revolved around Irish dominance, with trophies
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