ITV Racing at the Cheltenham Festival 2023 Tuesday 14th – Friday 17th March
ITV Racing will cover the Cheltenham Festival daily from 1.00-4.30pm, broadcasting five live races a day.
The Opening Show is on daily for an extended 90-minute show on ITV4 from 8.30-10am.
ITV1 will broadcast over five hours of coverage of the Cheltenham Festival 2023 each day with a morning Opening Show [on ITV4] and then the main afternoon show, starting at 1pm.*
(*On Wednesday 15th March, the first hour will be on ITV4)
Presented by Ed Chamberlin, viewers will be taken to the heart of the action to see all their favourite equine stars at jump racing’s most famous Festival. “Nothing sells the sport better than top class horses, and this year it looks like we are going to be spoilt with a host of superstars. The home team spearheaded by Constitution Hill, Jonbon and Hermes Allen is poised to take on the might of the Irish invaders with the likes of Galopin des Champs, State Man and Energumene. At ITV, we just can’t wait!” Ed Chamberlin, ITV presenter
“The week starts with Tuesday, a wide open Supreme, a belting Arkle, Constitution Hill with a new rival and five mares to round it out. What a way to start!” Ruby Walsh, ITV pundit
Alongside Ed, on the punditry team will be 20-time champion jump jockey, Sir Anthony McCoy, whose forthright views always pack a punch, and the Festival’s winning-most rider, Ruby Walsh, who will offer his unique and state-of-the-art race analysis of all the best action. They will be joined by Gold-cup winning pundit, Mick Fitzgerald and Luke Harvey, both of whom will get down to the start and get up close to the fences during the week. Rishi Persad and Matt Chapman will be out and about on the course interviewing winning jockeys and connections, while Alice Plunkett will guide viewers through all the activity in the parade ring. Brian Gleeson will be in the thick of the action in the betting ring, Oli Bell interacting with viewers at home in the popular Social Stable, and Chris Hughes ‘roving’ amongst the race goers.
Richard Hoiles will be in the commentary box, with Kevin Blake and Brough Scott offering their unique views on stories as they unfold throughout the week.
On Thursday, Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins will join the team alongside Lorraine’s Mark Heyes, to explore Cheltenham’s spectacular ‘Orchard’ area and all the facilities popular with racegoers.
Across the week, the Bafta and Broadcast award-winning production and technical team will use state-of-the-art equipment including a wire cam high above the parade ring and along the home straight, as well as a tracker and a drone following the horses. Augmented Reality (AR) graphics will also be used.
Hosted by Oli Bell, The Opening Show will air from 8.30am-10.00am on ITV4 and ITVX in order to provide viewers with a fuller preview of each day's races and capture more of the morning action as the Irish contingent exercise out on track at Prestbury Park.
Sally Ann Grassick will resume her reporting role based in the middle of the track bringing the audience up close to the horses, jockeys, trainers and stable staff, including regular catch ups with Ruby Walsh. Pundits will include fellow Festival winners Sir AP McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald and Luke Harvey along with Matt Chapman, Megan Nicholls, Rishi Persad, and Kevin Blake. Chris Hughes will be part of the show each morning chatting to racegoers as the atmosphere builds and viewers will be able to join in the show via ITV Racing's Social Stable.
Every day there will also be a free-to-enter ITV7 competition, which has total jackpot prizes of over £1 million across the week.
Daily Highlights
Tuesday 14 March
The Unibet Champion Hurdle is the feature on the first day and all eyes will be on a great English- Irish match between the Nicky Henderson trained Constitution Hill and the Willie Mullins trained State Man, both unbeaten to date.
Two former Champion Hurdle winners may also go head-to-head in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle with the popular Honeysuckle, winning of the Champion for the last two years and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, versus Epatante, winner of the Champion in 2020. One the same day, the Sporting Life Arkle could be a career defining moment for Jonbon, who has dazzled since switching to fences and out of the shadow of his stable mate Constitution Hill.
Wednesday 15 March
The Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase is always one of the races of the week and this year looks to be wide open with last years’ Arkle winner, Edwardstone, taking on last year’s Champion Chase winner, Energumene, both who were defeated by Editeur de Gite on the same track in January.
The day’s card also features the hugely popular Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, with Ireland having a strong hand and Martin Keighley’s Back on the Lash, partly owned by Harry Redknapp, looking to see if he can repel the mighty challenge.
Thursday 16 March
The Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle has been dominated in recent years by the hugely popular Paisley Park, for owner Andrew Gemmell, and this year the horse is likely to return to the Festival again for a remarkable sixth time. Winner for the last two years, Flooring Porter, is set to go back for his hat-trick, but will need to fend of the new kids on the staying hurdle block, Teahupoo and Home By The Lee.
With last year’s winner Allaho out of The Ryanair Chase, the race is wide open with a strong battalion of Irish contenders such as Blue Lord and Fakir d’oudaries, and the home team led by former Champion Chase winner, Shishkin.
Friday 17 March
The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup is the showpiece of the week and last year was a history-making one, with Rachael Blackmore becoming the first woman to win it, a ride described by her trainer as ‘brave and brilliant’. She’ll be back for more with her partner, A Plus Tard, but it looks an ultra-competitive affair with the Willie Mullins trained Galopin des Champs, a hot favourite, and the King George winner, Bravemansgame, out to win a race that his trainer Paul Nicholls knows so well. Last year’s Grand National winner, Noble Yeats, is also in the race, as is the hugely popular Scottish runner Ahoy Senor.