Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival 2027 is Champion Day, Tuesday 16 March. There are seven races, the first at 1:20pm and the last at 5:20pm, with the Champion Hurdle at 4:00pm as the feature. This page is our Day 1 guide: the card, what decides each race and where the each-way value tends to be.
Where our selections are: the guide is live and our Day 1 selections are added here in Festival week, once the final runners are declared and the going is known. The card below is the Jockey Club's published Tuesday schedule, checked 23 October 2026. Races, times and sponsors can change before the meeting, so we check it again when the entries are published.
The Day 1 card: Champion Day, Tuesday 16 March 2027
| Time | Race | Type and grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1:20pm | Supreme Novices' Hurdle | Novices' hurdle, about 2 miles (Grade 1) |
| 2:00pm | Arkle Challenge Trophy | Novices' chase, about 2 miles (Grade 1) |
| 2:40pm | Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Handicap hurdle for juveniles, about 2 miles (Premier Handicap) |
| 3:20pm | Ultima Handicap Chase | Handicap chase, about 3 miles 1 furlong (Premier Handicap) |
| 4:00pm | Champion Hurdle | Hurdle, about 2 miles (Grade 1) |
| 4:40pm | Plate Handicap Chase | Handicap chase, about 2 miles 4 furlongs (Premier Handicap) |
| 5:20pm | National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Novices' handicap chase, about 3 miles 6 furlongs (Class 2) |
The feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle at 4:00pm. The Festival runs 16 to 19 March 2027, seven races a day.
How we will look at each race
| Race | What decides it, and what we look for |
|---|---|
| Supreme Novices' Hurdle | Novices with only a handful of runs, so one good performance can flatter. We like horses that won with something in hand and have shown they can jump at speed. |
| Arkle Challenge Trophy | A two-mile novice chase where accurate jumping matters more than anything: a mistake at speed costs more than a slow start. We look for fluent jumpers who have already raced at a good level. |
| Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | A big-field handicap where the ratings are built on very few runs. The question is which horse is likely to improve past its mark, which is why the each-way market pays attention to it. |
| Ultima Handicap Chase | A big-field handicap over a staying trip. Stamina, clean jumping and a fair weight decide it, so we look for horses whose mark has not caught up with their recent form. |
| Champion Hurdle | The two-mile hurdling championship. Class and speed decide it, and the field is usually smaller than the handicaps, so only a few have a real chance. The best prices are often ante-post. |
| Plate Handicap Chase | A handicap chase with a big field. Course form and a mark that looks lenient are what we look for. |
| National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | One of the longest races at the Festival, for novices in a handicap. Stamina is everything, and a jumping error late in the race is punished. |
Where the each-way value is on Day 1
Day 1 has four handicaps: the Fred Winter, the Ultima, the Plate and the National Hunt Chase. A handicap with 16 or more runners pays four places at a quarter of the odds under standard terms, and many bookmakers add extra places on the Festival handicaps, so compare before you bet.
New to each-way betting? Each-way betting explained has the place terms and worked examples. If you want to know whether a smaller place fraction is worth extra places, see Grand National each-way terms, where the same maths is worked through.
The Champion Hurdle and ante-post betting
Many people back the Champion Hurdle weeks in advance. An ante-post price is usually bigger than the price on the day, but if your horse does not run you lose your stake unless the bookmaker offers non-runner no bet (NRNB).
Check which races a bookmaker's NRNB covers and from when. Our Cheltenham Festival guide explains how it works.
Our Day 1 selections
Not published yet. We add our Tuesday selections in Festival week, each with its reasoning, and every result goes into our public record, winners and losers. We do not make up tips in advance: a tip is only worth following when you can see how it was chosen. Read how we pick our tips.
In the meantime, today's NAP, next best and each-way pick are on the racing tips page and the home page.
Before you bet
- Set one budget for all four days before Tuesday, not one per day that grows after a bad result.
- Check the going report on the morning. Ground can change the whole shape of a race, and some horses only act on soft or on good.
- Look for Best Odds Guaranteed so you are paid the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took.
- Only bet what you can afford to lose. Tips are opinions, not guarantees.
More Cheltenham Festival 2027 guides
18+ only. Tips are our opinion, not a promise: racing is unpredictable and losing runs happen. Stake only what you can afford to lose. Free, confidential help: BeGambleAware or GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
FAQs
What time is the first race on Cheltenham Day 1 in 2027?
The first race on Tuesday 16 March 2027 is the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at 1:20pm, and the last is at 5:20pm. Times are from the Jockey Club's published schedule (checked 23 October 2026) and can change.
What is the main race on Cheltenham Festival Day 1?
The Champion Hurdle, the two-mile hurdling championship, at 4:00pm. It is the fifth of the seven races on Champion Day.
When is Cheltenham Champion Day 2027?
Champion Day, Day 1 of the Festival, is Tuesday 16 March 2027. The Festival runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March.
Where are your Cheltenham Day 1 tips?
Our Day 1 selections go on this page in Festival week, once the final runners are declared and the going is known, each with its reasoning. Until then our daily NAP, next best and each-way pick are on the racing tips page.