Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival 2027 is St Patrick's Thursday, 18 March. There are seven races, the first at 1:20pm and the last at 5:20pm, with two championship races: the Stayers' Hurdle at 3:20pm and the Ryanair Chase at 4:00pm. This is our Thursday 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 3 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 Thursday 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 3 card: St Patrick's Thursday, Thursday 18 March 2027
| Time | Race | Type and grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1:20pm | Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle | Novices' hurdle for mares (Grade 2) |
| 2:00pm | Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase | Novices' handicap chase, about 2 miles 4 furlongs (Grade 2) |
| 2:40pm | Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle | Hurdle for mares, about 2 miles 4 furlongs (Grade 1) |
| 3:20pm | Stayers' Hurdle | Hurdle, about 3 miles (Grade 1) |
| 4:00pm | Ryanair Chase | Chase, about 2 miles 4 furlongs (Grade 1) |
| 4:40pm | Pertemps Network Final | Handicap hurdle, about 3 miles (Premier Handicap) |
| 5:20pm | Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Handicap chase (0-145) for amateur riders (Handicap) |
The feature on Thursday is the Stayers' Hurdle at 3:20pm and the Ryanair Chase 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 |
|---|---|
| Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle | A novice hurdle for mares in which few of the runners will have met before, so the ratings are thin. We lean on how each mare won and what she beat. |
| Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase | A novice chase run as a limited handicap, where the weights are squeezed together. With less weight separating the runners, jumping and a clean run decide it. |
| Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle | The mares’ hurdling championship. Proven Grade 1 mares usually lead the market, so the price is the question. |
| Stayers' Hurdle | The staying hurdle championship. Stamina and jumping at speed decide it, and a horse that has already won over this trip at a good level has the key proof. |
| Ryanair Chase | A chase between the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in distance. Horses can come from either side, so we look at how each runner has held its form over exactly this trip. |
| Pertemps Network Final | A staying handicap hurdle for horses that qualified through the Pertemps series, so every runner has run in a qualifier. We check how each ran there and what it has done since. |
| Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Amateur riders are less experienced than the professionals, so safe jumping counts for even more here. |
Where the each-way value is on Day 3
Day 3 has two big handicaps, the Pertemps Final and the Kim Muir, plus the limited handicap chase. Large-field handicaps are where each-way bets make the most sense: 16 or more runners pays four places at a quarter of the odds under standard terms, and bookmakers often add extra places on Festival handicaps.
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.
Thursday is a staying day
The Stayers' Hurdle and the Pertemps Final are both run over about three miles. Stamina is the first thing to check, then how the horse handled the Cheltenham hill when tired.
The Ryanair Chase is the other championship race. It sits in distance between the two-mile Champion Chase and the Gold Cup, and horses come to it from both directions, so their runs over exactly this trip matter most.
Our Day 3 selections
Not published yet. We add our Thursday 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
- Do not double-up your stake after a Wednesday loss. Hold to the budget you set on Monday.
- Check the runners again on the morning: a horse that is a non-runner can change the number of places an each-way bet pays.
- 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 Stayers' Hurdle in 2027?
The Stayers' Hurdle is scheduled for 3:20pm on Thursday 18 March 2027, the fourth race of seven. Times are from the Jockey Club schedule (checked 23 October 2026) and can change.
What time is the Ryanair Chase in 2027?
The Ryanair Chase is scheduled for 4:00pm on Thursday 18 March 2027, the fifth race of seven, over about 2 miles 4 furlongs.
What is a limited handicap?
A handicap where the weights are squeezed together, so less weight separates the best-rated and the worst-rated runner. The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase on Day 3 is one.
Where are your Cheltenham Thursday tips?
Our Day 3 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.