Day 4 of the Cheltenham Festival 2027 is Gold Cup Day, Friday 19 March. There are seven races, the first at 1:20pm and the last at 5:20pm, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup at 4:00pm as the feature. This is our Day 4 guide: the card, what decides each race, where the each-way value is and how to compare the offers.
Where our selections are: the guide is live and our Day 4 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 Friday 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 4 card: Gold Cup Day, Friday 19 March 2027
| Time | Race | Type and grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1:20pm | Triumph Hurdle | Juvenile hurdle, about 2 miles 1 furlong (Grade 1) |
| 2:00pm | County Handicap Hurdle | Handicap hurdle, about 2 miles 1 furlong (Premier Handicap) |
| 2:40pm | Mares' Chase | Chase for mares, about 2 miles 4 furlongs (Grade 2) |
| 3:20pm | Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle | Novices' hurdle, about 3 miles (Grade 1) |
| 4:00pm | Cheltenham Gold Cup | Chase, about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (Grade 1) |
| 4:40pm | Hunters' Chase | Hunters' chase for amateur riders, about 3 miles 2½ furlongs |
| 5:20pm | Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle | Handicap hurdle for conditional jockeys (Handicap) |
The feature on Friday is the Cheltenham Gold Cup 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 |
|---|---|
| Triumph Hurdle | A juvenile hurdle for four-year-olds. Many arrive with a handful of runs, so the clues are how they won and what the handicappers think of the form they beat. |
| County Handicap Hurdle | A very competitive handicap hurdle with a big field. Pace and a fair mark matter, so the each-way terms are the first thing to check. |
| Mares' Chase | A mares’ chase. The form of mares over fences at this level is limited, so we look closely at jumping and at previous runs on the course. |
| Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle | A Grade 1 novice hurdle over about three miles. Stamina over the trip is the test, so proven staying ability counts for more than a quick finish. |
| Cheltenham Gold Cup | The race the whole week builds to, run on the Old Course with the uphill finish. Stamina and jumping decide it, and it is the market most people bet on ante-post. |
| Hunters' Chase | Amateur riders and horses qualified as hunters, over the Gold Cup distance. Few people have strong views on this race, so keep the stake small. |
| Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle | Conditional jockeys claim a weight allowance, and the allowance can matter as much as the horse. Prices are often long. |
Where the each-way value is on Day 4
The County Hurdle and the Martin Pipe are the day’s big handicaps. A handicap with 16 or more runners pays four places at a quarter of the odds under standard terms, and bookmakers often add extra places on the Festival handicaps, so check the terms 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.
Comparing the Day 4 offers
Offers from bookmakers such as Betfred or Betway change every year, so look at what is running that week rather than at last year. For each offer, compare:
- The number of places and the fraction of the odds paid on the handicaps.
- Whether the offer is for online bets only, and the maximum stake it covers.
- How money-back offers are paid. A free bet is worth less than cash because the stake is not returned with a win.
- Whether Best Odds Guaranteed applies, and from what time (see our BOG guide).
- Whether it covers non-runners.
Our bookmaker extra places guide shows how to work out whether an extra place is worth a smaller place fraction.
Our Day 4 selections
Not published yet. We add our Friday 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
- By Friday you will know how your week has gone. Do not chase a loss: the Gold Cup is one more race at its own price. Decide what you will spend before the first race.
- The Gold Cup market opens months ahead. If you bet ante-post, make sure you know whether non-runner no bet applies.
- 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 Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2027?
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is scheduled for 4:00pm on Friday 19 March 2027, the fifth of seven races. Times are from the Jockey Club schedule (checked 23 October 2026) and can change.
When is Gold Cup Day 2027?
Gold Cup Day, Day 4 of the Festival, is Friday 19 March 2027.
Are there Cheltenham Day 4 offers?
Bookmakers often run offers around the last day of the Festival, but they change every year and are announced close to the meeting. Compare the places paid, the fraction, any stake limits and whether money back is paid as cash or a free bet.
Where are your Cheltenham Day 4 tips?
Our Day 4 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.