Day Four Cheltenham Tips Friday 13th March

Cheltenham Day 4 Tips (Friday) is Gold Cup Day, the finale of the Festival and the card that can define the entire week. It mixes raw championship pressure in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with high class supporting races and typically ferocious handicaps, where momentum, jumping and stamina decide more than hype ever can.

Cheltenham Festival Day 4 – overview

Gold Cup Day is the moment Cheltenham hits its peak. The Triumph Hurdle kicks off the afternoon, the County Hurdle and Mares’ Chase deliver speed and chaos in equal measure, and the Albert Bartlett offers the sort of stamina test that leaves nowhere to hide. Then comes the Gold Cup itself, three and a quarter miles, relentless tempo, and one climb that ends dreams as often as it crowns champions.

Cheltenham Day 4 best bets at a glance

Cheltenham Day 4 – race times and tips

Time	Race	Selection	Bet type	Best UK odds	Trainer
13:20	JCB Triumph Hurdle	Proactif	Win	7/2 (Bet365)	Willie Mullins
14:00	County Handicap Hurdle	Murcia	E/W	6/1 (Ladbrokes)	Willie Mullins
14:40	Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase	Panic Attack	E/W (Win if bold)	5/1 (BetVictor)	Dan Skelton
15:20	Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle	Thedeviluno	Win	4/1 (Paddy Power)	Paul Nolan
16:00	Cheltenham Gold Cup	Jango Baie	Win	5/1 (Paddy Power)	Nicky Henderson
16:40	Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase	It’s On The Line	E/W	6/1 (Sky Bet)	Emmet Mullins
17:20	Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle	A Pai De Nom	Win	8/1 (Virgin Bet)	Dan Skelton

Cheltenham Day 4 Race-by-Race Tips & Predictions

13:20 – JCB Triumph Hurdle

The final day of the Cheltenham Festival gets underway with one of jump racing’s most exciting spectacles, the Triumph Hurdle, the championship test for the best four-year-old hurdlers trained in the UK and Ireland.

The race has a proud roll of honour, with past winners including the remarkable Tiger Roll, who went on to claim back-to-back Grand National titles, as well as more recent victors Majborough and Lossiemouth, who head into this year’s Festival as favourites for the Champion Chase and Mares’ Hurdle respectively.

The 2026 renewal looked set to have a clear market leader in Narciso Has, the Willie Mullins-trained juvenile who had attracted strong ante-post support. However, a training setback in mid-February forced connections to rule him out of Cheltenham entirely, blowing the race wide open and leaving punters with a fascinating puzzle to solve.

Selection: Proactif
Best UK Odds: 7/2 (Bet365)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Jockey: TBC

Why we like this horse

Proactif looks a reliable jumper who stays well and handles big-field pressure. He comes here off a significant victory at Fairyhouse in January and has climbed to the top of ante-post lists, helped by the fact he was bought by JP McManus and transferred to Ireland — a move that only tends to happen when connections think there’s serious upside.

Each Way

Stablemate Macho Man is the obvious threat if lining up, while any younger stayer with tactical speed could also disrupt Proactif’s rhythm if the race turns messy.

14:00 – County Handicap Hurdle

Selection: Murcia
Best UK Odds: 6/1 (Ladbrokes)
Bet Type: Each-Way
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Jockey: TBC

Why we like this horse

Murcia has the look of a mare still progressing. Her best runs have been built on decisive positioning, and she has the acceleration to put herself into the race at the right time.

Efficient hurdling is a big asset in the County, where conserving energy can be the difference between flying up the hill and folding on it.

Each Way

Inexperience can be both a weapon and a weakness. The County is full of hardened handicap operators and Festival regulars, and any tactical error can be punished instantly.

14:40 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase

Selection: Panic Attack
Best UK Odds: 5/1 (BetVictor)
Bet Type: Each-Way (Win if you’re feeling bold)
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Jockey: TBC

Why we like this horse

Panic Attack has shown toughness and tactical flexibility with wins at Cheltenham and twice at Newbury in recent months. She doesn’t need everything to fall perfectly: she can race prominently, adapt to what happens around her, and still find in the closing stages — a very handy toolkit for this track’s stiff finish.

Each Way

The danger is experience and class from older, higher-rated mares who have been around the Grade 1 block. If this becomes a battle of composure late on, she will need to prove she can handle that heat.

15:20 – The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

The week’s final Grade 1 hurdle, the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, has built a reputation as one of the most unpredictable races of the entire Festival. Eight of the last 10 winners have returned double-figure starting prices, including winners at 16/1, 18/1 (twice), 33/1 (twice) and 50/1, and no favourite has obliged in the race over the same period.

There is every reason to expect another big-price winner this year, with just two entries, Doctor Steinberg and Thedeviluno, currently trading at single figures in the ante-post market.

The picture will inevitably sharpen once final declarations are confirmed and several runners shorten significantly, but if there is one Graded race across the entire week that invites a punt on an outsider, the Albert Bartlett is it.

Selection: Thedeviluno
Best UK Odds: 4/1 (Paddy Power)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Paul Nolan
Jockey: TBC

Why we like this horse

Thedeviluno has already advertised his stamina with an impressive River Don victory at Doncaster over three miles, shaping like a horse made for this attritional Festival contest. He has also shown he can take control from the front — and in the Albert Bartlett, that can be a weapon if the jumping holds up and the horse keeps rolling.

Each Way

Spinningayard, Ubatuba and Good Girl Kathleen bring proven staying profiles and could muscle into the frame. The Albert Bartlett is about stamina first and foremost, and rivals with deeper staying-hurdle experience can often outrun their odds.

16:00 – Cheltenham Gold Cup

We arrive now at the feature race of the week, the blue riband event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Steeped in history, the race has been won by some of National Hunt’s most celebrated names, and in the modern era that list includes Dawn Run, Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Kauto Star, Denman and Galopin Des Champs.
Galopin Des Champs claimed back-to-back Gold Cup victories in 2023 and 2024 and returns bidding to become only the second horse to regain the crown, a feat previously achieved by Kauto Star. However, his form this season gives his supporters plenty to worry about. He has failed to finish in the first two in both of his most recent starts, and last time out he was well beaten in the Irish Gold Cup by stablemate Fact To File.

While Irish-trained horses have dominated the Gold Cup in recent years, two of the leading British contenders, Jango Baie and The Jukebox Man, have attracted significant ante-post interest. Both are aged seven or eight, both have previously won at Grade 1 level over fences, and both have a Graded success on the board this season, ticking several of the boxes that 10-year trends would demand of a likely winner. The one concern around Jango Baie, though, is that he has never won over a trip of three miles or further.

Selection: Jango Baie
Best UK Odds: 5/1 (Paddy Power)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Nicky Henderson
Jockey: TBC

Why we like this horse

Jango Baie has class and tactical versatility, plus the staying power to keep pace with proper Gold Cup fractions. Last year’s Arkle winner began this campaign with success in the 1965 Chase before showing the kind of stamina required for the Festival blue riband when staying on to finish a close fourth in the King George at Ascot.

Henderson’s decision to skip Newbury because of ground conditions reads like a trainer protecting a serious chance, not dodging a run. In that context, Jango Baie arrives with a profile that suggests he is ready to sit at the top table.

Each Way

Galopin Des Champs and Jukebox Man are obvious threats. Ground is also a live factor: if conditions turn testing, proven heavy-ground performers could hold the advantage.

16:40 – Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase

Selection: It’s On The Line
Best UK Odds: 6/1 (Sky Bet)
Bet Type: Each-Way
Trainer: Emmet Mullins
Jockey: TBC

Why we like this horse

Festival experience counts for plenty in hunter chases and It’s On The Line has it in the bank after finishing runner-up in the Foxhunter in 2024. He often travels strongly and has shown he can cope with pressure, which is a major asset when the tempo lifts turning for home.

Each Way

Less exposed younger rivals can inject pace and force errors, particularly if this becomes a sharper test than expected for an eight-year-old.

17:20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

Selection: A Pai De Nom
Best UK Odds: 8/1 (Virgin Bet)
Bet Type: Win
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Jockey: TBC

Why we like this horse

A Pai De Nom has the shape of a horse suited by a stronger tempo and could benefit from being less exposed than several in the line-up. If he is as well treated as he appears, that can be priceless in the Martin Pipe, where improving types often peak at exactly the right time.

Each Way

If the race becomes tactical, he could come unstuck. Jumping errors late on are also the sort of detail that ends a Martin Pipe run just as a horse is about to land a blow.

Cheltenham Day 4 Tips – FAQs

What is Cheltenham Festival Day 4?

Day 4 is Gold Cup Day — the final day of the Cheltenham Festival, headlined by the Cheltenham Gold Cup at 16:00.

What is the NAP for Cheltenham Day 4?

The NAP in this guide is Jango Baie in the 16:00 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

What is the best each-way bet on Day 4?

Murcia is the best each-way pick in this guide, in the 14:00 County Handicap Hurdle.

What are the big races on Gold Cup Day?

The Triumph Hurdle, County Hurdle, Mares’ Chase, Albert Bartlett, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Hunters’ Chase and the Martin Pipe make up the core of Day 4.