Find out how the Mares' Chase will impact the Cheltenham Festival running order

The introduction of the new Grade 2 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase has led to a reshuffle of the Cheltenham Festival running order for 2021.

The new contest takes the current slot of the Grand Annual as the sixth race on the Friday, while that chase will now be run as the sixth race on the Wednesday.

The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle moves from Wednesday to become the penultimate race on the opening day, taking the place of the now-removed novice handicap chase.

With England currently under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is unknown whether Cheltenham will be allowed to welcome a crowd for the four-day fixture. The impact on Irish-trained runners is also unclear.

Cheltenham Festival 2021

Tuesday
1.30 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
2.10 Sporting Life Arkle Chase
2.50 Ultima Handicap Chase
3.30 Unibet Champion Hurdle
4.10 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
4.50 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
5.30 National Hunt Chase

Wednesday
1.30 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
2.10 Festival Novices’ Chase
2.50 Coral Cup
3.30 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
4.10 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
4.50 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase
5.30 Weatherbys Champion Bumper

Thursday
1.30 Marsh Novices’ Chase
2.10 Pertemps Network Final
2.50 Ryanair Chase
3.30 Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle
4.10 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate
4.50 Daylesford Mares' Novices’ Hurdle
5.30 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase

Friday
1.30 JCB Triumph Hurdle
2.10 Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle
2.50 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
3.30 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup
4.10 St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase
4.50 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase
5.30 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

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