THU 18 MAR 2027 - 10:30AM
Cheltenham St Patrick's Day 2027
Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham
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About
Cheltenham St Patrick's Day is the third day of the Cheltenham Festival, held on Thursday 18 March 2027 at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire. Its two feature races, the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle, sit inside a seven-race card.
Raceday at a glance
Gates open at 10:30 on St Patrick's Thursday. The first of the day's seven races is due off at 13:20 and the last at 17:20, with the Stayers' Hurdle due off at 15:20 and the Ryanair Chase at 16:00 in between. Those seven form part of the 28 races the Festival runs across its four days.
The Ryanair Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle
The Stayers' Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle race over about three miles, due off at 15:20 on Thursday 18 March 2027. The Ryanair Chase follows at 16:00, a Grade 1 steeplechase over two miles four and a half furlongs. Between them they headline the Thursday. Each of the other three Festival days is built around a single feature race: the Champion Hurdle on Champion Day, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Ladies Day and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Gold Cup Day, which closes the Cheltenham Festival.
Picking the Thursday over the other three days
The Thursday has a sociable, lively feel, and two headline races rather than one give the afternoon a second focal point. It is an easy day to pick for client entertaining, or for taking a team out without committing to the whole week. The Cheltenham Festival hub sets the four days side by side for groups still choosing.
Hospitality on St Patrick's Thursday
Prestige Corporate Events arranges corporate hospitality at Cheltenham Racecourse for St Patrick's Thursday, as it does for the Festival's other three days. Package contents and Thursday availability come direct from Prestige, not from this page. Facilities, getting there and accessibility are set out on the Cheltenham Racecourse venue page.
Getting there and accessibility
St Patrick's Thursday runs at Cheltenham Racecourse, the Prestbury Park course in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and the home of National Hunt jump racing. The racecourse provides lift access to the grandstand levels, designated accessible viewing areas across its enclosures and accessible toilets, on the Thursday as on every Festival day. A complimentary companion admission is available to eligible visitors and must be applied for in advance; specific requirements should be confirmed directly with the racecourse before booking travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cheltenham St Patrick's Day 2027 falls on Thursday 18 March, the third of the Cheltenham Festival's four days. The Festival itself runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March 2027 at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire. Gates open at 10:30 on the Thursday, the first race is due off at 13:20 and the last at 17:20.
St Patrick's Thursday has two feature races. The Stayers' Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle over about three miles, due off at 15:20, and the Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 steeplechase over two miles four and a half furlongs, due off at 16:00. Both are run on Thursday 18 March 2027 at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Seven races make up the card on Cheltenham St Patrick's Thursday, part of the 28 the Festival runs across its four days at Cheltenham Racecourse. The first is due off at 13:20 and the last at 17:20, with the two feature races in between: the Stayers' Hurdle at 15:20 and the Ryanair Chase at 16:00. Gates open at 10:30.
Yes. St Patrick's Thursday is headlined by two feature races, the Stayers' Hurdle at 15:20 and the Ryanair Chase at 16:00, both Grade 1. The Festival's other three days each build around a single headline race: the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
Yes, though what separates them is the feature race and the character that comes with it. The Thursday is headlined by two feature races, the Stayers' Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase, while each other day builds around a single feature. The Tuesday belongs to the Champion Hurdle, the Wednesday to the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the closing Friday to the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Cheltenham St Patrick's Day belongs to the March Cheltenham Festival, which runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March 2027 at Cheltenham Racecourse. It is not part of the Cheltenham November Meeting, a separate Cheltenham fixture held in November with its own race programme.
Cheltenham Racecourse provides lift access to the grandstand levels, designated accessible viewing areas across its enclosures and accessible toilets, applying on St Patrick's Thursday as on every day of the Festival. A complimentary companion admission is available to eligible visitors and must be applied for in advance. Specific access requirements should be confirmed directly with the racecourse before booking.
St Patrick's Thursday suits corporate groups looking for a sociable Festival day. Client entertaining, staff reward and team celebrations all sit comfortably on a card with two Grade 1 feature races, the Stayers' Hurdle at 15:20 and the Ryanair Chase at 16:00, which give the day two natural high points on Thursday 18 March 2027.