What’s on?
It’s another typically busy St Patrick’s Day of sporting action with the Gold Cup taking centre stage at Cheltenham as well as GAA club finals, international and schools rugby action, two League of Ireland clashes, some schools GAA, PGA Tour golf and Michael Conlan’s professional boxing debut.
The main events
1. Cheltenham Festival: JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30pm)
2. Cheltenham Festival: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (2.50pm)
3. All-Ireland Senior Hurling Club Championship final: Ballyea v Cuala (3pm)
4. Cheltenham Festival: Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30pm)
5. All-Ireland Senior Football Club Championship final: Slaughtneil v Dr Crokes (5pm)
6. Women’s Six Nations: Ireland v England (6pm)
7. Boxing: Michael Conlan v Tim Ibarra (3am Saturday morning)
Friday’s highlights
Racing
It’s the final day of the Cheltenham Festival where the Gold Cup is the pick of the action (TV3, ITV1. 1pm to 4.30pm).
The action kicks off with the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30pm) where Philip Hobbs' Defi Du Seuil heads the betting. Dandy Mag and Bapaume are Willie Mullins' two entries in the opening race while Gordon Elliott will be hopeful of continuing a special week with Mega Fortune and Dinaria Des Obeaux.
In the County Handicap Hurdle (2.10pm) Joseph O'Brien's Ivanovich Gorbatov will be well fancied at 8/1 in what is a large field.
The second Grade One of the day – the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (2.50pm) – has Elliott's Death Duty installed as the short odds favourite with Bryan Cooper on board. Also racing is the aptly named Augusta Kate who is owned by The Masters Syndicate made up of Lee Westwood, Ant and Dec and Alan Shearer. With less than three weeks to go before the Masters the six-year-old would be an timely winner.
And then it's time for the big one. This year's Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30pm) is unfortunately missing the majesty of Thistlecrack but it still sets up to be an epic battle between Cue Card, Djakadam and Native River with a number of other potential contenders. All of the spotlight will be on Paddy Brennan to see if he can bounce back from last year's devastating fall on Colin Tizzard's 11-year-old and claim the one they all want to win.
The Festival then rounds off with the Foxhunter Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (4.10pm), the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle (4.50pm) and the Johnny Henderson Handicap Chase (5.30pm).
GAA
On the GAA front the tradition of playing the senior club championship finals at Croke Park on St Patrick's Day rolls into its 30th year (TG4, 2.30pm).
And what a day it could be as, first, the tiny rural club of Ballyea from Co Clare take on the suburban Dublin giants of Cuala in the hurling final at 3pm.
Following that is the football final between Derry’s Slaughtneil – looking to complete a club double after their camogie side took the All-Ireland title a few weeks ago – and Colm Cooper’s Dr Crokes from Killarney. That throws in at 5pm.
Schools finals
In schools action there are rugby and GAA finals, all of which are on television.
At 1pm in the Athletic Grounds in Armagh St Colman's Newry take on St Mary's Magherafelt in the MacRory Cup final (BBC2, 12.45pm).
Then it's time for rugby as, following that on BBC2, is the Ulster Senior Schools Cup final between RBAI and Methodist College at the Kingspan Stadium with a kick-off time of 3pm.
The Leinster Senior Schools Cup final pits Belvedere against the giants of Blackrock who are going in search of their 69th title (eirSport, 1.30pm. Kick-off at the RDS is at 2pm.
Following that on eirSport is the final of the Munster Senior Schools Cup between PBC and Glenstal Abbey at Thomond Park. Kick off at 4pm.
Rugby
The Leinster final is part of a double header of rugby action at the RDS as an Ireland legends team take on their English counterparts at 6pm as part of a tribute game for the late Axel Foley (eirSport, 5.55pm).
Over at Donnybrook the Ireland under-20s will be hoping to round off their Six Nations campaign with a win over England (RTÉ2, 5.30pm).
And then it's time for the big one. The second part of the Donnybrook double header will see a Grand Slam decider as Tom Tierney's Ireland women's side take on England with the winner taking home the Six Nations title. On the other hand it could be the second part of an England triple Grand Slam with the under-20s going for it earlier against Ireland before the senior team attempt to do the same on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium. Kick-off in the women's game is 8pm.
Football
There are two League of Ireland St Patrick’s Day clashes to tickle your fancy with Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians both at home.
First off Stephen Bradley’s side take on table-toppers Cork City at Tallaght Stadium with kick off at 5pm.
Following that Bohs meet Galway at Dalymount Park at 7.45pm.
Golf
The second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Sky Sports 4, 6pm) is the perfect evening viewing as Rory McIlroy continues to step up his US Masters build-up.
Boxing
After the golf you have two choices: get a few hours sleep and set the alarm or else power through the night until about 3am when Michael Conlan is expected in the ring for his professional debut against Tim Ibarra at New York’s Madison Square Garden Theatre (BoxNation from 1am). Conlan is the heavy favourite to cruise through his six round encounter in what’s set to be an occasion dripping with Irish stereotypes.
Any tips?
Our guest tipster this week is Betfair’s Tony Keenan. He has gone for Sizing John in the Gold Cup. He writes:
“Cue Card and Djakadam are the proven horses but the Gold Cup often goes the way of the improver with Sizing John in that mould this year. He still seems judged on his defeats to Douvan rather than his victories this season but is a much better model now for step up in distance and the switch to Jessica Harrington. Well-suited by the track, his stamina remains unproven but that’s been the case with many past winners going into the race.”
