The Cheltenham Festival returns this week as the National Hunt jump racing season gathers pace with the four-day bonanza of horseracing goodness one of the highlights of the sport’s calendar.
The Festival begins with Champion Day before Ladies Day and then St Patrick’s Thursday, with Gold Cup Day bringing the event to a close on Friday.
This year’s action is et to be thrilling and, perhaps, a touch more unpredictable than previous years though the prolific Irish trainer Willie Mullins and resident jockey Paul Townend will hope to excel once more.
The British trainers will also be looking to overcome a decade of Irish dominance in the Prestbury Cup as they aim to restore some pride after a 20-8 defeat last year.
You can find all the latest Cheltenham odds and free bet offers with Independent Sport in the build-up to the big week, but here is the schedule and race card:
When is 2026 Cheltenham Festival and what races are included?
The Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday 10 March and concludes on Friday 13 March. Fans can expect 28 races over the course of four days, with seven races per day, including 13 races run over fences across the week, 13 over hurdles plus a bumper (flat race) and a cross-country chase.
The shortest run is a little under two miles, while the longest races almost reach four miles. Fans will look out for 13 of the races run at Grade 1 standard, while five are run as Grade 2s, six Grade 3s and the other four being Listed.
The first race is scheduled for 1:20pm GMT each day, with the final race starting at 5:20pm.
How can I watch the Cheltenham Festival on TV and is there a live stream?
You can watch the first six races of each day at the Cheltenham Festival with ITV1, while full coverage of the Festival, including the final race of each day is available through a Racing TV subscription.
Both ITV and Racing TV provide live streams for the coverage through their apps and websites, while fans can of course tune on via the traditional television broadcast.
Tuesday 10 March – Champion Day
*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change
1.20: Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f| 8 hurdles | Old Course
2.00: Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase (Grade 1)Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course
2.40: McCoys Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race (Registered as the Fred Winter) (Premier Handicap) Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m1f | 20 fences | Old Course
3.20: Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4f | 10 hurdles | Old Course
4.00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £450,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course
4.40: Sun Racing Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course
5.20: National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Novices’ Handicap Steeple Chase) (Class 2)Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course
Wednesday 11 March – Ladies Day
*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change
1.20: Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m5f | 10 hurdles | Old Course
2.00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)Race conditions: £200,000 | 3m½f | 20 fences | Old Course
2.40: BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £100,000 | 2m5f | 10 hurdles | Old Course
3.20: Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase Race conditions: £75,000 | 3m6f | 32 obstacles | Old Course
4.00: BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) Race conditions: £400,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course
4.40: Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f | 14 fences | Old Course
5.20: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (In Memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby) (Grade 1)Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | Old Course
Thursday 12 March – St Patrick’s Thursday
*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change
1.20: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) Race conditions: £105,000 | 2m1f | 8 hurdles | New Course
2.00: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) Race conditions: £125,000 | 2m4f | 17 fences | New Course
2.40: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £100,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course
3.20: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £375,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course
4.00: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) Race conditions: £325,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course
4.40: Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap) Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course
5.20: Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (0-145) Race conditions: £75,000 | 3m2f | 21 fences | New Course
Friday 13 March – Gold Cup Day
*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change
1.20: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m1f | 8 hurdles | New Course
2.00: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £98,370 (2024) | 2m1f| 8 hurdles | New Course
2.40: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple Chase (Grade 2) Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course
3.20: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course
4.00: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (Grade 1)Race conditions: £625,000 | 3m2½f | 22 fences | New Course
4.40: Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase Race conditions: £50 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course
5.20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Race conditions: £75,000 | 2m4½f | 10 hurdles | New Course
Can I still get a ticket and how much do they cost?
You can secure access to the first three days of the festival through a daily Club Enclosure ticket from £103.50, while Friday is sold out.
Tattersalls tickets will cost from £73.80 on each of the first three days but again Gold Cup day has sold out.
The cheapest way to experience the festival is through the Best Mate enclosure with a day ticket for the first three days priced from £54.
All details can be found with tickets available to purchase through the Jockey Club here.
