The Cheltenham Festival is back in March and with it comes the most prestigious contest in National Hunt racing. A four-day spectacle of horse racing action builds to the showpiece event: The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Gup.
The race will be run on Friday 13 March where jockey Mark Walsh and Inothewayurthinkin will attempt to back up their victory from 2025 and claim the trophy for a second year running.
With prize money of £625,00, the Grade 1 chase is the most valuable jumps race in Britain and Ireland after the Grand National and represents the ultimate challenge for the very best horses. 22 fences are to be jumped during three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs concluding in a punishing finish up the Cheltenham hill.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Cheltenham Gold Cup:
When is the Gold Cup?
The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, to give it its full name, takes place on the concluding day of the festival, Friday 13 March at 4pm.
It is the fifth race of the day’s schedule and at three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs is the second longest race of the four-day event.
How can I watch the race on TV and is there a live stream?
You can watch the first six races of each day, including Friday’s Gold Cup, with the ITV1 broadcast, while full coverage of the meeting, including the final race of each day is only 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. Several betting sites will also be streaming the action, but in most cases you need to have a funded account.
When is 2026 Cheltenham Festival and what other races are included?
The Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday 10 March and concludes on Friday 13 March. Fans will be glued to 28 races over 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 first race is scheduled for 1:20pm GMT each day, with the final race starting at 5:20pm.
Who are the runners and riders?
The field for the Gold Cup is confirmed with the big shock being Fact To File’s omission after he was victorious in the Irish Gold Cup back in February. Also absent is Galopin Des Champs who suffered a setback before the Festival began leaving the way open for Inothewayurthinkin to regain the title he won in 2025. Here’s the full Gold Cup field ranked by their latest odds:
The Jukebox Man – 7/2
Gaelic Warrior – 9/2
Jango Baie – 5/1
Haiti Couleurs – 6/1
Inothewayurthinkin – 15/2
Grey Dawning – 14/1
Spillane’s Tower – 14/1
Envoi Allen – 33/1
Firefox – 40/1
L’Homme Presse – 66/1
Gold Tweet – 125/1
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