Cheltenham Festival 2026 guide: Day-by-day race times, how to watch tv guide, best horses, trainers, jockeys and more
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is the biggest four days in National Hunt racing. Sports News Blitz delivers a guide to the race times, tv schedule, top horses, trainers, jockeys and more.
March is a magical time of year. The weather starts to behave itself, it’s not dark at 4pm and 8am and most importantly - it’s the Cheltenham Festival.
The second week of March hails the arrival of the world’s best jockeys, trainers and equine superstars to an historic spa town in Gloucestershire.
All doing battle for some of the biggest prizes in jumps racing.
It's Great Britain versus Ireland, with occasional raiders from across the world, throwing their hats in the ring. But it's more than just national pride that's at stake.
It's about a place in sporting history and a chance for the smaller stables to unearth a true gem that can topple the might and clout of the big hitters.
Here is Sports New Blitz’s essential guide to the stuff you should know about the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, so you too can sound like an expert to anyone that will listen.
When is the Cheltenham Festival?
The 2026 Festival takes place from Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13 inclusive.
There are 13 Grade 1 races crammed into four days of racing and traditionally Tuesday is Champion Day, Wednesday is Ladies Day, Thursday is St Patrick's Thursday and Friday is Gold Cup Day.
During the four-day Festival, and barring some terrible weather, the first race will always start at 13:20 and the last race goes off at 17:20, with the feature races of each day at 16:00.
But be aware these are rough times, as horses don't own wrist watches and don't tend to like lining up in order and on time.
So you still might have a bit more time to get your bets on. Thoroughbreds, eh!
Where is the Cheltenham Festival?
The Festival is staged on a quite breathtaking expanse of land called Prestbury Park, overlooked by Cleeve Hill, the gateway to the Cotswolds.
It's just a mile or so north of the spa town that is Cheltenham and is positioned right beside the A435.
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What changes has the Cheltenham Festival made for 2026?
The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle has been moved from Tuesday to Thursday in 2026, and now runs on the New Course (rather than the Old Course), at a slightly longer distance than previous years.
The Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle have swapped positions. The Ryanair now goes off in the feature 1600 slot and the Stayers at 1520.
The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase has been brought forward to Tuesday, March 10.
The County Hurdle, Festival Cup, and Champion Bumper have lowered maximum entries to 22 runners instead of 24).
The Open Hunters’ Chase has been officially renamed the Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase in honour of HRH The Princess Royal
The crowd capacity has been reduced from 68,500 to 66,000 daily to improve the customer experience.
‘Style Wednesday’ has been ditched and Ladies’ Day reinstated.
Pints have been reduced by 30p, big whoop. Although it’s still well over £7 for a Guinness.
A new undercover food court and refurbished bar facilities are part of customer experience upgrades.
In short, it’s slightly easier to get pissed.
What are the big races at the Cheltenham Festival?
Let's have a look at some of the big races. Even if you are not a horse racing expert you are bound to have heard of some of these contests
(Please note the horses have not been declared for the races yet, and are subject to change)
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The Cheltenham Gold Cup
Day Four - Friday, March 13, 16:00 GMT
The biggest race of the lot, crowning the champion staying chaser and always the feature on the final day of the card. It can be a gruelling test for both horse and rider.
Some of the greatest jumps horses of all time have lifted this prize, including five-time champion Golden Miller and triple champions Arkle and Best Mate.
The current Gold Cup holder is Inothewayurthinkin who stopped Galopin Des Champs, collecting his third crown.
Who could win the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Jango Baie is the current ante-post favourite, with The Jukebox Man and Fact To File next in the market. Galopin Des Champs and Inothewayurthinkin are also in the mix.
The Champion Hurdle
Day One - Tuesday, March 10, 16:00 GMT
The feature race on day one and the championship for the speedsters, the two-mile hurdlers. Hatton's Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War, See You Then and Istabraq all won this three times each.
Golden Ace won this contest last year and is back to try and regain her crown.
Who could win the Champion Hurdle?
The New Lion, Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth lead the market. Constitution Hill will not be at this year’s Cheltenham.
The Queen Mother Champion Chase
Day Two - Wednesday, March 11, 16:00 GMT
Wednesday each year sees the fastest chasers on four legs go to post for the two-mile championship over the larger obstacles.
The race is named in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who was a wonderful supporter of National Hunt racing.
This race has produced some of the most epic performances ever seen at the Festival, the likes of Master Minded, Moscow Flyer before him, and more recently the brilliant Sprinter Sacre and fellow dual winner Altior.
Who could win the Champion Chase?
Last year’s winner Marine Nationale has withdrawn and this has opened the race up for Majborough, who is now the massive odds-on favourite. L’Eau Du Sud and Il Etait Temps are next in the market. Don’t forget Jonbon either.
Stayers' Hurdle
Day Three - Thursday, March 12, 15:20 GMT
While this was on the calendar from the Festival's early days, it has twice been dropped from the meeting for spells, before being rekindled.
There's no doubt that the race has taken on greater prominence since the Festival expanded to four days.
Notable winners since the dawn of the 21st Century include dual French-trained scorer Baracouda, Inglis Driver, who also won it twice, and the impressive Big Buck's who won four successive runnings from 2009-2012.
Bob Olinger returns to defend his crown, but currently doesn’t lead the ante-post market.
Who could win the Stayers' Hurdle?
2024 winner Teahupoo heads the field, with Honesty Policy and Kabral Du Mathan jostling for position in the market behind him.
Ryanair Chase
Day Three - Thursday, March 12, 16:00 GMT
A relatively new race to the Festival, this championship for the 'in-betweeners', those whose optimum racing distance is at around two-and-a-half miles, was inaugurated in 2005.
Only two horses, Albertas Run and Allaho have proved good enough to win the race twice. Other memorable winners have been Cue Card, Vautour and Frodon.
Who could win the Ryanair Chase?
Fact To File is expected to return and defend his crown, while Gaelic Warrior and Jonbon are still in the mix.
2026 Cheltenham Festival race-by-race schedule
Day One - Tuesday, March 10
13:20 - Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
14:00 - Arkle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)
14:40 - McCoys Contractors Juvenile Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
15:20 - Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
16:00 - Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
16:40 - Sun Racing Plate (Premier Handicap)
17:20 - National Hunt Challenge Cup (Novices' Handicap)
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Day Two - Wednesday, March 11
13:20 - Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
14:00 - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
14:40 - BetMGM Cup Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
15:20 - Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
16:00 - Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
16:40 - Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap (Premier Handicap)
17:20 - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Day Three - Thursday, March 12
13:20 - Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
14:00 - Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
14:40 - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
15:20 - Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
16:00 - Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
16:40 - The Pertemps Network Final
17:20 - Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap
Day Four - Friday, March 13
13:20 - JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
14:00 - William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
14:40 - Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2)
15:20 - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
16:00 - Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
16:40 - The Princess Royal Hunters Chase
17:20 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
How to watch the 2026 Cheltenham Festival?
For those staying at home in the UK, ITV will show the first six races every day of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Obviously another 'vital' episode of The Chase means the final race of the day can be found on Racing TV.
Racing TV will show all seven races from every day of the Festival, which you'll find on your tv subscription provider, such as Sky or Virgin, or via online streaming. In Ireland viewers will need to be on Virgin Media One.
Depending on who you place your bets with, several bookmakers will be live streaming the races, as well as offering in-race betting via their apps or online.
If you want to attend the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, you'll have to move quickly to sort out your ticket and accommodation.
Tickets are available through the Jockey Club website. Single or multi-day tickets, hospitality packages and group bookings are all on offer.
Prices range from £50 to well over £100, depending on the package you select and the stand to choose to watch the racing from.
Top Cheltenham Festival trainers
There have been many great trainers throughout the history of the Cheltenham Festival.
Here is the pick of the current crop.
Willie Mullins
The master of Closutton has become a Cheltenham phenomenon. A record 113 winners have been sent out from Willie Mullins’ County Carlaw yard, after breaking the 100 threshold in 2024.
Mullins waited a long time to saddle his first Gold Cup winner but, like the proverbial London bus, once he did so, he struck again immediately with 2019 and 2020 winner Al Boum Photo. He landed it again in 2023 and 2024 with Galopin Des Champs.
He's also won five Champion Hurdles, six Ryanair Chases, six Arkle Trophies, two Stayers' Hurdles, eight Supreme Novices' Hurdles, 11 Mares' Hurdles, two Queen Mother Champion Chases and much more.
Anything saddled by this man across the four days of the Festival merits the closest of scrutiny.
Mullins was leading trainer at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival saddling ten winners with a further eight runners finishing in the first three.
Nicky Henderson
Nicky Henderson began training in 1978 and has now trained an incredible 75 Cheltenham Festival winners.
Of those, Long Run (2011) and Bobs Worth (2013) won the Gold Cup, while See You Then won the Champion Hurdle in 1985, '86 and '87.
There have been other brilliant performers at the Festival for the British trainer too, in the shape of dual Champion Chase winners Sprinter Sacre and another who landed the two-mile championship, Remittance Man.
Constitution Hill won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in 2022 and the Champion Hurdle in 2023, but will not be back in 2026.
After drawing a blank in 2024, for the first time since 2008, Henderson picked up two winners in 2025 including Jango Baie winning the Arkle.
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Paul Nicholls
Along with Henderson, Paul Nicholls has set the standard at Cheltenham for British trainers and there is no doubting his status as one of the greats.
The Ditcheat maestro was responsible for two modern greats in Kauto Star, the first horse to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup (2007, 2009) and Denman, who won the race in 2008 and was runner-up on three further occasions.
A total of 50 Festival winners have been sent out from his yard, six of them successful in the Champion Chase, including spectacular dual winner Master Minded (2008, 2009).
He also won four successive Stayers' Hurdles with Big Buck's (2009-2012) and he has a Champion Hurdle and three Ryanair Chases on his CV.
After Nicholls drew a blank in 2021 and 2022, he finally got back to winning ways in 2023 with Stage Star and Stay Away Fay bringing home Grade 1 glory.
But 2024 and 2025 were lean years too, with just one winner in each.
Gordon Elliott
One man who could seriously challenge Mullins and Henderson at the top of the Cheltenham tree is Irish trainer Gordon Elliott.
He was born in the year that Henderson took out a licence but has wasted no time in winning just about every big pot you can think of.
Already on the 41-winner mark at the Cheltenham Festival, Elliott saddled 2016 Gold Cup winner Don Cossack and also Tiger Roll, who has won five Festival races in addition to his two Grand Nationals.
He only had one winner in 2025 with Wodhooh winning the Martin Pipe, but he saw 10 horses place.
Henry De Bromhead
Henry De Bromhead did not train his first Festival winner until 2010 but has now chalked up 25 of them from his base at Knockeen, County Waterford.
Four of those have come in the Queen Mother Champion Chase through Sizing Europe (2011), Special Tiara (2017), Put The Kettle On (2021) and Captain Guinness (2024).
The 52-year-old trainer also saddled a Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double in 2021, with Honeysuckle winning the former and Minella Indo the latter.
He did it again in 2022 with Honeysuckle winning the Champion Hurdle again, and A Plus Tard lifting the Gold Cup.
Honeysuckle's swansong in 2023 saw her land the Mares' Hurdle, and Envoi Allen picked up De Bromhead second Grade 1 of that Cheltenham Festival.
In 2024, De Bromhead scored with Bob Olinger in the Stayers’ Hurdle and Air Of Entitlement in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Dan Skelton
Dan Skelton only 'graduated' to winning Festival races as recently as 2019 and at the moment has 11 winners to his name.
Four of his ten winners were delivered in the unbelievably competitive County Handicap Hurdle, with Faivoir the last of those in 2023.
But it was in 2024 when the Alcester handler finally struck Grade 1 gold, with Grey Dawning winning the Jack Richards’ Handicap Chase and Sir Alex Ferguson's Protektorat claiming the Ryanair Chase.
Skelton only had one winner at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, with The New Lion winning the Turners’ Novices Chase.
Top jockeys at the Cheltenham Festival
While trainers rightly get huge recognition for preparing their horses to deliver on the big day, it's the jockeys who really grab the limelight.
For somewhere between four and nine minutes, depending on the length of the race, these men and women get the best view in the house and have their names etched in racing history as Cheltenham Festival winners.
Here are some of the best ones to watch in 2026.
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Paul Townend
Paul Townend had to wait in the wings for a long time as second jockey to the incomparable Ruby Walsh at the Willie Mullins yard.
It's no surprise then that, post-Ruby's retirement, he has been firing in the winners, given such strong ammunition to sit on.
Now with 38 successes to his name, that number can only grow and grow, given that the 35-year-old has plenty of years left in the saddle.
Townend won the leading jockey at the 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Cheltenham Festivals with four winners, two fewer than his tally in 2024.
Last year's big Cheltenham winners: Kopek Des Bordes (Supreme Novices’), Lossiemouth (Mares’ Hurdle), Jasmin De Vaux (Albert Bartlett), Kargese (County Handicap Hurdle)
Harry Cobden
Soon-to-be the retainer rider for JP McManus, Harry Cobden certainly has a wise head on young shoulders.
At just 27 years old, Cobden has already landed some big winners in National Hunt racing, including the King George VI Chase twice and guiding Politologue home in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2020.
In 2023, he broke his four-year Cheltenham Festival drought on Stage Star who won the Jack Richards Novices' Chase.
He took his Cheltenham winners' tally to 6 with victory on Caldwell Potter in the Jack Richards Novices’ Chase.
Last year's big Cheltenham winners: Caldwell Potter (Jack Richards Novices’ Chase)
Nico de Boinville
Nico de Boinville is Nicky Henderson's stable jockey and was top jockey at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival with three wins.
He rode Coneygree to Gold Cup glory in 2015, but it's Altior who has provided him with the most success at Cheltenham; winning the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on him in 2016, the Arkle in 2017 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2018 and 2019.
He teamed up with Constitution Hill to land the Supreme Novices' Hurdle (2022) and the Champion Hurdle in 2023.
After drawing a blank in 2024, due to Henderson's yard struggling with a virus outbreak. He got back to winning ways on Jango Baie in the Arkle.
Last year's big Cheltenham winners: Jango Baie (Arkle Trophy)
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Harry Skelton
The younger brother of trainer, Dan, Harry Skelton has ridden ten Cheltenham winners, including 2019 Queen Mother Champion Chase scorer Politologue, for Paul Nicholls.
A superb horseman, fabulous judge of pace and a real giver of confidence to his mounts as they approach their obstacles, whatever Dan achieves, Harry will be along for the ride.
The New Lion was his big winner in 2025 in the Turners’ Novices Chase.
Last year's big Cheltenham winners: The New Lion (Turners’ Novices Chase)
Mark Walsh
Four winners in 2025, Mark Walsh has quietly collected 13 Festival winners in his career so far.
Walsh will be replaced by Cobden as JP McManus’ retained Irish rider in May, so might be fired up to show the owner what he’ll be missing at this year’s Festival.
Walsh guided Inothewayurthinkin to Gold Cup glory in 2025, as well as the Ryanair on Fact To File.
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