The 2026 Cheltenham Festival
The start of the Cheltenham Festival one of the biggest and most loved jump races in the world is now just a week away. Cheltenham horse racing draws a massive crowd of around two hundred and fifty thousand people, who descend to the Cheltenham racecourse set in the picturesque hills of Cotswold.
This year’s Cheltenham Festival takes place from the Tuesday the 10th to Friday the 13th of March 2026. The event usually falls on or close to Saint Patrick’s Day which draws a large amount of Irish spectators. Furthermore, 28 races take place over the four days with 14 of those being Grade 1 contests.
The event is also all drenched in tradition that stretches over 150 years. The festival’s beginnings can be traced back to 1860, when it first took place. The venue locations have changed a few times since its inauguration but Prestbury Park has been the venue since 1911. Cheltenham has three different courses, the New Course, Old Course as well as the Cross Country Course. The Old Course is used in the first two days of the event. Moving on to the New Course for the last two days. Furthermore, the third day of the festival is called Irish Day and it showcases Irish culture, heritage and music.
The Different Days of the Festival
Champion Day is on Tuesday the 10th of March and therefore opens the festival with 7 races. Three of those races are Grade 1 races, two are Grade 2 and two are Grade 3. Furthermore, the Unibet Champion Hurdle is the main race on the day with a purse of £450,000. Our partners Hollywoodbets as well as World Sports Betting offer odds on cheltenham betting.
Races on Champion Day
- 1Sky Bet Supreme Novices, Hurdle Grade 1.
- Singer & Friedlander Arkle Challenge Trophy, Novices Chase Grade 1.
- McCoy Contractors Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, Premier Handicap.
- Ultima Handicap Chase, Grade 3.
- Unibet Champion Hurdle, Grade 1.
- TrustATrader Festival Plate Handicap Chase, Grade 3.
- National Hunt Chase, Grade 2.
Style Wednesday falls on the 11th. The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase is the main race on the day, also with a purse prize of £400,000. Furthermore, there are seven races on style day which are:
- Sporting Life Arkle Novices’ Chase, Grade 1.
- Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, Grade 1.
- Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle, Grade 3.
- BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, Grade 1.
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, Grade 2.
- Champion Bumper (NHF Race), Grade 1
- Johnny Henderson Grand Annual, Handicap Chase.
St Patrick Thurday is on the 12th and features seven races during the Cheltenham Festival 2026. The Ryanair Chase is the main race on the day with a purse of £375,000. Also Key Races on St Patrick’s Day are the Grade 1 races:
- Turners Novices’ Chase (Jack Richards), Grade 1.
- Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle, Grade 3.
- Weatherbys Champion Bumper Qualifier.
- Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, Grade 1.
- Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, Grade 1.
- Ryanair Chase, Grade 1.
- Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, Grade 3.
The Gold Cup Day is the final day of the Cheltenham Festival. So the Key races on Champions Day are the Grade 1 races with the main race being the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup with prize money of £625,000.
- JCB Triumph Hurdle, Grade 1.
- William Hill County Handicap Hurdle, Grade 3.
- Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
- Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, Grade 1.
- Foxhunters’ Chase, Grade 2
- Mares’ Chase, Grade 1.
- Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, Grade 3.
Best Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites
In conclusion, there is a lot of talk coming from pundits on which horses to back at the cheltenham races. Fyrthermore, Galopin Des Champs who won the gold cup day in 2023 and 2024 has finished well in recent races and is seen a favoured to win again this year. Head on over to our reviewed sportbooks such as 10bet, Hollywoodbets, Gbets and WSB if you are looking for cheltenham betting sites. The cheltenham festival in 2026 has something for everyone and has no dress code. Spectators are however asked to dress for the unpredictable weather of March. Let the races begin!!
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For all other major sports events this month have a look at our March Sport Preview.