Dates, race times, course guide and where to watch

The jump racing season builds towards the Cheltenham Festival when the very best horses and one of the most knowledgeable crowds in sport gather for four days of revelry and drama.

The cream of the crop from Ireland, led by Willie Mullins’ ever-strong team, will do battle against the best of British with trainer Dan Skelton likely to provide most resistance from the home team.

Each day features a championship race: the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, the Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday and of course Friday’s Gold Cup.

Champion Hurdle favourite Sir Gino will not be at the meeting after the Nick Henderson six-year-old sustained a fractured pelvis on Cheltenham trials day.

Here, Telegraph Sport gives you the run-down on the entire meeting.

When is the 2026 Cheltenham Festival? Start and end dates

The Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday March 10 and ends on Friday March 13. The Festival was extended from three to four days in 2005. There have been tentative proposals to add a fifth day, but the idea is unpopular among racing’s core audience. Moving Gold Cup day to the Saturday has been mooted as a compromise, but for now we stick to the same format.

How many races are there?

There are 28 races across the week, seven each day.

Race schedule: Times for every race in the 2026 Festival

Tuesday

1.20: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m 87y | eight hurdles | Old Course

2.00: Arkle Chase (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course

2.40: Fred Winter (Hallgarten and Novum Wines) Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m 87y | eight hurdles | Old Course

3.20: Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m 1f | 20 fences | Old Course

4.00: Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £450,000 | 2m 87y | eight hurdles | Old Course

4.40: Festival Plate Handicap (Grade 3)
Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m 4f 87y | 17 fences | Old Course

5.20: National Hunt Chase (Grade 2)
Race conditions: £100,00 | 3m 5f | 23 fences | Old Course

Wednesday

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: Coral Cup (Grade 3. handicap)
Race conditions: £100,000 | 2m5f | 10 hurdles | Old Course

3.20: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (Listed)
Race conditions: £75,000 | 3m6f | 32 obstacles | Old Course

4.00: Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £400,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course

4.40: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f | 14 fences | Old Course

5.20: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | 14 fences | Old Course

Thursday

1.20: Ryanair Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Race conditions: £105,000 | 2m1f | 8 hurdles | New Course

2.00: Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
Race conditions: £125,000 | 2m4f | 17 fences | New Course

2.40: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4f | 10 hurdles | New Course

3.20: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £325,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course

4.00: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £375,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course

4.40: Pertemps Final (Grade 3, handicap)
Race conditions: £100,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course

5.20: Kim Muir Challenge Cup (Listed, handicap)
Race conditions: £75,000 | 3m2f | 21 fences | New Course

Friday

1.20: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m1f | 8 hurdles | New Course

2.00: William Hill County Hurdle (Grade 3, handicap)
Race conditions: £98,370 (2024) | 2m1f| 8 hurdles | New Course

2.40: Paddy Power Mares’ 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 (Grade 1)
Race conditions: £625,000 | 3m2½f | 22 fences | New Course

4.40: St James’s Place Hunter Chase (Listed)
Race conditions: £50 | 3m 2½f | 22 fences | New Course

5.20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Race conditions: £75,000 | 2m4½f | 10 hurdles | New Course

Champion Hurdle (Tuesday)

What could have been a stellar renewal of the race has fallen apart somewhat owing to Sir Gino’s injury and Constitution Hill’s continued struggles with the obstacles. The former champion has fallen on four of his last six starts, most recently in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in December. Nicky Henderson plans to run Constitution Hill on the flat at Southwell in February as a prep race.

The door appears open then for Willie Mullins mare Lossiemouth, providing connections do not take the easy option of going for another Mares’ Hurdle. The New Lion is a major contender, with Dan Skelton confident he is quick enough for the two-mile trip despite appearing to relish two-and-a-half at last year’s Festival. Golden Ace was regarded as a fortuitous winner of last year’s race, but the Jeremy Scott mare is a reliable performer and could hit the frame again.

Champion Chase (Wednesday)

The Irish have a strong hand in this two-mile chase. Marine Nationale, two-time Festival winner including this race last year, is considered a firm favourite despite a reverse at Leopardstown over Christmas. Majborough was well-fancied for last year’s Arkle when he a bad mistake at the second-last fence, but at the age of six there is scope to iron out those jumping flaws. Il Etait Temps got the better of Jonbon in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December, but came unstuck in the Clarence House at Ascot in January (with Jonbon going on to win).

Jonbon would be a very popular winner for Nicky Henderson having been the bridesmaid so many times at previous Festivals. Jonbon was also second to Skelton’s L’Eau du Sud over this course and distance in the Shloer Chase in November. Henderson has trained some Champion Chase legends, including Altior and Sprinter Sacre.