Everything you have to learn about this yr’s pageant | EUROtoday

The Cheltenham Festival is underway and every day contains a championship race: the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, the Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday and naturally Friday’s Gold Cup.

When is the 2026 Cheltenham Festival? Start and finish dates

The Cheltenham Festival started on Tuesday, March 10 and ends on Friday, March 13. The Festival was prolonged from three to 4 days in 2005. There have been tentative proposals so as to add a fifth day, however the concept is unpopular amongst racing’s core viewers. Moving Gold Cup day to the Saturday has been mooted as a compromise, however for now we keep on with the identical format.

How many races are there?

There are 28 races throughout the week, seven every day.

Race schedule: Times for each race within the 2026 Festival

Wednesday

1.20: Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Race situations: £150,000 | 2m5f | 10 hurdles | Old Course

2.00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
Race situations: £200,000 | 3m½f | 20 fences | Old Course

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday

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

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

2.40: Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)
Race situations: £120,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course

3.20: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Race situations: £150,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course

4.00: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
Race situations: £625,000 | 3m2½f | 22 fences | New Course

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

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

Champion Chase (Wednesday)

Marine Nationale, two-time Festival winner together with this race final yr, has been dominated out of Cheltenham with a sore neck.

That ought to go away this two-mile chase on the mercy of Majborough, who delivered a powerful efficiency within the Irish Arkle on the DRF. Majborough, owned by JP McManus, was well-fancied for final yr’s Arkle when he a foul mistake on the second-last fence, however the addition of cheekpieces this season has helped deal with these leaping flaws.

Il Etait Temps acquired the higher of Jonbon within the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December, however got here unstuck within the Clarence House at Ascot in January (with Jonbon happening to win).

Jonbon can be a extremely popular winner for Nicky Henderson having been the bridesmaid so many instances at earlier Festivals. Jonbon was additionally second to Skelton’s L’Eau du Sud over this course and distance within the Shloer Chase in November.

Henderson has skilled some Champion Chase legends, together with Altior and Sprinter Sacre.