Dates, race instances, course information and the place to observe | EUROtoday

The leap racing season builds in the direction of the Cheltenham Festival when the perfect horses and probably the most educated crowds in sport collect for 4 days of revelry and drama.

The cream of the crop from Ireland, led by Willie Mullins’ ever-strong staff, will do battle in opposition to one of the best of British with coach Dan Skelton possible to offer most resistance from the house staff.

Each day incorporates 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.

Champion Hurdle favorite Sir Gino is not going to be on the assembly after the Nick Henderson six-year-old sustained a fractured pelvis on Cheltenham trials day.

Here, Telegraph Sport offers you the run-down on the whole assembly.

When is the 2026 Cheltenham Festival? Start and finish dates

The Cheltenham Festival begins 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 thought is unpopular amongst racing’s core viewers. Moving Gold Cup day to the Saturday has been mooted as a compromise, however for now we follow 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

Tuesday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Hurdle (Tuesday)

What might have been a stellar renewal of the race has fallen aside considerably owing to Sir Gino’s harm and Constitution Hill now pursuing a profession on the flat after continued struggles with the obstacles. The former champion fell on 4 of six begins over hurdles, most lately within the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in December.

Nicky Henderson took an uncommon route by sending Constitution Hill to Southwell for a flat race on a mud monitor, and his eye-catching, nine-and-a-half size victory persuaded the coach and proprietor Michael Buckley to finish the horse’s profession over hurdles.

The door seems open then for Willie Mullins mare Lossiemouth, overwhelmed by Brighterdaysahead on the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF), offering connections don’t take the straightforward possibility of going for one more Mares’ Hurdle. The New Lion is a serious contender, with Dan Skelton assured he’s fast sufficient for the two-mile journey regardless of showing to relish two-and-a-half ultimately yr’s Festival. Golden Ace was thought to be a fortuitous winner of final yr’s race, however the Jeremy Scott mare is a dependable performer and will hit the body once more.

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 depart 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 handle 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 highly regarded 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. A profitable run over the longer journey of two-and-a-half miles at Ascot in February although, suggests he may very well be focused at Thursday’s Ryanair Chase.

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