Cheltenham Festival 2026 Guide: All You Need To Know
They call it the greatest show on turf for a reason.
The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of the jumps season in the UK and Ireland. A magical maze winds its way through Prestbury Park – it’s the job of the nags, NAPs and NBs to navigate it as safely and as quickly as possible.
It runs from 10th March until 13th March 2026 with each day brimming with season-defining races for trainers, jockeys, yards and followers alike.
Here, we break down all you need to know ahead of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival including key dates, TV and streaming details, feature race profiles, full race schedules and more.
Don’t forget to visit the BetMGM Cheltenham Festival Hub for all the latest odds, offers and tips as well as race day profiles and more.
WHERE TO WATCH THE 2026 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
You can watch every Cheltenham Festival race right here on BetMGM thanks to our live horse racing streaming service.
Be sure to keep up to date with all the action, reaction, talking points and odds with us each day via by visiting our dedicated Cheltenham Festival Hub and our social media channels:
On television, the biggest racing festival of the year gets most of its airtime on terrestrial TV in the UK with the first five races of each day broadcast on ITV.
The remaining races can be found on the subscription-based Racing TV, which will also showcase the entire card.
BETMGM’S 2026 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL GUIDE
Let’s take a look at how the racing at Cheltenham breaks down throughout the four days – including the biggest races, notable horses and the storylines that could dominate the festival.
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY 1
Day 1 of Cheltenham is unmatched.
It’s a grand show, as excited punters exchange tips and buzz around the concourse to create the inimitable hum associated with the event.
The entire complement of racing fans becomes keen gardening experts and weather enthusiasts; they analyse the state of the ground and debate whether soft, good or heavy ground will suit certain runners and riders more than others.
The Day 1 hype is built around the quality quartet that is the Supreme Novices' Hurdle (13:20), the Arkle (14:00), the Ultima Handicap Chase (15:20) and the Champion Hurdle (16:00).
RACE OF THE DAY: CHAMPION HURDLE
All eyes are on the Champion Hurdle and a potential mouthwatering clash between three of racing’s most prized assets: Brighterdaysahead, Constitution Hill and The New Lion.
Constitution Hill fell at the fifth last year and hit the deck in his subsequent two races. Confidence in him is shaky but he has so many virtuoso performances in his locker over recent seasons and looked awesome on his Flat debut at Southwell in February. Can he deliver again at the festival?
Brighterdaysahead completely fell away in this race last year but connections suggest that race was too bad to be true, with a “slight issue” reported in the aftermath. If she brings her A-game, she surely wins.
Add in last year’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle winner The New Lion as another early declaration and one thing’s for sure: it is going to be a spectacle for the ages.
Cheltenham Day 1 Stat Attack: An Irish trainer or Nicky Henderson has won 19 of the last 22 Champion Hurdle renewals
FULL CHELTENHAM DAY 1 RACECARD
- 13:20 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 14:00 – Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
- 14:40 – Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
- 15:20 – Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
- 16:00 – Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 16:40 – Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
- 17:20 – Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY 2
The racing palooza continues unabated on Style Wednesday when Ladies’ Day takes centre stage. Expect to see hats… and lots of them.
Highlights from the second batch of seven races include the Turners Novices’ Hurdle (13:20), Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (14:00), BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (14:40) and most of all the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (16:00).
Day two was a poignant one last year, with Marine Nationale and Jazzy Matty winning the BetMGM Queen Mother and Grand Annual respectively.
Both horses had previously won at the festival with jockey Michael O’Sullivan, who sadly passed away in the months leading up to the 2025 event.
RACE OF THE DAY: BETMGM QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE
Day 2 features a truly stellar lineup of races but it’s not tough to call which is the most important: all eyes will be drawn to the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The early declared favourite, Dublin Chase winner Majborough, is an incredible creature.
Rangey, tall and elegant, he has all the attributes to dominate this and future races for a while. He should be hard to beat – though Marine Nationale could prove an obdurate opponent.
Barry Connell’s charge has a faultless record around Cheltenham and won this race by a mammoth 18 lengths last year.
The outstanding Jonbon – the reigning BetMGM Clarence House Chase champion – is also among the early declarations for the 2026 renewal. However, Majborough is a justified favourite.
Cheltenham Day 2 Stat Attack: 10 of the last 12 winners – and all of the last eight – of the Queen Mother Champion Chase were aged between seven and nine.
FULL CHELTENHAM DAY 2 RACECARD
- 13:20 – Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 14:00 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
- 14:40 – BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
- 15:20 – Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase
- 16:00 – BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
- 16:40 – Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
- 17:20 – Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase at @CheltenhamRaces is just 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 weeks away 🏇🏻
— BetMGM UK (@BetMGMUK) February 11, 2026
📈 Majborough currently leads the market!
Latest prices👇
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY 3
The festival celebrates St Patrick's Day on Thursday 12th March – anticipate an especially raucous atmosphere and a sea of green outfits across the racecourse and in the stands.
The pick of the races on this day includes the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (14:20), Stayers’ Hurdle (16:20) and the Ryanair Chase (17:00).
RACE OF THE DAY: STAYERS’ HURDLE
The Stayers’ Hurdles is the fourth of five championship races throughout the week and the feature event of Day 3.
Gordon Elliott has a good record in this race, with two of the previous three winners trained by the Irishman.
His horse, Teahupoo, is among the early declared favourites as he seeks to reclaim the title he lost to Bob Olinger in 2025.
Cheltenham Day 3 Stat Attack: Six horses have defended their Stayers’ Hurdle crowns – Silver Bay (1912-13), Galmoy (1987-88), Baracouda (2002-03), Inglis Drever (2007-08), Big Buck’s (2009-12) and Flooring Porter (2021-22)
FULL CHELTENHAM DAY 3 RACECARD
- 13:20 – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
- 14:00 – The Golden Miler, Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 1)
- 14:40 – Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 15:20 – Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 16:00 – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
- 16:40 – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
- 17:20 – Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL DAY 4
The final day rounds the week off with a bang: it’s time for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
In 2024 a whopping 1.8 million people tuned in to watch the race unfold. It is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain with runners sharing a prizepool of £625,000.
Other races at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday 13th March include the Triumph Hurdle (13:20) and Mares' Chase (14:40) while the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (17:20) finishes proceedings as the final race of the festival.
RACE OF THE DAY: CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP
It needs no introduction.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is imprinted on racing’s DNA and represents some of the most magical memories for followers of the sport of kings.
From Best Mate matching Arkle's record of three successive Gold Cup victories in 2004 to Kauto Star putting in one of the outstanding performances in racing history with his 2009 win over great rival Denman, this race is dripping in historical significance.
The top three in the market after early declarations are Fact To File (7/2), Jango Baie (5/1) and The Jukebox Man (5/1).
The latter – co-owned by former Tottenham and West Ham manager Harry Redknapp – beat the other two in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day 2025.
Cheltenham Day 4 Stat Attack: Big race experience absolutely matters in the Gold Cup – 25 of the last 26 winners were already Grade 1 victors
FULL CHELTENHAM DAY 4 RACECARD
- 13:20 – Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 14:00 – County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
- 14:40 – Mares' Chase (Grade 2)
- 15:20 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
- 16:00 – Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
- 16:40 – Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase
- 17:20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Remember: with the latest offers and odds, expert analysis from Meg Nicholls, special features and more, the BetMGM Cheltenham Festival Hub is your front-row seat for the greatest show on turf.
Information correct at time of publication but subject to change
