CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2026

If you want Cheltenham festival tips, you have come to the right place. We aim to bring you all the up to date information on the Cheltenham Festival 2026 from Prestbury Park this year.

There’s plenty of chat Cheltenham free bets and talk amongst punters for 2026 Festival lineup, with Galopin Des Champs looking for a third consecutive win in the Gold Cup for Willie Mullins.

Will Constitution Hill continue his form in the Champion Hurdle? Are you lumping on the favourites or taking a more shrewd and cautious approach to your punting? Are you getting stuck in to the 6 horse challenge by Bet365?

The Cheltenham Festival 2026 is back and its sure to be an exhilarating four days of ups, downs and spills of Grade 1 horse racing.

Make sure to read our Cheltenham Festival bankers guide for more information, or read about our Cheltenham Lucky 15 here.

Cheltenham Day 1 Tuesday

The Cheltenham Festival kicks off with Champion Day, headlined by the prestigious Grade 1 Champion Hurdle. This two-mile contest determines the season’s top hurdler from Britain and Ireland and is the fastest of the Festival’s championship races.

The day’s action begins with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 1.20pm, greeted by the famous “Cheltenham Roar.” This is followed by the Arkle Challenge Trophy, a thrilling two-mile chase for novice chasers.

Another top-level contest on the card is the Mares’ Hurdle, don’t forget to red about our Champion Hurdle Tips for 2026 as well.

The Ultima Handicap Chase, Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, and National Hunt Chase offer competitive racing, giving horses just below elite level a shot at Festival glory.

Time	Race	Race Type
1:20	Supreme Novices’ Hurdle	Novice Hurdle
2:00	Arkle Chase	Novice Chase
2:40	Juvenile Handicap Hurdle	Handicap Hurdle
3:20	Ultima Handicap Chase	Handicap Chase
4:00	Champion Hurdle	Championship Race
4:40	Plate Handicap Chase	Handicap Chase
5:20	National Hunt Chase	Novice Chase For Amateur Jockeys

Cheltenham Day 2 Wednesday

Day Two on the Wednesday 13th March 2024 starts off with the Ballymore Novices Hurdle. You can read about the Cheltenham day 2 tips here.

The second day of the Cheltenham Festival, known as Ladies Day, is fittingly highlighted by our Champion Chase tips. This thrilling two-mile race over large fences has seen some legendary winners in recent years, including Sprinter Sacre, Altior, and Energumene.

The opening Grade 1 race is now backed by Turners, a returning sponsor to the Festival. It’s a 2m5f novice hurdle, with Ballyburn claiming a remarkable victory in the event last year.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the featured race set for Wednesday, with Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon heading the markets. The ITV7 racing competition is sure to be in full swing so don’t forget to enter as well.

This is one of the most popular races of the Cheltenham Festival.

Next up is the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, an important prep race for the Gold Cup, while the Champion Bumper is another prestigious race on Wednesday. The Coral Cup, Grand Annual, and Cross Country Handicap Chase offer exciting betting opportunities for punters.

Time	Race	Race Type
1:20	The Turners Novices’ Hurdle	Grade 1 Novice Hurdle
2:00	The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase	Grade 1 Novice Chase
2:40	The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle	Premier Handicap Hurdle
3:20	The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase	Cross Country Handicap Chase
4:00	The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase	Grade 1 Championship Chase
4:40	The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase	Premier Handicap Chase
5:20	The Weatherbys Champion Bumper	Grade 1 National Hunt Flat Race

Cheltenham Day 3 Thursday

Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival is known as St Patricks Day and opens with the Turners Novices Chase. The day’s schedule has been refreshed, with the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, one of the Festival’s newest race now opening proceedings. It is followed by the newly introduced Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase.

The standout contests of the day are the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle, both Grade 1 events that have produced modern legends such as Cue Card and Big Buck’s.

The Stayers Hurdle is the feature race at 16:00, with Teahupoo the current favourite at evens.

Later in the afternoon the Pertemps Final joins the TrustATrader Plate and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Trophy. These races often attract large fields and have a history of producing winners at decent prices.

There’s certainly to be plenty of high spirits and Guinness involved – you can read all about our Cheltenham day 3 tips here.

Time	Race	Race Type
1:20	The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle	Grade 2 Mares’ Novice Hurdle (2m 1f)
2:00	The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase	Grade 2 Limited Handicap Chase (2m 4f)
2:40	The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle	Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle (2m 4f 56y)
3:20	The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle	Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle (3m)
4:00	The Ryanair Chase	Grade 1 Championship Chase (2m 5f)
4:40	The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle	Premier Handicap Hurdle (3m)
5:20	Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase	Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (3m 2f)

Cheltenham Day 4

Day Four, Friday at the Cheltenham Festival features the stand out race of the four day’s the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place at 16:00. read about our Gold Cup tips here.

Galopin Des Champs heads the market currently aiming for a third victory for Willie Mullins, and can be backed at 8/13.

Alongside the Gold Cup, Friday also features two other Grade 1 contests. The Triumph Hurdle is the top prize for juvenile hurdlers, while the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle provides a stern stamina test for young horses stepping up in trip.

Rounding out the card is the St James’s Place Hunter Chase, which mirrors the Gold Cup’s course and distance but is exclusively for amateur jockeys, offering a unique challenge on the Festival’s biggest stage.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup, the festival’s most prestigious race, will take place on Friday. You can read more about that with our Templegate tips page,

Time	Race	Race Type
1:20	The JCB Triumph Hurdle	Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle (2m 1f)
2:00	The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle	Premier Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f)
2:40	The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase	Grade 2 Mares’ Chase (2m 4f 127y)
3:20	The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle	Grade 1 Novice Hurdle (2m 7f 213y)
4:00	The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup	Grade 1 Championship Chase (3m 2f ½f)
4:40	The St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase	Amateur Riders’ Hunter Chase (3m 2f ½f)
5:20	The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle	Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f ½f)

Cheltenham Festival Help and FAQ

Selecting winners at Cheltenham is challenging, but your chances improve with the day’s Cheltenham tips, especially during race meetings at this prestigious track.

Races here are consistently competitive, featuring top-tier horses, trainers, and jockeys. To simplify your decisionmmaking, here are some general tips to consider.

How to bet at Cheltenham Festival 2026

Success at Cheltenham often favors horses that have previously won over the course and distance.

The track’s unique features, like its undulating terrain and the notorious ‘Cheltenham Hill’, make previous victories here significant. Look for ‘CD’ next to a horse’s name on the race card, indicating course and distance wins.

The 2018 Festival, notable for its exceptionally heavy ground, was an anomaly.

Typically, the ground at Cheltenham is ‘Good’. Focus on horses that have shown form on firmer ground, as some may improve markedly from winter to spring conditions.

Be wary of hold-up horses that struggle to maintain a strong position on the bridle; such horses often find it tough to succeed at Cheltenham, especially during the Festival with its high-paced races and large fields.

Avoid horses known for inconsistent pacing or reluctance, as these traits are unlikely to lead to success at Cheltenham. Ideal candidates are those that can jump well, maintain a steady pace, possess ample stamina, and can handle the uphill finish at Prestbury Park.

Exercise caution with horses prone to falling and in Novice Chase events, where inexperience can be a significant disadvantage, regardless of previous hurdle form.