The Cheltenham Festival is back as the National Hunt jump racing season gathers pace with the four-day bonanza of horseracing goodness one of the highlights of the sport’s calendar.
The Festival began with Champion Day before Ladies Day and then St Patrick’s Thursday, with Gold Cup Day bringing the event to a close on Friday.
This year’s action is set to be thrilling and, perhaps, a touch more unpredictable than previous years though the prolific Irish trainer Willie Mullins and resident jockey Paul Townend will hope to excel once more.
Cheltenham kicked off in style on day one (Action Images via Reuters) The British trainers will also be looking to overcome a decade of Irish dominance in the Prestbury Cup as they aim to restore some pride after a 20-8 defeat last year.
You can find all the latest Cheltenham offers and free bets with Independent Sport in the build-up to the big week, but here is the schedule and race card:
When is 2026 Cheltenham Festival and what races are included?
The Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday 10 March and concludes on Friday 13 March. Fans can expect 28 races over the course of four days, with seven races per day, including 13 races run over fences across the week, 13 over hurdles plus a bumper (flat race) and a cross-country chase.
The shortest run is a little under two miles, while the longest races almost reach four miles. Fans will look out for 13 of the races run at Grade 1 standard, while five are run as Grade 2s, six Grade 3s and the other four being Listed.
The first race is scheduled for 1:20pm GMT each day, with the final race starting at 5:20pm.
How can I watch the Cheltenham Festival on TV and is there a live stream?
You can watch the first six races of each day at the Cheltenham Festival with ITV1, while full coverage of the Festival, including the final race of each day is available through a Racing TV subscription.
Both ITV and Racing TV provide live streams for the coverage through their apps and websites, while fans can of course tune on via the traditional television broadcast.
(Davies Davies for The Jockey Club/PA Wire) Friday 13 March - Gold Cup Day
*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change
1.20: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m1f | 8 hurdles | New Course
2.00: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £98,370 (2024) | 2m1f| 8 hurdles | New Course
2.40: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple 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 Steeple Chase (Grade 1)Race conditions: £625,000 | 3m2½f | 22 fences | New Course
4.40: Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase Race conditions: £50 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course
5.20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Race conditions: £75,000 | 2m4½f | 10 hurdles | New Course
Can I still get a ticket and how much do they cost?
You can secure access to the first three days of the festival through a daily Club Enclosure ticket from £103.50, while Friday is sold out.
Tattersalls tickets will cost from £73.80 on each of the first three days but again Gold Cup day has sold out.
The cheapest way to experience the festival is through the Best Mate enclosure with a day ticket for the first three days priced from £54.
All details can be found with tickets available to purchase through the Jockey Club here.