Cheltenham Festival 2026: Full Race Schedule for All Four Days
1 minute The meeting features 28 races, including 13 Grade 1 contests, culminating in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the final afternoon
The countdown to the Cheltenham Festival is already under way, with four days of elite Jumps racing set to unfold at Cheltenham Racecourse from Tuesday 10 March to Friday 13 March 2026.
As ever, the meeting features 28 races, including 13 Grade 1 contests, culminating in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the final afternoon. Minor tweaks to the running order see the Mares’ Hurdle and the Plate Handicap Chase swap positions earlier in the week, but the spine of the Festival remains unchanged: championship races, fiercely competitive handicaps and opportunities for punters on every card.
Below is the full race schedule for the 2026 meeting.
Day One – Tuesday, 10 March (Champion Day)
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 – National Hunt Chase
Day Two – Wednesday, 11 March
13:20 – Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)14:00 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)14:40 – Coral Cup (Premier Handicap)15:20 – Cross Country Chase16:00 – Champion Chase (Grade 1)16:40 – Grand Annual (Premier Handicap)17:20 – Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
Day Three – Thursday, 12 March (Stayers’ Day)
13:20 – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)14:00 – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2)14:40 – Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)15:20 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)16:00 – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)16:40 – Pertemps Network Final (Premier Handicap)17:20 – Kim Muir
Day Four – Friday, 13 March (Gold Cup Day)
13:20 – Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)14:00 – County Hurdle (Premier Handicap)14:40 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)15:20 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)16:00 – Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)16:40 – Festival Hunters’ Chase17:20 – Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle
Four days, 28 races and the biggest week in the National Hunt calendar.