Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival serves as the definitive climax of the National Hunt season, acting as the "Olympics" of jump racing where a winter's worth of preparation finally culminates. The racing calendar begins in the autumn, building momentum through key "Trials" meetings in November and January, but everything essentially points toward this four-day window in mid-March. It is the final proving ground for the season's elite; success here defines a horse's legacy, while also acting as a springboard for the remaining spring festivals at Aintree and Punchestown.

The week is structured to build in intensity, starting with Champion Day on Tuesday, which features the high-speed test of the Champion Hurdle. Wednesday shifts the focus to agility with the Champion Chase, followed by the stamina-sapping Stayers' Hurdle and the flair of the Ryanair Chase on Thursday. It all leads to the ultimate finale on Friday: the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This race is the most prestigious prize in the sport, second only to the Grand National in fame but superior in its requirement for pure, unadulterated class over three miles and two furlongs of the grueling Cotswold turf.

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Cheltenham Festival 2026: Everything you need to know

• Dates: Tuesday, March 10th – Friday, March 13th, 2026.
• Location: Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury Park, Gloucestershire.
• The Venue: A 360-acre natural amphitheatre at the foot of the Cotswold Hills, home to the Festival since 1911.
• Daily Schedule: Gates open at 10:30; the first race starts at 13:30; the final race at 17:30.
• The Curtain Raiser: The Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Tuesday, 13:30), famous for the "Cheltenham Roar" as the starter releases the field.
• The Main Events:
  • Tuesday: The Champion Hurdle (15:30)
  • Wednesday: The Queen Mother Champion Chase (15:30)
  • Thursday: The Stayers' Hurdle (15:30)
  • Friday: The Cheltenham Gold Cup (15:30)
• Total Prize Money: Over £4.5 million across the four-day meeting.
• Attendance: Over 250,000 fans expected throughout the week.

History of the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Last 10 winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup

• 2025: Inothewayurthinkin
• 2024: Galopin Des Champs
• 2023: Galopin Des Champs
• 2022: A Plus Tard
• 2021: Minella Indo
• 2020: Al Boum Photo
• 2019: Al Boum Photo
• 2018: Native River
• 2017: Sizing John
• 2016: Don Cossack

Most successful trainers of the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Tom Dreaper holds the all-time record with five victories. He is forever linked with the legendary Arkle, who achieved a hat-trick of wins in the 1960s, a feat that cemented Dreaper’s status as a master of the staying chaser. In the modern era, Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls have both secured four titles. Nicholls dominated the late 2000s, famously managing the rivalry between stablemates Kauto Star and Denman. Meanwhile, Mullins has become the dominant force of the 2020s, with back-to-back winners Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs proving his ability to keep elite athletes at the very top of their game.

Most successful trainers of the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Pat Taaffe and Paul Townend share the all-time record with four victories each. Taaffe’s legacy is inextricably linked to Arkle, riding the horse many consider the greatest of all time to a famous hat-trick (1964–1966) before adding a fourth win with Fort Leney in 1968. Townend has matched this feat in recent years, piloting Al Boum Photo to back-to-back wins (2019–2020) and doing the same with Galopin Des Champs (2023–2024).

The third spot is held by Jim Culloty, who achieved a rare feat of pure consistency. Between 2002 and 2004, he partnered the beloved Best Mate to three consecutive Gold Cup victories, becoming the first pair since Arkle and Taaffe to dominate the race so decisively over three straight years.