Mares' Hurdle moves from opening day to Thursday
Ryanair Chase set for top billing
Daily attendance capacity now set to 66,000
The Cheltenham Festival is the most eagerly anticipated four days in the jumps racing calendar and an event that transcends the sport of racing more than any other in the year.
For four days in March, the Cotswolds amphitheatre takes a place front and centre in the sporting lexicon as the best horses from Britain and Ireland converge on Prestbury Park for a feast of Championship racing.
Back in October, a number of changes were confirmed for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival by the Jockey Club and Cheltenham Racecourse. With the latest edition now just days away, here's a quick reminder on those changes.
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Mares' Hurdle moves to day three
The Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle, which was introduced to the festival programme in 2008 and has taken place on day one every year since 2009, has been moved to the third day as part of changes to the race programme for 2026.
The Grade 1 formerly took place immediately after the Champion Hurdle, sometimes detracting from the field in that Championship event.
This move means it will now take place on the New course instead of the Old course, while the race distance will be marginally further than the two-and-a-half-miles of previous years.
Alongside this move, the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase now comes forward and is being run on Tuesday, March 10.
Also on day three, the Ryanair Chase and Stayers' Hurdle have traded places, with the former now being run at 4.00pm – the slot reserved for the Championship events on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday – and the Stayers' event going off at 3.20pm.
The programme switches ensure that each of the four days now has at least three Grade 1 contests.
Reduction in field sizes
Field sizes for races at Cheltenham are decided by the viability of how many runners can be accommodated at the various starting points. Three races will have reduced maximum fields in 2026.
These are the County Hurdle, the Festival Cup and Champion Bumper – each of which is being dropped from a maximum field of 24 down to 22.
Additionally, starting positions for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase at The Festival have been altered slightly, resulting in one extra fence being jumped in the Grade 1 novices' contest.
Crowd capacity capped for all four days
Cheltenham Racecourse has also moved to listen to feedback from attendees.
Recent years have seen a rise in concerns over crowd capacity and the price of food and beverages at the Festival, with both seen as factors in falling attendances in recent seasons.
To combat that, Cheltenham have decided to introduce a new maximum capacity of 66,000, which is the second crowd size reduction in the last four years.
Additionally, Cheltenham chief executive Guy Lavender confirmed that a pint of Guinness will cost £7.50, the same price as it was back in 2022.
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available on LiveScore Bet
2026 Cheltenham Festival schedule
Tuesday, March 10 (Old course)
1.20 – Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
2.00 – Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1)
2.40 – Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
3.20 – Ultima Handicap Chase
4.00 – Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
4.40 – TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
5.20 – The Princess Royal National Hunt Novices' Handicap Chase
Wednesday, March 11 (Old course)
1.20 – Turners Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
2.00 – Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (Grade 1)
2.40 – Festival Cup Handicap Hurdle
3.20 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
4.00 – Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
4.40 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase
5.20 – Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
Thursday, March 12 (New course)
1.20 – Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle
2.00 – Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase
2.40 – Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1)
3.20 – Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1)
4.00 – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
4.40 – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
5.20 – The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase
Friday, March 13 (New course)
1.20 – JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
2.00 – County Handicap Hurdle
2.40 – Mares' Chase
3.20 – Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
4.00 – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
4.40 – St James's Place Festival Hunters' Chase
5.20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available on LiveScore Bet
