Cheltenham Festival 2026: All race times, Gold Cup Day schedule, betting tips and talkSPORT commentary for iconic event

The Cheltenham Festival is one of the standout events in the British sporting calendar, and it is fast approaching.

The best of the best from jump racing will flock to Cheltenham for four incredible days of action.

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The event is full of great races, but the main one is the Gold Cup, where Inothewayurthinkin claimed victory last year.

Mark Walsh produced one of the great Gold Cup shocks in what was the highlight of the event.

But there were several other huge moments and shocks, all contributing to a brilliant event with hundreds of thousands of spectators in attendace.

The 2026 edition is now just around the corner.

Cheltenham Festival 2026: Dates and start times

This year’s Cheltenham Festival is due to start on Tuesday, March 10 and come to an end on Friday, March 13.

Each day of action includes seven races meaning there is a total of 28 throughout the week of the festival.

Racing will begin at around 1:20pm on each day with 40-minute intervals between races. 

The biggest races of each day are usually scheduled for 4pm while the final races will be taking place at 5:20pm. 

Each day also has its dedicated title – Tuesday is Champion Day, Wednesday is Ladies Day, Thursday is St Patrick’s Thursday and Friday is Gold Cup day.

talkSPORT BET: Latest Cheltenham Festival odds and free bet offers

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Cheltenham Festival 2026: talkSPORT coverage

talkSPORT has live coverage of all the action from Cheltenham.

We will have commentators on the course each day, bringing you coverage of all the races throughout the festival.

More details on our coverage to come.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. 

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date with all the latest build-up and reaction too.

If you want to watch the action on TV, you can tune in to watch free-to-air coverage on ITV.

Cheltenham Festival 2025: Betting tips 

talkSPORT will provide you with all the latest tips and free bet offers throughout the festival.

Odds will be available on talkSPORT BET and our resident tipster will be selecting multiple picks for each day of racing.

You can check the current odds for Cheltenham at talkSPORT BET HERE.

Find all the best Cheltenham Festival free bet offers from talkSPORT and our partners across the website during the week.

Joe Giddens/PA Wire

Cheltenham Festival 2026: Race Schedule

Champion day – Tuesday, March 10

• 1.20pm: The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m 87y
• 2.00pm: The Singer Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) – 1m 7f 199y
• 2.40pm: The Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) – 2m 87y
• 3.20pm: The Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) – 3m 1f 
• 4.00pm The Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m 87y
• 4.40pm The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) – 2m 4f 44y
• 5.20pm: The Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase – 3m 5f 201

Ladies Day – Wednesday, March 11

• 1.20pm: The Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m 5f 
• 2.00pm: The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) – 3m 80y
• 2.40pm: The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) – 2m 5f 
• 3.20pm: The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase – 3m 6f 37y
• 4.00pm: The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) – 1m 7f 199y
• 4.40pm: The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) – 1m 7f 199y
• 5.20pm: The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) – 2m 87

St Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, March 12

• 1.20pm: The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) – 2m 179y
• 2.00pm: The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) – 2m 4f 127y
• 2.40pm: The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m 4f 56y
• 3.20pm: The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m 7f 213y
• 4.00pm: The Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) – 2m 4f 127y
• 4.40pm: The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap.) – 2m 7f 113y
• 5.20pm: The Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase – 3m 2f

Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 13

• 1.20pm: The JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m 179y
• 2.00pm: The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) – 2m 179y
• 2.40pm: The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2) – 2m 4f 127y
• 3.20pm: The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – 2m 7f 213y
• 4.00pm: The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1) – 3m 2f 70y
• 4.40pm: The Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase – 3m 2f 70y
• 5.20pm: The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle – 2m 4f 56y

Cheltenham Festival 2026: What has been said?

Ahead of the 2026 Gold Cup, jockey Paul Townend has indicated he will stay loyal to Galopin Des Champs.

Townend has won twice on Galopin, and that horse is looking for a third-ever victory.

That would put it into the record books and Townend wants to stay loyal, saying: “Nothing is impossible, but it would be very hard. I don’t think Galopin Des Champs is finished yet.

“I’m not saying I would never get off him, but if I got off him and he came by me up the hill in a Gold Cup, I would keep a wide berth from me on the plane on the way home, that’s for sure. If I even made it that far! 

“He has credit in the bank and he deserves it. It would obviously be ideal for me if Gaelic Warrior didn’t show up there.

“You give every decision a lot of thought. I’m not even just talking about the Gold Cup, but every race there. You’re always thinking about ‘what if’.

“What if something comes and beats you? That’s just the competitiveness of it and how much we want to win. Every decision is taken seriously.”