What time is the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Date, runners and riders, odds, prize money and how to follow

Mar 13, 2026 - 09:00

The 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup will headline a thrilling week of horse racing today.

Few races are more iconic than the showpiece event at the prestigious meeting, with thousands of fans flocking to Cheltenham each year to get in on the action.

Jockey Mark Walsh celebrates winning the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Inothewayurthinkin — Inothewayurthinkin denied champion horse Galopin des Champs the chance to win an historic third straight Gold Cup in 2025

Follow 2026 Gold Cup live

Arguably the biggest race of the British and Irish jump-racing season, the Gold Cup falls on the fourth and final day of the event.

The 2025 edition saw Inothewayurthinkin claim victory, with Mark Walsh producing one of the great Gold Cup shocks.

This brought to an end Galopin Des Champs’ run of dominance, having won the previous two Gold Cups.

Now, this year, Inothewayurthinkin eyes a back-to-back success, with Gaelic Warrior, The Jukebox Man and Jango Baie the favourites.

With the centre-piece of a thrilling week of racing now upon us, here is everything you need to know.

How to follow Cheltenham Gold Cup

The Cheltenham Gold Cup will take place today – Friday, March 13.

It is scheduled to get underway at 4pm and talkSPORT will have live coverage of the race.

Tune in to talkSPORT through the website via the live stream or find us on DAB digital radio through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

Download and listen to all our live commentaries via the talkSPORT app.

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Subscribe to our talkSPORT YouTube channel for news, views and analysis plus our regular goals show and for more, follow us on talkSPORT Facebook and talkSPORT X.

The race will also be broadcast free-to-air on ITV and ITVX.

Claim over £500 in Cheltenham Festival free bet offers for this year’s meeting and see the best horse racing betting sites

Mark Walsh kisses the Cheltenham Gold Cup — Mark Walsh was the last jockey to get his hands on the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cheltenham Gold Cup runners, riders and odds

Gaelic Warrior, 3/1 – J: Paul Townend, T: W P Mullins

Won the Arkle over two miles two years ago and has proved his stamina for three miles by winning the Aintree Bowl last season. He won the John Durkan over two-and-a-half in November before going close in the King George, after which he was clear best of the rest behind stablemate Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup. He is another who is likely to travel into the race strongly, but when the going gets tough will he be able to keep going?

The Jukebox Man, 7/2 – J: Ben Jones, T: Ben Pauling

Four from four over fences and came out on top in a belting King George at Kempton on Boxing Day. He travels strongly and jumps brilliantly and appears tactically versatile. He is likely to be travelling as well as anything turning for home and while his stamina for three and a quarter miles has to be taken on trust, his style of racing gives him every chance and he is fancied to come out on top.

Jango Baie, 9/2 – J: Nico de Boinville, T: Nicky Henderson

Finished with a flourish to win the Arkle last year and as expected he has improved for a step up in trip, most recently finishing a half-length fourth in a pulsating King George. Has to be considered a leading player, but a few others are preferred.

Haiti Couleurs, 11/2 – J: Sean Bowen T: Rebecca Curtis

As the winner of an Irish Grand National and a Welsh Grand National, this nine-year-old is absolutely guaranteed to stay the trip, which cannot be said of many of his rivals. He won the National Hunt Chase 12 months ago and is two from two at the track. He might not be as classy as some, but he will keep gong when others have cried enough.

Inothewayurthinkin, 9/1 – J: Mark Walsh, T: Gavin Cromwell

A brilliant winner 12 months ago, beating dual Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs comprehensively, but he has looked a shadow of that horse since. He was well beaten when falling in the Irish Gold Cup last month and while stable vibes suggest his homework has picked up in the last few weeks, it is a huge ask to expect him to bounce back to his very best, which he will need to if he is to successfully defend his crown in what is a deep renewal.

Grey Dawning, 16/1 – J: Harry Skelton, T: Dan Skelton

Landed the now defunct Turners Novices’ Chase at the 2024 Festival and has since cemented himself as a genuine top-notcher, kicking off this season with a dominant performance in the Betfair Chase at Haydock. He was beaten into third in his prep race on Trials day and while he should be significantly sharper than he was that day, he might just come a bit short against the very best in the division.

Spillane’s Tower, 16/1 – L: Harry Cobden, T: James Joseph Mangan

A dual Grade One-winning novice a couple of years ago and split Fact To File and Galopin Des Champs in a John Durkan thriller the following season. Results have been mixed since and while he was good in winning the Cotswold Chase here in January, this is another big step.

Firefox, 33/1 – J: Jack Kennedy, T: Gordon Elliott

A solid Grade Two horse who usually comes up short at the highest level. The pick of his form is over shorter trips, too.

Envoi Allen, 40/1 – J: Darragh O’Keeffe, T: Henry De Bromhead

Something of a Festival legend, with seven previous appearance at the showpiece meeting yielding three victories. Despite his advancing years, he showed the fire still burns bright when winning his third BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal in November and he has been kept fresh since. There has not been a 12-year-old winner of the Gold Cup since the 1960s, but he clearly loves the track and it would not be a huge shock to see him pick up minor money at huge odds.

L’Homme Presse, 50/1 – J: Charlie Deutsch, T: Venetia Williams

An admirable veteran who won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the 2022 Festival and he has been a fine servant to his connections. However, he was only fourth on his previous attempt at Gold Cup glory two years ago and he is surely not as good now as he was then.

Gold Tweet, 125/1 – J: Clement Lefebvre, T: Gabriel Leenders

Won the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham a few years ago, but he has done nothing since to suggest he is capable of making an impact at this level.

Cheltenham Gold Cup: Past winners

Every winner since 2010

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
2015 – Coneygree
2014 – Lord Windermere
2013 – Bobs Worth
2012 – Synchronised
2011 – Long Run
2010 – Imperial Commander

Cheltenham Gold Cup prize money

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival saw a record prize pot up for grabs – with a total of £4.93 million on offer.

With the Gold Cup boasting the biggest single race prize of any event, last year competitors battled it out for their share of a £625,000 total race pot – and it is the same in 2026.

The winner will claim a whopping £351,688.