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

The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching, and for many that means only one thing – Gold Cup Day.

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

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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 great Gold Cup shocks.

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

Despite missing out on glory last time out, Paul Townend is being tipped to make a return on the incredible horse, as he targets a remarkable fifth individual Gold Cup win.

With the centre-piece of a thrilling week of racing now just weeks away, here is everything you need to know ahead of time.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026: Start time and how to follow

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

It is expected to get underway at 4pm.

The showpiece race will follow the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and come just before the Festival Hunters’ Chase.

talkSPORT will have live coverage of this year’s Gold Cup.

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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.

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

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026: Runners and riders

The Gold Cup runners and riders are yet to be officially confirmed, with a longlist of 33 potential entries being released in January.

Eventually, the horses will be whittled down, until a final list of declared runners and riders is announced two days before the event itself.

Here is the early list of early horse entries and their trainers, with riders currently unconfirmed:

1. Banbridge – Joseph Patrick O’Brien
2. Champ Kiely – W. P. Mullins
3. Croke Park – Gordon Elliott
4. Envoi Allen – Henry de Bromhead
5. Fastorslow – Martin Brassil
6. Firefox – Gordon Elliott
7. Found A Fifty – Gordon Elliott
8. Gaelic Warrior – W. P. Mullins
9. Galopin des Champs – W. P. Mullins
10. Gerri Colombe – Gordon Elliott
11. Gold Tweet – Gabriel Leenders
12. Grangeclare West – W. P. Mullins
13. Grey Dawning – Dan Skelton
14. Haiti Couleurs – Rebecca Curtis
15. Handstands – Ben Pauling
16. Heart Wood – Henry de Bromhead
17. I Am Maximus – W. P. Mullins
18. Impaire Et Passe – W. P. Mullins
19. Inothewayurthinkin – Gavin Cromwell
20. Jango Baie – Nicky Henderson
21. Konfusion – Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith
22. L’homme Presse – Venetia Williams
23. Lecky Watson – W. P. Mullins
24. Monty’s Star – Henry de Bromhead
25. Myretown – Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
26. Nick Rockett – W. P. Mullins
27. Resplendent Grey – Olly Murphy
28. Spillane’s Tower – James Joseph Mangan
29. Spindleberry – W. P. Mullins
30. Stellar Story – Gordon Elliott
31. The Jukebox Man – Ben Pauling
32. Three Card Brag – Gordon Elliott
33. Three Card Brag – Gordon Elliott

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.

While the full details for this year’s showpiece haven’t been released yet, the rewards are expected to be the same in 2026.

This would see the winning connections claim a share of £351,688, with runners-up set to take home £132,500.

Third would then claim £66,312, fourth place would take home pocket £33,125,leaving £16,625 for fifth place.