All Cheltenham Horses & Festival Early Closing Entries

Jamie Clark

Senior sports editor

Updated: 25 February 2025

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There are a lot of hopeful owners and trainers behind Cheltenham horses seeking Festival wins with their animals. After all, the equine talent on show at the big meeting do all the hard work.

In this complete guide to Cheltenham runners at the Festival, we show you who holds entries in which races. Before all that, however, it is good to know how the entry process works. We explain that first.

How Do Festival Entries for Cheltenham Horses Work?

All 28 races on the Cheltenham schedule are what they call “early-closing races”. Unlike other, lesser meetings, where most entries close six days beforehand, owners and trainers must put their horses in the Festival races as far out as two months prior.

This is because of the stature of the Cheltenham Festival. It dominates the entire National Hunt season, much like the way Flat owners and trainers approach Royal Ascot. This, after all, is the premier meeting over jumps.

From early January onwards with the Gold Cup, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase up first, owners and trainers pay entry fees for prospective Cheltenham runners. There are subsequent forfeit and supplementary stages where they can decide on a definitive target.

This is because of the potential risk of injury or loss of form in Festival trials held over the winter months of January and February. There is nothing to stop connections from initially entering their runners in multiple races at the meeting either.

All sorts of factors influence plans for Cheltenham horses today. The same owner may have others in training targeting similar Festival races, so that leads to them being split up so as to secure maximum potential prize money.

They don’t have to show their hands too early. This is where Cheltenham betting offers like Non Runner No Bet (NRNB) terms on ante-post wagers come in handy.

Just because you as a punter fancy a horse for a certain race doesn’t mean it will end up there at the Festival. We won’t know final Cheltenham runners and riders until 48 hours before the respective days of the Festival races.

Until that point, it can be a bit of a guessing game. In the meantime, Cheltenham betting sites price up all the action on the biggest races ante-post.

When Do Cheltenham Festival Races Close for Entries?

Below is a list of dates when Cheltenham horses must go into early closing races in 2025:

The first early closing races for Cheltenham Festival runners are the championship races with steeplechases first followed by the major hurdle races. Following those are the novice hurdles and chases, then a break of three weeks or so.

That’s because in the intervening weeks, a number of key trials and meetings take place on the road to Cheltenham. In the UK, Festival Trials Day at the course is on the last Saturday in January. The following weekend in Ireland is the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown. After that comes Super Saturday at Newbury and trials at Warwick.

This two-day meeting in early February contains many Emerald Isle equivalents of big Cheltenham races today. We’re talking about the Irish Arkle, Irish Champion Hurdle and Dublin Chase over two miles, and Irish Gold Cup over three.

These events all shape who the Cheltenham favourites are for championship and Grade 1 novice races going into the Festival. Next to close are the mares only Grade 2 contests.

Festival handicaps then close with 12 of them as options for Cheltenham horses in 2025. These will have bigger field sizes than other races.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners

As one of the first set of entries announced, the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting takes shape over the festive period. First, the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day influences the market, then the Savills Chase in Ireland on 28 December.

Some 10 days to a fortnight later after these events, we know which Cheltenham Gold Cup horses take aim at the blue riband steeplechase. For the 2025 edition, just five British-trained runners featured among 19 initial entries then reduced to 15, 10 wih a supplementary entry and a final field of nine as follows:

1. Ahoy Senor
2. Banbridge
3. Corbetts Cross
4. Galopin Des Champs
5. Gentlemansgame
6. Inothewayurthinkin (supplemented)
7. Monty’s Star
8. Royale Pagaille
9. The Real Whacker

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Some six (reduced from 13) Cheltenham Gold Cup runners trained in Ireland take part in the Festival centrepiece, meanwhile. Of those Irish entries, the Willie Mullins stable and Henry De Bromhead yard have notable runners.

Cheltenham Horses in Other Championship Races

Now, we turn our attention to the other prestigious races at the Cheltenham Festival. As each set of entries come out, we have more on all of the championship events below.

All of these feature contests are live on ITV Racing including some of the biggest stars and Cheltenham runners today. All horse racing fans should enjoy Grade 1 action from the Festival featuring superstar racehorses.

Champion Hurdle Runners

The Champion Hurdle attracted 16 early closing entries in mid-January this year. These include four high-profile runners that most Cheltenham tips on the race feature. Of those, just seven remain in the race after dropping to 10 at the first forfeit stage.

Only three horses running at Cheltenham in the Festival opening day feature are UK runners. The other four cross the Irish Sea. A small field of Champion Hurdle runners like this has become increasingly common:

1. Burdett Road
2. Constitution Hill
3. King Of Kingsfield
4. State Man
5. Winter Fog
6. Brighterdaysahead
7. Golden Ace

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Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham Runners

Initial entries for the Close Brothers / David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle sit at 24 in 2025, trimmed to 15 by penultimate declarations and the supplementing of Joyeuse by Nicky Henderson. The final field contains 11.

Six hail from Ireland with half of those trained by Willie Mullins with one each for the Henry De Bromhead, Gordon Elliott and Jessica Harrington stables. The other five are all UK runners:

1. Casa No Mento
2. Dysart Enos
3. Gala Marceau
4. Jade De Grugy
5. Jetara
6. Joyeuse (supplemented)
7. July Flower
8. Kala Conti
9. Lossiemouth
10. Queens Gamble
11. Take No Chances

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Queen Mother Champion Chase Runners

Some 26 Cheltenham horses feature among initial Champion Chase entries this year. That is up on previous recent seasons with the two-mile division apparently reaching a crossroads between generations. At the first forfeit stage, six horses defected.

By penultimate declarations just 11 remained. The final field of eight includes previous Cheltenham winners at the Festival, but there are always those with duplicate entries in the Ryanair Chase lost to this race:

1. Captain Guinness
2. Energumene
3. Found A Fifty
4. Jonbon
5. Libberty Hunter
6. Marine Nationale
7. Quilixios
8. Solness

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Ryanair Chase Runners

This is one of the races where Cheltenham runners have quite a lot of crossover with other Festival contests. While there are 34 initial entries for the Ryanair Chase this year reduced to 28, then just 12 and a final field of nine, plenty defect to the Champion Chase or Gold Cup.

Bear that in mind when looking at Cheltenham odds for this race. The potential field includes a French-trained horse alongside the usual mix of UK and Irish hopefuls. It’s inevitable that final declarations will feature fewer Cheltenham Festival runners because entrants have other targets:

1. Djelo
2. Envoi Allen
3. Fact To File
4. Hang In There
5. Heart Wood
6. Il Est Francais
7. Jungle Boogie
8. Master Chewy
9. Protektorat

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Stayers’ Hurdle Runners

With 36 entries announced in mid-January, reduced to 30 the following month, then 20 at penultimate declarations and a final field of 15, the Stayers’ Hurdle is perhaps the poor relation among the championship races.

There will be some runners at Cheltenham today targeting this race as an afterthought following failed chasing campaigns. For others, though, the three-mile long-distance race over hurdles on St Patrick’s Thursday is the big aim:

1. Bob Olinger
2. Buddy One
3. Crambo
4. Franciscan Rock
5. Ga Law
6. Gowel Road
7. Home By The Lee
8. Langer Dan (NR)
9. Lucky Place
10. Monmiral (NR)
11. Mystical Power
12. Nemean Lion
13. Rocky’s Diamond
14. Teahupoo
15. The Wallpark

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Cheltenham Runners in Novice Championship Races

There are now six Grade 1 novice hurdles or chases at the Cheltenham Festival. While these relatively inexperienced horses at either discipline have the option of running in the handicaps, top-class ones often try and prove their credentials in the following:

While you get more overlap with Cheltenham horses and potential runners in the novice hurdles, changes to the Festival programme for 2025 reduced Grade 1 options for novice chases down to just two from three. Let’s take a look at the early closing entries for all six novice championship races in turn now.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Runners

With 63 initial entries made in 2025, later reduced to 37 after the first forfeit stage, then 17 and finally 12, the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser soon gets whittled down.

Six of those declared represent Mullins, with 10 Irish runners in total. That leaves just two representing the home team. Here is the full list of entries:

1. Funiculi Funicula
2. Irancy
3. Karbau
4. Karniquet
5. Kopek Des Bordes
6. Romeo Coolio
7. Salvator Mundi
8. Sky Lord
9. Tripoli Flyer (NR)
10. Tutti Quanti
11. William Munny
12. Workahead

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Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase Runners

The Arkle Chase for novices attracted 25 early closing entries in 2025. This saw some big guns drop out at the February forfeit stage including ante-post favourite Sir Gino, reducing the field to a maximum of 15.

It reduced further to nine and a paltry final field of five. Few Cheltenham runners seem willing to take on Irish youngster Majborough. Here are what Arkle entries remain for your reference:

1. Jango Baie
2. L’Eau Du Sud
3. Majborough
4. Touch Me Not
5. Only By Night

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Turners Novices’ Hurdle Runners

Normally speaking, the Baring Bingham run under its sponsored title of the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle has the most Cheltenham horses entered up in it. This is because this race is over an intermediate trip between the Supreme and Albert Bartlett.

There are 79 early closing entries in 2025, but this reduced significantly to a field of 52 after February forfeits. This happened again with just 23 confirmed at the six-day stage. A final field of 11 for the Turners is as follows:

1. Final Demand
2. Forty Coats
3. Kaid D’Authie
4. Kappa Jy Pyke
5. Kel Histoire
6. Kiss Will
7. Potters Charm
8. Sixmilebridge
9. Supersundae
10. The New Lion
11. The Yellow Clay

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Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Runners

The Brown Advisory, registered as the Broadway Novices’ Chase and run previously as the RSA Chase for many years, has 32 initial entries in 2025. After February forfeits, the field reduced to 23 with just nine remaining at penultimate declarations and seven in the final field.

All are Irish-trained. There will probably be some overlap with the Ultima Handicap Chase, National Hunt Chase, Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup and the new Grade 2 Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase with such Cheltenham runners, though:

1. Ballyburn
2. Better Days Ahead
3. Dancing City
4. Gorgeous Tom
5. Lecky Watson
6. Quai De Bourbon
7. Stellar Story

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JCB Triumph Hurdle Runners

Age restrictions on the Triumph Hurdle and thus eligible Cheltenham horses for this event doesn’t impact early closing entries. These sit at a healthy 54 for the 2025 edition, reduced to 37 after the first forfeit stage, 23 for penultimate declarations and a final field of 18.

Since the Fred Winter, a four-year-olds only Premier Handicap Hurdle, was added to the Festival schedule, field sizes in the Triumph have become smaller with some runners defecting to that instead. Check out who holds an entry in the Gold Cup day opener below:

1. Blue Lemons
2. Charlus
3. East India Dock
4. Gibbs Island
5. Hello Neighbour
6. Larzac
7. Lulamba
8. Marche D’Aligre
9. Mondo Man
10. Pappano
11. Poniros
12. Too Bossy For Us
13. Willy De Houelle
14. Lady Vega Allen
15. Lumiere Du Large
16. Opec
17. Place De La Nation
18. Sainte Lucie

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Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Runners

More than half (33) of 61 early closing entries for the Albert Bartlett could run in the Baring Bingham instead. During February forfeits, the field size went down to 44 then 26 and a final field of 20.

With this last Grade 1 novice hurdle of the Festival being a real test of stamina, intended Cheltenham runners don’t always emerge until late on. See who has this option:

1. Argento Boy
2. Ballybow
3. Derryhassen Paddy
4. First Confession
5. Fishery Lane
6. Flicker Of Hope
7. Inn At The Park
8. Intense Approach
9. Jasmin De Vaux
10. Jax Junior
11. Jet Blue
12. Jig’s Forge
13. Ma Shantou
14. Nativehill
15. Port Joulain
16. Sounds Victorious
17. Wendigo
18. Wingmen
19. Yellow Car
20. The Big Westerner

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Champion Bumper Runners

There is also a Grade 1 National Hunt Flat races at the Festival. This is for Cheltenham horses that haven’t jumped any obstacles under Rules. Some 33 initial entries were made for the Champion Bumper in 2025, reduced to 25 at the confirmation stage and a final field of 18:

1. Copacabana
2. Dalston Lad
3. El Cairos
4. Fortune De Mer
5. Gameofinches
6. Heads Up
7. He Can’t Dance
8. Idaho Sun
9. I Started A Joke
10. Kalypso’chance
11. No Drama This End
12. Shuttle Diplomacy
13. Sortudo
14. Aqua Force
15. Bambino Fever
16. Highland Haven (NR)
17. Caballero Cliff
18. Lancelot Allen

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FAQs

Jamie Clark

Senior sports editor

Jamie Clark has been covering the Cheltenham Festival for over a decade, firstly during his time as the Sports Editor of Coral bookmakers. His father and godfather ran a trackside bookie's pitch at Market Rasen for many years, so horse racing is in his blood. Very much a specialist in the sport, Jamie is our go-to expert on all things Cheltenham.

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