All Cheltenham Horses & Festival Early Closing Entries

Jamie Clark

Senior sports editor

Updated: 3 February 2026

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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 at the Cheltenham Festival 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 these 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 2026:

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 2026 edition, just nine British-trained runners featured among 33 initial entries, reduced to 28 as follows:

1. Affordale Fury
2. Banbridge
3. Envoi Allen
4. Fastorslow
5. Firefox
6. Gaelic Warrior
7. Galopin Des Champs
8. Gold Tweet
9. Grangeclare West
10. Grey Dawning
11. Haiti Couleurs
12. Handstands
13. Heart Wood
14. I Am Maximus
15. Impaire Et Passe
16. Inothewayurthinkin
17. Jango Baie
18. L’Homme Presse
19. Lecky Watson
20. Monty’s Star
21. Myretown
22. Nick Rockett
23. Resplendent Grey
24. Spillane’s Tower
25. Stellar Story
26. The Jukebox Man
27. Three Card Brag
28. Spindleberry

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Some 19 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners trained in Ireland take part in the Festival centrepiece, meanwhile. Of those Irish entries, the Willie Mullins stable (8), Gordon Elliott (3) and Henry De Bromhead yards 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 attracts only small but select fields these days. In 2025, there were 16 early closing entries. It’s the same again in 2026 with a 50-50 split between British and Irish runners.

There are always high-profile runners that most Cheltenham tips for the race centre on including three mares who could stay against their own sex. Five horses in total could run in another Festival contest from the initial field. These are the Champion Hurdle runners entered this year:

1. Alexei
2. Anzadam
3. Ballyburn
4. Casheldale Lad
5. Constitution Hill
6. El Fabiolo
7. Lucky Place
8. Nemean Lion
9. Poniros
10. The New Lion
11. Wilful
12. Workahead
13. Brighterdaysahead
14. Golden Ace
15. Lossiemouth

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Queen Mother Champion Chase Runners

Some 24 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, 18 of those remained with the majority scratched because of injury. Some will inevitably defect to the Ryanair Chase due to duplicate entries.

The Champion Chase often ends up with a small field, but it will probably contain previous Cheltenham winners at the Festival. Here are the initial entries:

1. Brookie
2. Calico
3. Captain Guinness
4. Found A Fifty
5. Il Etait Temps
6. Irish Panther
7. Jonbon
8. JPR One
9. L’Eau Du Sud
10. Libberty Hunter
11. Majborough
12. Marine Nationale
13. Quilixios
14. Saint Segal
15. Senecia
16. Solness
17. Thistle Ask (doubtful to run, according to trainer)
18. Only By Night

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Mares’ Hurdle Cheltenham Runners

Some 25 initial entries for the Close Brothers / David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle came out in January, but it has a new slot in the Cheltenham Festival schedule on St Patrick’s Thursday in 2026. This means a switch from the Old Course to the even more testing New Course.

There will be some overlap with the Champion Hurdle, given the excellent record female runners have had in the other big hurdle race. Similar comments apply to the Stayers’ Hurdle too. Check back here for the Mares’ Hurdle entries when announced:

1. Baby Kate
2. Brighterdaysahead
3. Dream On Baby
4. Feet Of A Dancer
5. Golden Ace
6. Jade De Grugy
7. Jetara
8. Jubilee Alpha
9. Kargese
10. Kateira
11. La Pinsonniere
12. Lavida Adiva
13. Let It Rain
14. Listentoyourheart
15. Lossiemouth
16. Murcia
17. Nurse Susan
18. Park Princess
19. Siog Geal
20. Sotchi
21. Sunset Marquesa
22. Supreme Malinas
23. Take No Chances
24. That’ll Do Moss
25. Wodhooh

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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 33 initial entries for the Ryanair Chase this year, plenty defect to the Champion Chase (10 double entered) or Gold Cup (14 have this option).

Bear that in mind when looking at Cheltenham odds for this race. The potential field includes an almost even split between UK and Irish hopefuls. It’s inevitable that final declarations will feature fewer Cheltenham Festival runners because entrants have other targets.

After February forfeits, there are 26 remaining in the Ryanair Chase:

1. Banbridge
2. Better Days Ahead
3. Croke Park
4. Edwardstone
5. Energumene
6. Envoi Allen
7. Fact To File
8. Firefox
9. Found A Fifty
10. Gaelic Warrior
11. Handstands
12. Heart Wood
13. Il Etait Temps
14. Impaire Et Passe
15. Jagwar
16. Jango Baie
17. Jonbon
18. JPR One
19. Master Chewy
20. Matata
21. Protektorat
22. Romeo Coolio
23. Solness
24. Thistle Ask (doubtful to run, according to trainer)
25. Twinjets
26. Panic Attack

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Stayers’ Hurdle Runners

With 29 early closing entries announced in mid-January, the Stayers’ Hurdle no longer looks like 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, though.

That isn’t an edifying assessment, but it’s an honest one. For plenty of other horses, though, the three-mile long-distance race over hurdles on St Patrick’s Thursday is the big aim. Here are the Stayers’ Hurdle entries for this season:

1. Ahoy Senor
2. Ballyburn
3. Bob Olinger
4. Buddy One
5. Doddiethegreat
6. Flooring Porter
7. Franciscan Rock
8. French Ship
9. Gowel Road
10. Gwennie May Boy
11. Hewick
12. Hiddenvalley Lake
13. Home By The Lee
14. Honesty Policy
15. Iberico Lord
16. Impose Toi
17. Kabral Du Mathan
18. Mystical Power
19. North Lodge
20. Potters Charm
21. Strong Leader
22. Teahupoo
23. Theleme
24. The Yellow Clay
25. Feet Of A Dancer
26. Lavida Adiva
27. Ma Shantou
28. Nurse Susan
29. Wodhooh

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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

Due to 36 double entries with the Turners (Baring Bingham), the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser will soon be whittled down from its initial 64 horses. There are even a small handful of juvenile hurdlers also eligible for the Triumph with this option too.

Some potential Supreme horses have caught the eye when falling at the final hurdle over Christmas when they looked like winning in style. Here is the full list of entries:

1. Act Of Innocence
2. Ambiente Friendly
3. Ballyfad
4. Baron Noir
5. Blake
6. Blues Singer
7. Bud Fox
8. Caballero Cliff
9. Davy Crockett
10. Double Measure
11. Eachtotheirown
12. El Cairos
13. Fire Warning
14. Free Spirit
15. Glance At Midnight
16. Hamlet’s Night
17. Hawk’s Rock
18. He’s On Fire
19. Heads Up
20. Hillberry Hill
21. Idaho Sun
22. It’s Tim
23. Kaiser Ball
24. King Rasko Grey
25. Klub de Reve
26. Koktail Brut
27. Laurets d’Estruval
28. Le Beau Madrik
29. Le Divin Enfant
30. Leader d’Allier
31. Limier d’Arthel
32. Makinbecon
33. Mighty Park
34. Mister Pessimistic
35. Mossy Fen Road
36. Mydaddypaddy
37. Old Park Star
38. Road Exile
39. Sageborough
40. Saint Baco
41. Shuttle Diplomacy
42. Sinnatra
43. Skylight Hustle
44. Sober
45. Sober Glory
46. Soldier Reeves
47. Soomaroy
48. Sortudo
49. Storming George
50. Talk The Talk
51. Taurus Bay
52. The Reverend
53. Thedeviluno
54. Thyer
55. Too Bossy For Us
56. Tyson Fury
57. Walks In June
58. Windbeneathmywings
59. You Proof
60. Zeus Power
61. Mo Ghille Mar
62. Macho Man
63. Minella Yoga
64. Proactif

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Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase Runners

The Arkle Chase for novices is one of the Grade 1 highlights on the opening day of the Festival. It has suffered from small fields in recent years, however. Just five ran in 2025, so here’s hoping for a better ratio of 23 initial entries to final declarations in 2026.

It’s surprising so few Cheltenham runners seem willing to take on this test, because you need to stay and jump well to win it. There are two fewer Arkle entries than made at first in 2025, so here they are:

1. Be Aware
2. Break My Soul
3. Downmexicoway
4. Hansard
5. Irish Panther
6. Jax Junior
7. Kappa Jy Pyke
8. King of Kingsfield
9. Kopek Des Bordes
10. Lulamba
11. Mambonumberfive
12. Mirabad
13. No Questions Asked
14. Port Joulain
15. Relieved Of Duties
16. Romeo Coolio
17. Salvator Mundi
18. Sixmilebridge
19. Steel Ally
20. Diva Luna
21. July Flower
22. Kala Conti
23. Kargese

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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.

Early closing entries doubles up with those respective races, but February forfeits will tell us more about the likely field here. Some 36 of the 94 horses are also in the Supreme, with 49 initially overlapping with the Albert Bartlett. Expect this field to thin out considerably:

1. A Pai de Nom
2. Act of Innocence
3. Ballyfad
4. Ballykinlar
5. Baron Noir
6. Bobby’s Nelson
7. Bon Viveur
8. Bossman Jack
9. Caballero Cliff
10. Came From Nowhere
11. Carlenrig
12. Classical Creek
13. Doctor Steinberg
14. Doctor Du Mesnil
15. Doujadou
16. Espresso Milan
17. Etna Bianco
18. Fire Warning
19. Fortune Timmy
20. Forty Coats
21. Fou de Toi
22. Frankie John
23. Free Spirit
24. Fresh Perspective
25. Fruit De Mer
26. Gentleman Toboot
27. Gin Tonic
28. Glance At Midnight
29. Hawk’s Rock
30. He’s On Fire
31. Heads Up
32. Hillberry Hill
33. Hipop De Loire
34. Hurricane Pat
35. I Started A Joke
36. I’ll Sort That
37. It’s Top
38. Jalon d’Oudairies
39. Johnny’s Jury
40. Kadastral
41. Kaiser Ball
42. Kalypso’chance
43. Kazansky
44. Kicour La
45. King Rasko Grey
46. Klimt Madrik
47. Koktail Brut
48. Kripticjim
49. Laurets d’Estruval
50. Lazare de Star
51. Le Beau Madrik
52. Leader d’Allier
53. Love Me Tender
54. Master McGarry
55. Mighty Park
56. Mister Pessimistic
57. Mondoui’boy
58. Moneygarrow
59. Neon Dream
60. No Drama This End
61. Off The Jury
62. Petit Secret
63. Red Oak
64. Riskaway
65. Road Exile
66. Rocking Man
67. Saint Baco
68. Santo Sospir
69. Shuttle Diplomacy
70. Sinchi Roca
71. Sinnatra
72. Skylight Hustle
73. Sober
74. Soldier Reeves
75. Soomaroy
76. Sortudo
77. Spinningayarn
78. Starzand
79. Step Ahead
80. Swindon Village
81. Talk The Talk
82. Taurus Bay
83. The Blue Room
84. The Last Cloud
85. The Reverend
86. Thedeviluno
87. Theflyingking
88. Too Bossy For Us
89. Ubatuba
90. Walks In June
91. Yeshil
92. You Proof
93. Zanndabad
94. Zeus Power

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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, should attract a bigger field since the Golden Miller became the Jack Richards and changed from a conditions race for novices to a limited handicap for them.

There will probably also be some overlap with the Ultima Handicap Chase, National Hunt Chase and Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, as well as the Grade 2 Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase with such Cheltenham runners, though.

Some 43 initial entries have been made for the Brown Advisory this year. These include a sweet 16 Willie Mullins horses and only 14 representing British stables:

1. Argento Boy
2. Ballygunner Castle
3. Bossofthebrownies
4. Califet En Vol
5. Doyen Quest
6. Final Demand
7. Funiculi Funicula
8. Gold Dancer
9. Harsh
10. Jig’s Forge
11. Jimmy du Seuil
12. Joystick
13. Kaid d’Authie
14. Kappa Jy Pyke
15. King Alexander
16. Kiss Will
17. Kitzbuhel
18. Koktail Divin
19. Mossy Fen Park
20. Newton Tornado
21. O’Moore Park
22. Ol Man Dingle
23. One Big Bang
24. Oscars Brother
25. Port Joulain
26. Predators Gold
27. Queensbury Boy
28. Regent’s Stroll
29. Romeo Coolio
30. Rushmount
31. Salver
32. Sixmilebridge
33. Soldier In Milan
34. Thomas Mor
35. Wade Out
36. Wendigo
37. Western Fold
38. Western Knight
39. Wingmen
40. Kurasso Blue
41. Jade de Grugy
42. Kala Conti
43. The Big Westerner

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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. To be eligible, runners must be four-year-olds. The only overlap is when entries are also made for the Fred Winter, a Premier Handicap Hurdle for the same age bracket.

On rare occasions, juvenile hurdlers will receive an entry against their elders in the Supreme. This is seldom happens, however, with the horses kept to racing against their own generation. Check out who holds an entry in the Gold Cup day opener including 17 fillies below:

1. Ammes
2. Apolon De Charnie
3. Arouet
4. Barbizon
5. Bartholomew
6. Beauvallon
7. Ben Hur
8. Berto Ramirez
9. Bertutea
10. Chico Magnifica
11. Dignam
12. Down To Business
13. Duc De Rohan
14. Fantasy World
15. Feel Gut
16. Forty Fifty
17. Hardy Stuff
18. Immediate Effect
19. Indian River
20. Kai Lung
21. Kilmeaden
22. King Esoteric
23. Lord
24. Lord Byron
25. Macho Man
26. Madness D’elle
27. Maestro Conti
28. Merci Mam
29. Minella Academy
30. Minella Study
31. Minella Yoga
32. Misterdoc
33. Mon Creuset
34. Moulin Labbe
35. Mustang Du Breuil
36. Narciso Has
37. North Shore
38. One Horse Town
39. Portnahapple
40. Precious Man
41. Proactif
42. Puppet Master
43. Quinteplus
44. Scarlet Moon
45. Senator
46. Sonic Pioneer
47. Square D’alboni
48. Tillmouth
49. Vivre Le Reve
50. Winston Junior
51. Wolf Rayet
52. Adrienne
53. Charme De Faust
54. Dschingis Desire
55. Highland Crystal
56. Ismahane
57. Kate O’Riley
58. Majolique
59. Manganese
60. Mange Tout
61. Manlaga
62. Mille Et Une Vies
63. Noemie De La Vis
64. Only One Blue
65. Selma De Vary
66. Shezala
67. Tenter Le Tout
68. Trad Jazz

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Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Runners

There is always a lot of overlap for early closing entries between the Albert Bartlett and the Turners (Baring Bingham). During February forfeits, the field sizes for both will drop down.

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. Here is the list of 83 initial entries that have this long-distance option:

1. A Pai De Nom
2. American Jukebox
3. Apache Tribe
4. Bally Free
5. Ballykinlar
6. Bon Viveur
7. Boultydoolin
8. Carlenrig
9. Champagne Kid
10. Classical Creek
11. Country Code
12. County Final
13. Dalston Lad
14. Doctor Steinberg
15. Doctor Du Mesnil
16. El Capitaine
17. Espresso Milan
18. Etna Bianco
19. Forty Coats
20. Fountains Blenhein
21. Frankie John
22. Fruit De Mer
23. Gin Tonic
24. He Can’t Dance
25. Hillberry Hill
26. Hipop De Loire
27. I Started A Joke
28. I’ll Sort That
29. Intosomethinggood
30. Jalon D’oudairies
31. Johnny’s Jury
32. Just Golden
33. Kalypso’chance
34. Kasino Des Mottes
35. Kazansky
36. Kicour La
37. King’s Bucks
38. Klimt Madrik
39. Kripticjim
40. Laurets D’estruval
41. Leader D’allier
42. Legendary Luke
43. Love Me Tender
44. Melbourne Shamrock
45. Minella Emperor
46. Mondoui’boy
47. Moneygarrow
48. Neon Dream
49. No Drama This End
50. Off The Jury
51. Reckless Spending
52. Riskaway
53. Road Exile
54. Rocking Man
55. Rusty Harkness
56. Saint Baco
57. Santo Sospir
58. Shabby Hill
59. Shadow Paddy
60. Shuttle Diplomacy
61. Sortudo
62. Spinningayarn
63. Step Ahead
64. Swindon Village
65. Tackletommywoowoo
66. The Big Clubman
67. The Blue Room
68. The Last Cloud
69. The Price Of Peace
70. Thedeviluno
71. Theflyingking
72. They Call Me Hugo
73. Tiddesley Wood
74. Timesareachanging
75. Treasure Memory
76. Ubatuba
77. Whiskey Yankee
78. Yeshil
79. You Proof
80. Good Girl Kathleen
81. Park Princess
82. Pottersville
83. Zanoosh

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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. We’ll find out in February how many horses have an entry in the Champion Bumper of 2026 when it closes!

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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.

View all posts by Jamie Clark