The greatness of Cheltenham races today owes much to the track’s status as the home of National Hunt racing. It is an iconic sporting theatre that serves up drama in every aspect of jump racing with hurdle races and steeplechases joining bumpers and even Cross Country events at its Prestbury Park location.
In this complete guide to Cheltenham Racecourse, we look back over the history of this premier horse racing venue. So that you understand it better, we also touch on the different tracks used for races and profile all key meetings taking place here.
Although the present site for Cheltenham races today opened in 1902, Cleeve Hill overlooking the Prestbury Park site staged meetings some 80 years prior from 1818. Other locations used in between include Andoversford and the other side of Prestbury Village to the south and east of where the track is now.
The Grand Annual Chase, the oldest of Cheltenham Festival races today, had its initial running in 1834. From 1913 onwards, this made a permanent home at Prestbury Park. Two years earlier, the National Hunt Chase did the same. That first took place in the Cheltenham area in 1861.
After completing a grandstand at Prestbury Park just before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Festival started taking proper shape in the 1920s. While a forerunner of the Stayers’ Hurdle dates back to 1912 and the County Hurdle to 1920, the Cheltenham Gold Cup inaugurated in 1924 and Champion Hurdle three years later helped fully establish the meeting.
Fast forward to 1959, and Cheltenham added the Champion Chase to the Festival. This became the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1980. Some of the big handicaps at Cheltenham races today date back to the early 1960s. The Paddy Power Gold Cup as the Mackeson Gold Cup began in 1960 with the December Gold Cup following three years later.
Cheltenham Racecourse extended the Festival to four days from three in 2005. This meant the creation of the Ryanair Chase and a number of other races on the Cheltenham schedule subsequently. The meeting continues to evolve to this very day with tweaks and changes to the race programme ensuring the most competitive jumps action.
There are three different tracks for races at Cheltenham today with each in use during the Festival. These are the Old Course, New Course and Cross Country Course. Each sees the horses race on a left-handed track. Action on the Old and New Courses unfolds on undulating, testing tracks that suit galloping types.
The New Course has less jumping at the business end of hurdle races. There are just two flights in the last seven furlongs (almost a mile) on the hurdles track. Both punters using and traders pricing up markets on Cheltenham betting sites must remember that. Both Old and New Courses climb Cleeve Hill in the back straight then come downhill before turning for home, but it’s uphill again all the way to the winning post.
Stamina in horses is essential for Cheltenham races today as a result. The Old Course is about a mile-and-a-half for a complete circuit and the New Course slightly longer. Hurdle races feature six flights jumped per full lap, regardless of the track. Both the Champion Hurdle and County Hurdle, the biggest two-mile events of this type at the Festival feature eight hurdles. The Stayers’ Hurdle has 12 flights.
Steeplechases include more jumps, meanwhile. The Queen Mother Champion Chase has 13 fences with four in the home straight first time around. In the back straight on the Old Course, after jumping a cross fence there is a line of three obstacles. These are a plain fence, water jump and open ditch. Horses take all of these on the other track too.
There is no cross fence on the New Course, but both tracks feature another open ditch at the top of Cleeve Hill. The downhill fence three out is the one that catches some horses out with Cue Card famously falling twice at this obstacle during the Festival. That leaves just two plain fences in the home straight before the finish line.
On the Cross Country Course in the middle of the track, meanwhile, there are a variety of obstacles to jump. These include banks, ditches, hedges and stuffed hurdles. There is also an Aintree style Grand National type fence. Cross Country races go in a figure of eight circuit for three laps before joining Cheltenham Racecourse proper for the closing stages.
Not including the Hunter Chase Evening that takes place outside of the core National Hunt season, there are seven fixtures in the jumps racing calendar at Cheltenham races today. These begin during the autumn in October with The Showcase and end at springtime with the April Meeting. Both of those, like the Christmas / December Meeting, are two-day fixtures.
The November Meeting is three days, meanwhile. That puts it as the second longest fixture behind the Cheltenham Festival at the track. There are two standalone racedays in January as well. The first one takes place on New Year’s Day, while Festival Trials Day is the last Saturday of the month.
Each of these meetings in the run-up to the Festival can influence the markets and Cheltenham odds for the big one. This is because recognised trials take place and horses obtain vital course experience.
As for the Cheltenham Festival itself, that runs for four consecutive days in the middle of March. That fixture isn’t just the big one at Prestbury Park but for the entire jumps racing industry. The table below recaps all of these key dates for Cheltenham Racecourse events and fixtures:
Cheltenham Meetings | Feature Races | When |
The Showcase | Sharp Novices’ Hurdle, Showcase Trophy | October |
November Meeting | Shloer Chase, Paddy Power Gold Cup, Greatwood Hurdle | November |
Christmas / December Meeting | December Gold Cup | December |
New Year’s Day | Relkeel Hurdle | January |
Festival Trials Day | Cotswold Chase, International Hurdle, Cleeve Hurdle | January |
Cheltenham Festival | Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup | March |
April Meeting | Silver Trophy | April |
Early on in the core part of the National Hunt season, either penultimate or last Friday and Saturday in October, it’s The Showcase. There are seven races at Cheltenham each day with the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle acting as the feature contest on the Friday.
This opening card also has three Class 2 events and as many Class 3 races, but with ratings ceilings. The handicap hurdles are for horses up to an official BHA mark of 140. Here are all the details for Showcase Friday:
Friday Showcase Cheltenham Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
0-140 Handicap Hurdle | Class 3 | 2m 3f 200y | 3yo+ |
Novices’ Chase | Class 2 | 1m 7f 199y | 4yo+ |
Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 1m 7f 199y | 4yo+ |
Sharp Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2m 87y | 4yo+ |
Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (0-125) | Class 3 | 3m 1f | 4yo+ |
Alastair Down Novices’ Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 3f 200y | 4yo+ |
Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-140) | Class 3 | 2m 87y | 3yo+ |
Saturday at the Showcase Cheltenham races today is almost all Class 2 action. The Masterson Holdings Hurdle for four-year-olds and Pertemps Qualifier are longstanding events during this meeting.
Over fences, meanwhile, the big race is the Showcase Trophy Handicap Chase (often run under a sponsored title). This is all the information about the card:
Saturday Showcase Cheltenham Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase | Class 3 | 2m 4f 44y | 4yo+ |
Novices’ Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 7f 208y | 4yo+ |
Showcase Trophy Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 3m 1f | 4yo+ |
Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Series Qualifier) | Class 2 | 2m 7f 208y | 4yo+ |
Masterson Holdings Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 87y | 4yo only |
Novices’ Chase | Class 2 | 3m 110y | 5yo+ |
Open NH Flat Race | Class 2 | 2m 87y | 4yo-5yo |
The November Meeting at Cheltenham usually takes place on the middle Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the month. As a three-day fixture, only the Festival in March is bigger. The opening day card has six races on it with the Grade 2 Shloer Chase the current feature contest.
Supported by the Hyde Novices’ Hurdle, a Listed staying novice chase and some Cross Country action, there are also two Class 3 handicap hurdles with ratings ceilings of 125. See everything going on the Friday of this fixture below:
Friday Cheltenham November Meeting Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-125) | Class 3 | 2m 5f | 3yo+ |
Paddy Power Novices’ Chase | Listed | 3m 110y | 5yo+ |
Shloer Chase (Registered as the Cheltenham Chase) | Grade 2 | 1m 7f 199y | 4yo+ |
Cross Country Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 3m 5f 56y | 5yo+ |
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Trial (Registered as the Hyde) | Grade 2 | 2m 7f 208y | 4yo+ |
0-125 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle | Class 3 | 2m 87y | 3yo+ |
When it comes to Cheltenham today races outside the Festival don’t get any more valuable than the Paddy Power Gold Cup. Starting life as the Mackeson Gold Cup in 1960, this Premier Handicap over two-and-a-half miles headlines the Saturday of the November Meeting.
There is plenty more on the card for those giving Cheltenham races today tips on the action. Official trial races for the Triumph Hurdle and Arkle, both with Grade 2 status, take place on this day. Besides a Listed bumper for mares, watch out for competitive handicap hurdles. Check out everything on Paddy Power Gold Cup day here:
Saturday Cheltenham November Meeting Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Registered as the Prestbury) | Grade 2 | 2m 87y | 3yo only |
Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (0-135) | Class 3 | 3m 1f | 4yo+ |
Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase (Registered as the November) | Grade 2 | 1m 7f 199y | 4yo+ |
Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 2m 4f 44y | 4yo+ |
Big Buck’s Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 7f 208y | 4yo+ |
Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (0-140) | Class 3 | 2m 5f | 3yo+ |
Mares’ Open NH Flat Race | Listed | 2m 87y | 4yo-5yo |
The November Meeting shows no signs of slowing down on the Sunday. There are currently two Premier Handicaps on this six-race card. Chief among them is the Greatwood Hurdle. Over the same course and distance as the Champion Hurdle, this feature race has a lot of steeplechases supporting it.
They include a long-distance Premier Handicap over almost three-and-a-half miles. Although the November Meeting ends with another Listed bumper, there is quality throughout. Here are all the details of that Sunday card:
Sunday Cheltenham November Meeting Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Maiden Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 87y | 4yo+ |
Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase | Class 3 | 2m 4f 44y | 4yo+ |
0-150 Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 1m 7f 199y | 4yo+ |
Holland Cooper Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 3m 3f 71y | 5yo+ |
Greatwood Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 2m 87y | 4yo+ |
Open NH Flat Race | Listed | 2m 87y | 4yo-5yo |
Also called the Christmas Meeting, this two-day fixture in mid-December serves up lots of handicaps. They include a Premier Handicap Chase and Crystal Cup Cross Country race on the Friday.
A recent edition to the opening day of the December Meeting, meanwhile, is a middle distance chase for veterans. Read all about the Friday fixture with race information below:
Friday Cheltenham December Meeting Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle | Class 3 | 2m 179y | 4yo-6yo |
Novices’ Chase | Class 2 | 2m 4f 127y | 4yo+ |
0-140 Handicap Hurdle | Class 3 | 2m 179y | 3yo+ |
Premier Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 3m 2f | 5yo+ |
Middle Distance Chase Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase (0-150) | Class 2 | 2m 4 127y | 9yo+ |
Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 3m 5f 56y | 5yo+ |
Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 7f 213y | 4yo+ |
The December Gold Cup is another of the storied Premier Handicaps at Cheltenham races today dating back to 1963. It headlines the Saturday card at this meeting, supported by an official Albert Bartlett trial in the Bristol Novices’ Hurdle.
There are also a couple of mares only handicaps on this day, which feed into other races at Cheltenham in the spring. Read up on all the December Gold Cup day action here:
Saturday Cheltenham December Meeting Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 179y | 3yo only |
Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase | Class 3 | 3m 1f 56y | 4yo+ |
Mares’ Handicap Chase (0-125) | Class 3 | 2m 4f 127y | 4yo+ |
December Gold Cup Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 2m 4f 127y | 4yo+ |
Quintessentially Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 2m 62y | 4yo+ |
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Trial (Registered as the Bristol) | Grade 2 | 2m 7f 213y | 4yo+ |
Mares’ Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
All is quiet on New Year’s Day, but not at Prestbury Park where there are seven races. It’s a popular race day with Gloucestershire locals. Key Cheltenham races results today to look out for from this card include the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle.
There is also a Premier Handicap over fences run on the registered title of New Year’s Day Handicap Chase. A Listed junior bumper for four-year-olds also takes place on 1 January, but get the lowdown on all the action for this day below:
Cheltenham New Year’s Day Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase | Class 3 | 2m 62y | 5yo+ |
Maiden Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
0-150 Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 3m 1f 56y | 5yo+ |
Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (Registered as the New Year’s Day) | Premier Handicap | 2m 4f 127y | 5yo+ |
Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 7f 213y | 5yo+ |
Relkeel Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 5yo+ |
Junior NH Flat Race | Listed | 2m 179y | 4yo only |
Outside of the Festival, no other set of Cheltenham races today has so much importance as this Saturday card on the last Saturday in January. There are five Grade 2 trial races taking place then. Chief among those are the Cotswold Chase and Cleeve Hurdle.
In recent years, the International Hurdle switched to Festival Trials Day from the December Meeting adding even more intrigue to proceedings. The Finesse Juvenile Hurdle for Triumph Hurdle hopefuls is also on the card, plus the Classic Novices’ Hurdle.
The Trials Day Trophy, often run under a sponsored title, is the Premier Handicap in amongst all the graded action. A novice handicap chase is the other race over fences on the card, which you can see complete information for here:
Cheltenham Festival Trials Day Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Registered as the Finesse) | Grade 2 | 2m 179y | 4yo only |
Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 2m 4f 127y | 5yo+ |
Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (Registered as the Trials Day Trophy) | Premier Handicap | 2m 4f 127y | 5yo+ |
Cotswold Chase | Grade 2 | 3m 1f 56y | 5yo+ |
International Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2m 179y | 4yo+ |
Cleeve Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2m 7f 213y | 5yo+ |
AIS Novices’ Hurdle (Registered as the Classic Novices’ Hurdle) | Grade 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
And so to the four-day Cheltenham Festival that provides the highest quality racing at the track. Winning at this meeting in March is the target of the entire National Hunt season for many horses.
Each of the individual Cheltenham race cards from the Festival has respective feature contests on it. Opening with the Champion Hurdle on the Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase follows on Style Wednesday with the Ryanair Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle happening during St Patrick’s Thursday and the Gold Cup on Friday.
Each set of these Cheltenham races today is worth closer inspection, so you know what else happens and when throughout the Festival. Here is a brief day-by-day guide to the action.
Opening the Cheltenham Festival each year is the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle followed by the Arkle Chase. This opening day at the meeting builds to the Champion Hurdle where the best two-mile hurdlers battle on the Old Course for their place in horse racing history. All of these races have Grade 1 status alongside the Mares’ Hurdle.
Lovers of handicaps also get their fill on Champion Hurdle day, however. The Ultima Handicap Chase and National Hunt Chase test stamina, while the Fred Winter is a four-year-olds only Premier Handicap hurdle. These are all the details from the card you need to know:
Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 87y | 4yo+ |
My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase | Grade 1 | 1m 7f 199y | 5y0+ |
Ultima Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 3m 1f | 5y0+ |
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Registered as the David Nicholson) | Grade 1 | 2m 3f 200y | 4y0+ |
Unibet Champion Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 87y | 4y0+ |
Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 2m 87y | 4yo only |
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup (Limited Handicap) (0-145) | Class 2 | 3m 5f 201y | 5y0+ |
The extraordinary racing at the Cheltenham Festival continues on Style Wednesday with another four Grade 1 events. Headlined by the Queen Mother Champion Chase, this card opens with Cheltenham tips on the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle and Broadway Novices’ Chase. Both have sponsored race titles.
A National Hunt Flat race, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, finishes Style Wednesday off. In amongst this top level action, the Coral Cup over hurdles and historic Grand Annual Chase are the Premier Handicaps on the card. A Cross Country Chase, again a handicap from 2025 onwards, also adds a unique flavour to the action:
Cheltenham Festival Day 2 Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Registered as the Baring Bingham) | Grade 1 | 2m 5f | 4yo+ |
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Registered as the Broadway) | Grade 1 | 3m 110y | 5yo+ |
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 2m 5f | 4yo+ |
Glenfarclas Cross Country Limited Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 3m 5f 56y | 5yo+ |
Queen Mother Champion Chase | Grade 1 | 1m 7f 199y | 5yo+ |
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase | Premier Handicap | 1m 7f 199y | 5yo+ |
Weatherbys Champion Bumper | Grade 1 | 2m 87y | 4yo-6yo |
On St Patrick’s Thursday, there are only two Grade 1 Cheltenham races today in the Ryanair Chase over fences and Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. This penultimate day at the Festival has these co-features, but also two Premier Handicaps and Grade 2 contests.
Joining the Pertemps Final and Plate Handicap Chase is the new Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. St Patrick’s Thursday also has the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle with Grade 2 status and that often has a sponsored title. The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup for amateur riders ends the Thursday card:
Cheltenham Festival Day 3 Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Registered as the Dawn Run) | Grade 2 | 2m 179y | 4yo+ |
Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase (Limited Handicap) | Grade 2 | 2m 3f 168y | 5yo+ |
Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 2m 7f 213y | 5yo+ |
Ryanair Chase (Registered as the Festival Trophy) | Grade 1 | 2m 4f 127y | 5yo+ |
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 7f 213y | 4yo+ |
TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 2m 4f 127y | 5y0+ |
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Amateur Riders) (0-145) | Class 2 | 3m 2f | 5y0+ |
Both punters and those giving Cheltenham races tips today all want to find the Gold Cup winner. It’s the centrepiece race of the entire Festival and on the Friday fixture in March at Prestbury Park. Gold Cup day has a new order of running for 2025 with the feature contest fifth on the card.
Before the blue riband contest in jump racing, the Triumph Hurdle for four-year-olds, County Hurdle Premier Handicap, Mares’ Chase and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle ensure the supporting races have real quality to them. The Festival Hunter Chase follows the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting heat with amateur riders involved.
Bringing the curtain down on this major meeting is the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. Although there are fewer handicaps on Gold Cup day, it still has compelling action with all the need to know info right here:
Cheltenham Festival Day 4 Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
JCB Triumph Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 179y | 4yo only |
William Hill County Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 2m 179y | 5yo+ |
Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Registered as the Liberthine) | Grade 2 | 2m 4f 127y | 5yo+ |
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Registered as the Spa) | Grade 1 | 2m 7f 213y | 5yo+ |
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup | Grade 1 | 3m 2f 70y | 5yo+ |
St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase | Class 2 | 3m 2f 70y | 5yo+ |
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-145) | Class 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
On the Wednesday and Thursday in the middle of April, Cheltenham hosts an eponymous two-day midweek meeting. The first day has the Grade 2 Silver Trophy, a limited handicap over fences as its feature race. Learn more about the Wednesday card here:
Wednesday Cheltenham April Meeting Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Citipost Novices’ Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
Silver Trophy Handicap Chase (Limited Handicap) | Grade 2 | 2m 4f 127y | 5yo+ |
Holman Handicap Chase (0-125) | Class 3 | 3m 4f 21y | 5yo+ |
Safran Handicap Hurdle (0-145) | Class 2 | 2m 7f 213y | 4yo+ |
Weatherite Handicap Chase (0-145) | Class 2 | 3m 2f | 5yo+ |
Conditional & Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-135) | Class 3 | 2m 179y | 4yo+ |
On the Thursday of the April Meeting at Cheltenham races today, it’s a mares only card. This includes a couple of Premier Handicaps for females of different ages, plus a Listed novice hurdle. Discover more about this unique day below:
Thursday Cheltenham April Meeting Races | Class of Race | Race Distance | Age of Horses |
Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 2m 179y | 4yo only |
Challenger Series Mares’ Chase Final Handicap Chase | Class 2 | 3m 1f 56y | 5yo+ |
Mares’ Challenger Series Final Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase Final * | Premier Handicap | 2m 4f 127y | 5yo+ |
Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle | Listed | 2m 4f 56y | 4yo+ |
Mares’ Handicap Chase (0-140) | Class 3 | 2m 62y | 5yo+ |
Mares’ Open NH Flat Race | Class 2 | 2m 179y | 4yo-6yo |
If you don’t want to miss out on any of the above Cheltenham meetings, then live stream all of the races for free through online bookmakers. This is available on all the big bookies’ sites.
Live streaming is one of the standard Cheltenham betting offers these days. The thinking here is that you bet on any horse, you should be able to see it race.
For those wanting to tune on television, Racing TV is a subscription channel that broadcasts every single race from Cheltenham. ITV Racing, meanwhile, brings selected coverage including most of the Cheltenham Festival to terrestrial audiences.