🏃 10–13 March 2026 · Cheltenham Racecourse

The Ultimate Guide to Betting at
Cheltenham Festival 2026

Four extraordinary days of world-class jump racing. Expert tips, race cards and in-depth analysis for every race across Champion Day, Ladies' Day, St. Patrick's Thursday and Gold Cup Day.

Explore Race Days Betting Tips

28 Championship Races

4 Glorious Days

£5m+ Prize Money

270,000 Racegoers Expected

Four Days of Racing

Cheltenham Festival 2026 Race Days

From the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday to the Gold Cup on Friday, every day brings unmissable racing action. Explore each day's full race card and our betting tips below.

Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Champion Day

The Festival kicks off with the prestigious Champion Hurdle, setting the tone for four thrilling days of jump racing.

⭐ Feature: Champion Hurdle
View Race Card

Wednesday, 11 March 2026

Ladies' Day

Fashion meets racing as Cheltenham dresses up for Ladies' Day, headlined by the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

⭐ Feature: Queen Mother Champion Chase
View Race Card

Thursday, 12 March 2026

St. Patrick's Thursday

A sea of green descends on Cheltenham for the Irish-flavoured St. Patrick's Thursday, starring the Stayers' Hurdle.

⭐ Feature: Stayers' Hurdle
View Race Card

Friday, 13 March 2026

Gold Cup Day

The greatest day in jump racing culminates in the Cheltenham Gold Cup — the ultimate test of horse and jockey.

⭐ Feature: Cheltenham Gold Cup
View Race Card

Cheltenham Festival crowd enjoying the racing atmosphere

About the Festival

The World's Greatest Jump Racing Festival

Cheltenham Festival 2026 takes place from Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire — the spiritual home of National Hunt racing.

Every March, the rolling hills of the Cotswolds play host to the most concentrated four days of top-level jump racing on the planet. The Cheltenham Festival is more than a sporting event; it is a cultural institution that unites racing fans, casual punters, fashionistas and Irish visitors in a shared passion that is utterly unique in British and Irish sport.

In 2026, the Festival will once again showcase the finest hurdlers and chasers from Britain and Ireland, trained by the sport's elite handlers and ridden by champion jockeys. With 28 Grade 1 and premium handicap races spread across four days, every session offers multiple opportunities to find a winning bet.

Whether you are a seasoned punter with a well-thumbed copy of the Racing Post or a first-time Festival visitor who simply wants to back a winner, CheltenhamBet.com is your comprehensive guide to betting at Cheltenham 2026.

Our Betting Tips

The Courses

Cheltenham's Two Famous Racecourses

The Old Course

The Old Course is the spiritual heartland of Cheltenham. Its famous undulating layout — featuring the uphill finish past the iconic grandstands — has witnessed some of the most breathtaking finishes in racing history. The track runs left-handed with a testing climb from the final fence to the line, favouring horses with stamina and jumping ability.

The Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers' Hurdle are all run on the Old Course, making it the stage for the Festival's four most prestigious races. Understanding the Old Course's unique character — including the influence of the ground conditions — is essential for any serious Cheltenham punter.

The New Course

Also known as the Cross-Country course, the New Course provides a different challenge entirely. Introduced to add variety to the Festival programme, it features a mixture of conventional fences and natural cross-country obstacles woven through the Cheltenham infield.

The Cross-Country Chase on Ladies' Day is the highlight of the New Course racing, and it has become a popular betting race thanks to the specialist nature of the challenge — giving punters the chance to identify course specialists who relish the unusual obstacles.

Old Course: Left-handed, 1m4f circuit, uphill finish
New Course: Cross-country layout, natural obstacles, 3m 6f
Both courses share the same magnificent grandstand complex
Prater's Hill provides a natural viewing bank for both tracks

The beautiful Cotswolds countryside surrounding Cheltenham Racecourse

Expert Advice

Cheltenham Festival Betting Tips 2026

Our expert tipsters share the strategies, markets and approaches that can help you make the most of your Cheltenham betting across all four days.

Do Your Form Research

Cheltenham rewards horses who have already proven themselves at the track. Course form is crucial — look for horses with previous Festival experience and strong records at left-handed, undulating tracks.

Watch the Ground Conditions

The going at Cheltenham in March can vary significantly. Some years bring soft, testing ground that brings out the stamina horses; other years the track rides Good or Good-to-Firm, favouring speed. Track the weather forecast in the week before the Festival.

Follow the Money

Market moves at Cheltenham are often significant. Ante-post market movements — especially in the days before the Festival — can indicate well-being and stable confidence. However, exercise caution; early money is not always followed through to race day.

Trainer & Jockey Stats

Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott dominate the Festival from the Irish yard perspective, while Nicky Henderson is the perennial British powerhouse. Certain jockeys — including Paul Townend and Rachael Blackmore — have remarkable Festival records worth analysing.

Value in the Handicaps

The big-field handicaps — the Coral Cup, Pertemps Final, County Hurdle and Ultima Chase — offer the best value for punters. Horses with a low draw, proven Cheltenham form and a light weight can represent outstanding each-way value at big prices.

Each-Way Betting Strategy

With competitive fields across all four days, each-way betting is an essential tool at Cheltenham. Many bookmakers offer 4 or 5 places on big handicap races — use this to your advantage by targeting horses at 10/1 or bigger who have a legitimate chance of a place.

The Cheltenham Roar

"There is no sound in sport quite like it — the collective explosion of 70,000 voices as the tapes rise for the first race of Cheltenham Festival."

Arriving at Cheltenham Racecourse on Champion Day, you understand immediately why this Festival has held the racing world in its thrall for well over a century. The atmosphere is electric, the racing supreme, and the betting market as deep and competitive as anywhere in the sport.

Charming Cotswold village street with traditional stone buildings in England

Cheltenham & The Cotswolds

Cheltenham — A Town Built for the Festival

Cheltenham is a beautiful Regency spa town nestled at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment in Gloucestershire. During Festival week in March, its elegant tree-lined promenades, Regency terraces and buzzing bars transform into the backdrop for one of the most celebrated social and sporting events in the British calendar.

The town's hospitality scene rises magnificently to the occasion, with hotels booked out months in advance and restaurants running special Festival menus. The famous Promenade and Montpellier Quarter become natural gathering points for racegoers before and after racing each day.

Cheltenham Racecourse itself sits on the edge of town, nestled beneath Cleeve Hill — the highest point in the Cotswolds — giving the course its unmistakable backdrop. The combination of dramatic scenery, passionate crowds and world-class sport makes Cheltenham Festival an experience that transcends sport.

📍 Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH
🚂 Regular rail services from London Paddington (2 hrs)
🚌 Free shuttle buses from Cheltenham town centre
🏨 Book accommodation well in advance — the town fills up fast
🌿 Explore the Cotswolds countryside before or after the Festival

Day	Date	Feature Race	Total Races
Champion Day	Tuesday, 10 March	Champion Hurdle	7 races	View →
Ladies' Day	Wednesday, 11 March	Queen Mother Champion Chase	7 races	View →
St. Patrick's Thursday	Thursday, 12 March	Stayers' Hurdle	7 races	View →
Gold Cup Day	Friday, 13 March	Cheltenham Gold Cup	7 races	View →

The Ultimate Guide to Betting at
Cheltenham Festival 2026