{"id":12788,"date":"2026-03-09T11:21:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T11:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/duelbits.com/blog\/?p=12788"},"modified":"2026-03-09T15:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T15:09:18","slug":"cheltenham-festival-2026-race-schedule-betting-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/duelbits.com/blog\/sportsbook\/cheltenham-festival-2026-race-schedule-betting-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheltenham Festival 2026: Your Complete Betting Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of jump racing \u2013 four days, 28 races, and more talking points than any other event on the British sporting calendar. Cheltenham Festival 2026 runs from Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13 at Prestbury Park in Gloucestershire, and with the Gold Cup headlining a stacked final day, the action promises to be exceptional from the very first race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you're a seasoned horse racing bettor or placing your first wager on the Festival, this guide covers everything you need to know: the full race schedule, what to watch out for, what's new at the racecourse this year, and \u2013 crucially \u2013 the exclusive offers Duelbits has built for every single race of the Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can bet on every race across all four days right now at Duelbits Sportsbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Cheltenham Festival?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Cheltenham Festival is a four-day jump racing meeting held annually at Cheltenham Racecourse, operated by The Jockey Club. It's widely considered the most prestigious National Hunt racing event in the world, drawing over 250,000 attendees across its four days and a global TV audience in the tens of millions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Festival's climax is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a Grade 1 chase over 3 miles and 2 furlongs that has produced some of the sport's most iconic moments. Previous Gold Cup winners include Arkle, Golden Miller, Best Mate, and Kauto Star \u2014 names that remain legends of the sport decades after their victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For bettors, the Cheltenham Festival is the most important racing week of the year. Markets are deep, ante-post trading is intense, and the sheer volume of competitive racing \u2014 from novice hurdles to the Champion Chase \u2014 means there are wagering opportunities in every single race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For full official information on the event, visit The Jockey Club's Cheltenham Festival page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheltenham Festival 2026: Key Dates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Day<\/th>Date<\/th>Theme<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Day 1<\/td>Tuesday, March 10<\/td>Champion Day<\/td><\/tr>
Day 2<\/td>Wednesday, March 11<\/td>Ladies Day<\/td><\/tr>
Day 3<\/td>Thursday, March 12<\/td>St Patrick's Thursday<\/td><\/tr>
Day 4<\/td>Friday, March 13<\/td>Gold Cup Day<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Racing begins at 13:20 GMT<\/strong> each day, with the final race scheduled for 17:20 GMT<\/strong>. That's seven races per day across four days - 28 races in total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Cheltenham Festival 2026 Race Schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tuesday, March 10 - Champion Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Champion Day sets the tone for the entire Festival. The Supreme Novices' Hurdle opens proceedings as the traditional curtain-raiser, and the Champion Hurdle at 16:00 is one of the most hotly anticipated races of the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time (GMT)<\/th>Race<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
13:20<\/a><\/td>The Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (2m 1\/2f)<\/td><\/tr>
14:00<\/a><\/td>The Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (2m)<\/td><\/tr>
14:40<\/a><\/td>The McCoys Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m 1\/2f)<\/td><\/tr>
15:20<\/a><\/td>The Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f)<\/td><\/tr>
16:00<\/a><\/td>The Unibet Champion Hurdle (2m 1\/2f)<\/td><\/tr>
16:40<\/a><\/td>The Sun Racing Plate (2m 4f)<\/td><\/tr>
17:20<\/a><\/td>The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup (3m 6f)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wednesday, March 11 - Ladies Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ladies Day makes its return to the Festival for the first time since 2019, more on that below. On the track, the Queen Mother Champion Chase at 16:00 is the defining two-mile contest in jump racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time (GMT)<\/th>Race<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
13:20<\/a><\/td>The Turners Novices' Hurdle (2m 5f)<\/td><\/tr>
14:00<\/a><\/td>The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (3m 1f)<\/td><\/tr>
14:40<\/a><\/td>The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f)<\/td><\/tr>
15:20<\/a><\/td>The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase (3m 5f)<\/td><\/tr>
16:00<\/a><\/td>The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (2m)<\/td><\/tr>
16:40<\/a><\/td>The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (2m)<\/td><\/tr>
17:20<\/a><\/td>The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (2m 1\/2f)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thursday, March 12 - St Patrick's Thursday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

St Patrick's Thursday is traditionally dominated by Irish-trained runners, with enormous support from across the Irish Sea. The Stayers' Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase are two of the most competitive races of the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time (GMT)<\/th>Race<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
13:20<\/td>The Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (2m 1f)<\/td><\/tr>
14:00<\/td>The Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase (2m 4f)<\/td><\/tr>
14:40<\/td>The Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (2m 4f)<\/td><\/tr>
15:20<\/td>The Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (3m)<\/td><\/tr>
16:00<\/td>The Ryanair Chase (2m 4f)<\/td><\/tr>
16:40<\/td>The Pertemps Network Final (3m)<\/td><\/tr>
17:20<\/td>The Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase (2m 4f)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Friday, March 13 - Gold Cup Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The final day of the Festival is everything horse racing should be. The JCB Triumph Hurdle kicks things off, and four hours later the Gold Cup brings the curtain down on proceedings. Between the two you'll find the County Handicap Hurdle, the Mares' Chase, and the Albert Novices' Hurdle \u2014 a day packed with genuine betting heat from start to finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time (GMT)<\/th>Race<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
13:20<\/td>JCB Triumph Hurdle (2m)<\/td><\/tr>
14:00<\/td>William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (2m)<\/td><\/tr>
14:40<\/td>Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (2m 4f)<\/td><\/tr>
15:20<\/td>Albert Novices' Hurdle (3m)<\/td><\/tr>
16:00<\/strong><\/td>Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
16:40<\/td>St James's Place Festival Hunters' Chase (3m 2f)<\/td><\/tr>
17:20<\/td>Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026: What to Expect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Gold Cup takes place on Friday, March 13 at 16:00 GMT and is the undisputed centrepiece of the Festival. This year's race carries significant intrigue with Harry Redknapp's Jukebox Man bidding to become the first British-trained winner of the Gold Cup since 2018, a result that would represent a significant shift in the balance of power that has been dominated by Irish yards for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gold Cup is run over 3 miles and 2 furlongs with 22 fences, and demands a combination of speed, stamina, and jumping accuracy that only the best staying chasers in training can deliver. With markets already deep ahead of the off, it's the race that will define the week from a betting perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What's New at Cheltenham 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cheltenham Racecourse has made several changes to the Festival experience this year that are worth knowing about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n