The Cheltenham Festival isn’t just one of the most important race meetings of the year, it’s also one of Britain’s most popular sporting events, familiar to those who may not normally follow horse racing.
The Festival runs between Tuesday and Friday in mid-March with seven races each day. Each day features a Grade 1 Championship Race with the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, the Stayers’ Hurdle on Thursday and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
Overall there are 13 Grade 1s, three Grade 2s and seven Premier Handicaps included in the 28 races in what is the biggest week in jump racing.
Tuesday 11th March 2025, Champion Day
The Cheltenham Festival begins with the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle over 2m½f, which is greeted with as the starter drops his flag with the famous Cheltenham roar from the crowd. The 2m Arkle Chase, another Grade 1 is next before the Ultima Handicap.
Two further Grade 1s are next in the Close Brothers/David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle before the day one feature, the 2m Champion Hurdle. The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and the National Hunt Cup complete day one.
- 1:20pm: Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m½f, 4yo+, £150,000 - 2:00pm: My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase
Grade 1, 2m, 5yo+, £200,000 - 2:40pm: Ultima Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 3m1f, 5yo+, £150,000 - 3:20pm: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m4f, 4yo+, £124,200 - 4:00pm: Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
Grade 1, 2m½f, 4yo+, £450,000 - 4:40pm: Hallgarten And Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Premier Handicap, 2m½f, 4yo, £80,000 - 5:20pm: Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase
Class 2, 3m6f, 5yo+, £100,000
Wednesday 12th March 2025, Ladies Day
Wednesday opens with two Grade 1s in the Turners/Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle and the Close Brothers/Broadway Novices’ Chase. Race three is the big field Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle before the Cross Country Chase, the only race during the meeting to use the Cross Country Course.
Day two’s Championship race follows, the Grade 1 Queen Mother Championship Chase over the minimum 2m distance. The final two races on the card are the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual and the Champion Bumper, a National Hunt flat race.
- 1:20pm: Turners Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m5f, 4yo+, £150,000 - 2:00pm: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Grade 1, 3m½f, 5yo+, £200,000 - 2:40pm: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
Premier Handicap, 2m5f, 4yo+, £110,000 - 3:20pm: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
Class 2, 3m5½f, 5yo+, £75,000 - 4:00pm: BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
Grade 1, 2m, 5yo+, £400,000 - 4:40pm: Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 2m, 5yo+, £150,000 - 5:20pm: Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Grade 1, 2m½f, 4-6yo, £80,000
Thursday 13th March 2025, St Patrick’s Thursday
The racing on St Patrick’s Thursday starts with a pair of Grade 2 races in the Ryanair/Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle over 2m1f and the Jack Richards/Golden Miller Handicap Chase over 2m4½f. The third race is the Pertemps Hurdle, a Premier Handicap over 3m.
Race four on Thursday is the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase (registered as the Festival Trophy) over 2m4½f, which is the most valuable contest of the day and has become the co-main event. The official feature race follows, the Stayers’ Hurdle, a Grade 1 over 3m. The Plate Handicap Chase and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup compete the card.
- 1:20pm: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 2, 2m1f, 4yo+, £105,000 - 2:00pm: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
Grade 2, 2m4½f, 5yo+, £125,000 - 2:40pm: Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
Premier Handicap, 3m, 5yo+, £110,000 - 3:20pm: Ryanair Chase
Grade 1, 2m4½f, 5yo+, £375,000 - 4:00pm: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 3m, 4yo+, £325,000 - 4:40pm: TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 2m4½f, 5yo+, £150,000 - 5:20pm: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
Class 2, 3m2f, 5yo+, £75,000
Friday 14th March 2025, Gold Cup Day
Gold Cup Day opens with the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle for 4yo runners, ahead of the County Hurdle and the Grade 2 Liberthine Mares’ Chase. Next is the Albert Bartlett/Spa Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade 1 over 3m.
Race four on Friday isn’t just the biggest race at the festival, but the most prestigious jump race on the calendar, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This Grade 1 Chase over 3m2½f has been won by some of the sports greats, including Golden Miller, Arkle and Best Mate.
The day and the meeting ends with the Festival Challenge Cup, a hunters’ chase, and the Martin Pipe Hurdle for conditional jockeys.
- 1:20pm: JCB Triumph Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m1f, 4yo, £150,000 - 2:00pm: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle
Premier Handicap, 2m1f, 5yo+, £110,000 - 2:40pm: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase
Grade 2, 2m4½f, 5yo+, £130,000 - 3:20pm: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 3m, 5yo+, £150,000 - 4:00pm: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase
Grade 1, 3m2½f, 5yo+, £646,880 - 4:40pm: St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
Class 2, 3m2½f, 5yo+, £50,000 - 5:20pm: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Class 2, 2m4½f, 4yo+, £75,000
