Cheltenham Festival 2026 Streaming Options and Schedule
Globally, horse racing has a wonderful Cheltenham Festival event held on its side at the racecourse. The Cheltenham Festival 2026 will take place from March 10 to March 13, 2026, at Cheltenham Racecourse in Prestbury. The four-day event will showcase world-class National Hunt racing. The festival’s key races include the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the iconic Gold Cup. The Cheltenham Festival will be a pivotal event, attracting top horses and trainers on the horse racing calendar.
The Cheltenham Festival will mark its 166th edition since its inception in 1860. The event is the core element of jumps racing, comparable to Royal Ascot for flat racing. An elite group of horses from Britain, Ireland, and beyond competes during the festival, showcasing the highest level of jumps racing. The final race will be the defending champion’s aim to maintain their reputation alongside their trainers and jockeys.
The Cheltenham Festival originated in 1860, when the first National Hunt Chase was held at Market Harborough. Over the course of a decade, the event evolved and was launched as the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1924. This festival’s status grew further with the addition of the Champion Hurdle in 1939, and it later gained greater status. In 2005, the festival was expanded to a four-day tournament, making it a major event in the National Hunt calendar. Nowadays, this event is the Olympics of jump racing, attracting fans from Ireland, Britain, and other countries.
Past Year Champion
In the past year, this festival has produced unforgettable moments, with the Gold Cup champion Inothewayurthinkin’ a dominant force. Meanwhile, Lossiemouth, under Paul Townend, displayed brilliance and consistency in the Champion Hurdle. Jonbon led a decisive victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase; his reputation is among the leading horses in national hunt racing.
Event Details
Main Event: Cheltenham Festival 2026
Date: March 10-13, 2026
Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse in Prestbury, Gloucestershire, England.
Where can I watch the 2026 Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival 2026 will be widely available in the UK on ITV Racing and Racing TV. These platforms will be available to see for free on ITV Racing for this event.
Don’t miss out on the horse racing Cheltenham Festival event, which will be live-streamed on Sky or Virgin Media. While Racing TV offers live streaming to subscribers via its digital platforms, it is also available on Sky and Virgin Media.
ITV Racing and Racing TV will broadcast live streams of all festival races, including the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup.
In the UK, the Cheltenham Festival 2026 will air on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra with live commentary. This network provides all 28 races throughout the four-day meeting.
This festival will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live, including the Gold Cup on March 13, 2026.
Additionally, talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 will provide live coverage of all four days, ensuring fans cannot miss any of the action.
Format-Cheltenham Festival 2026
The Cheltenham Festival features four sessions over four days, including Champion Day, Ladies Day, St. Patrick’s Thursday, and the Gold Cup. This year, three races were divided into hurdles, cross-country, and steeplechase events. Over hurdles or fences, novice races are for horses in their first season, as well as championship races open to more experienced runners. The Cheltenham Festival is not a regular horse racing event, which makes it different from other events.
Schedule
Day
Date
Theme
Feature Race
Day 1 – Champion Day
Tue 10 Mar 2026
Opening Day
Champion Hurdle
Day 2 – Ladies Day
Wed 11 Mar 2026
Style & Racing
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday
Thu 12 Mar 2026
Irish Celebration
Stayers’ Hurdle
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Finale
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Day 1-Champion Day
Date
Race
March 10, 2026
The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 2m 1/3f
March 10, 2026
The Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase 2m
March 10, 2026
The McCoys Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race 2m 1/2f
March 10, 2026
The Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase 3m 1f
March 10, 2026
The Unibet Champion Hurdle 2m 1/2f
March 10, 2026
The Sun Racing Plate 2m 4f
March 10, 2026
The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 3m 6f
Day 2- Ladies Day
Date
Race
March 11, 2026
The Turners Novices’ Hurdle 2m 5f
March 11, 2026
The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase 3m 1f
March 11, 2026
The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f
March 11, 2026
The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 51/2f
March 11, 2026
The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase 2m
March 11, 2026
The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 2m
March 11, 2026
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper 2m 1/2f
Day 3-St. Patrick’s Thursday
Date
Race
March 12, 2026
The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle 2m 1f
March 12, 2026
The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase 2m 4 1/2f
March 12, 2026
The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle 2m 4 1/2 f
March 12, 2026
The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle 3m
March 12, 2026
The Ryanair Chase 2m 4 1/2f
March 12, 2026
The Pertemps Network Final 3m
March 12, 2026
The Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase 2m 4 1/2f
Day 4-Cheltenham Gold Cup
Date
Race
March 13, 2026
William Hill County Handicap Hurdle 2m
March 13, 2026
Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase 2m 4f
March 13, 2026
Albert Novices’ Hurdle 3m Hurdle
March 13, 2026
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase 3m 2f
March 13, 2026
St James’ Place Festival Hunters Chase 3m 2f
March 13, 2026
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f
Horses Participating in the Cheltenham Festival 2026
March 10, 2026 -Day 1
Race
Horse
Jockey
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Jeriko Du Reponet
Nico de Boinville
Champion Hurdle
Lossiemouth
Paul Townend
Champion Hurdle
Constitution Hill
Nico de Boinville
March 11, 2026-Day 2
Race
Horse
Jockey
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Fact To File
Paul Townend
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Jonbon
Nico de Boinville
Queen Mother Champion Chase
El Fabiolo
Paul Townend
March 12, 2026-Day 3
Race
Horse
Jockey
Ryanair Chase
Envoi Allen
Rachael Blackmore
Stayers’ Hurdle
Teahupoo
Jack Kennedy
March 13, 2026-Day 4
Race
Horse
Jockey
Triumph Hurdle
Sir Gino
Nico de Boinville
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Inothewayurthinkin
Mark Walsh
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Galopin Des Champs
Paul Townend
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Bravemansgame
Harry Cobden
Cheltenham Festival 2026-Prize Pool
Day
Race
Prize Money
Day 1 – Champion Day (Tue, 10 Mar)
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
£150,000
Day 1 – Champion Day (Tue, 10 Mar)
Arkle Challenge Trophy
£200,000
Day 1 – Champion Day (Tue, 10 Mar)
Ultima Handicap Chase
£150,000
Day 1 – Champion Day (Tue, 10 Mar)
Champion Hurdle
£450,000
Day 1 – Champion Day (Tue, 10 Mar)
Mares’ Hurdle
£120,000
Day 1 – Champion Day (Tue, 10 Mar)
Boodles Juvenile Handicap
£80,000
Day 1 – Champion Day (Tue, 10 Mar)
National Hunt Chase
£200,000
Day 2 – Ladies Day (Wed, 11 Mar)
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
£150,000
Day 2 – Ladies Day (Wed, 11 Mar)
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
£200,000
Day 2 – Ladies Day (Wed, 11 Mar)
Coral Cup
£100,000
Day 2 – Ladies Day (Wed, 11 Mar)
Queen Mother Champion Chase
£400,000
Day 2 – Ladies Day (Wed, 11 Mar)
Cross Country Chase
£75,000
Day 2 – Ladies Day (Wed, 11 Mar)
Grand Annual Chase
£150,000
Day 2 – Ladies Day (Wed, 11 Mar)
Champion Bumper
£80,000
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (Thu, 12 Mar)
Turners Novices’ Chase
£150,000
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (Thu, 12 Mar)
Pertemps Final Handicap
£100,000
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (Thu, 12 Mar)
Ryanair Chase
£375,000
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (Thu, 12 Mar)
Stayers’ Hurdle
£325,000
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (Thu, 12 Mar)
Plate Handicap Chase
£150,000
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (Thu, 12 Mar)
Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
£105,000
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (Thu, 12 Mar)
Kim Muir Handicap Chase
£75,000
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day (Fri, 13 Mar)
Triumph Hurdle
£150,000
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day (Fri, 13 Mar)
County Handicap Hurdle
£100,000
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day (Fri, 13 Mar)
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
£150,000
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day (Fri, 13 Mar)
Cheltenham Gold Cup
£625,000
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day (Fri, 13 Mar)
Festival Hunters’ Chase
£50,000
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day (Fri, 13 Mar)
Mares’ Chase
£120,000
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day (Fri, 13 Mar)
Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap
£75,000
High-profile participation in the Cheltenham Festival
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth has been one of the leading hurdlers in recent years, boasting multiple triumphs at the Cheltenham Festival. She has won 13 of her 17 hurdles, including festival titles in three consecutive years. Her winning streak at the Cheltenham Festival and consistency will enable her to dominate in National Hunt racing. She is trying to make history at their upcoming event.
Inothewayurthinkin
Inothewayurthinkin is set to compete in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. He aims to prove his ability to handle one of the toughest tests. He maintains strong finishing speed; the talented chaser has proven he can perform well on ground conditions. He delivered several high-level performances in major races, positioning himself as a leading contender in the staying chase. The horse will once again be partnered with jockey Mark Walsh. He will look to make a strong contender for the Gold Cup title.
Closure
The Cheltenham Festival 2026 promises a four-day event of top-tier National Hunt racing. Fans are waiting to see exciting clashes at Prestbury Park, England. At the festival, racing enthusiasts will look forward to how they perform in this year’s Gold Cup.