All 28 races scheduled for the Cheltenham Festival carry their own importance in the eyes of trainers, jockeys and connections alike. However, there’s one feature race per day that captures the imagination of punters and experts:
Champion Hurdle
This is the pinnacle of National Hunt hurdle races. The Grade 1, two-mile, 87-yard race is open to thoroughbreds aged four and up.
It also happens to be the third and final leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling, with the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park as the first and second legs, respectively.
The Champion Hurdle was first raced in 1927, with Blaris etched into the event’s folklore as the inaugural winner. In 2024, the prize purse for the Champion Hurdle had reached an impressive £450,000. Some of the finest hurdlers in the history of horse racing have won this race, namely Istabraq, National Spirit and Hatton’s Grace.
25/1 shot Golden Ace became only the seventh mare to win the Champion Hurdle in 2025, a shock that few saw coming in the lead-up to the race. Previous winners Constitution Hill and State Man both fell, paving the way for Golden Ace under Lorcan Williams, which handed Jeremy Scott a memorable win.
You can back Golden Ace at 16/1* to triumph again in 2026, while Sir Gino is the ante-post favourite at 6/4*.
Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the newest of the four feature races at the Cheltenham Festival, established in 1959. Originally known as the Champion Chase, the Queen Mother prefix was introduced from 1980 onwards.
This race has become one of the headline races on the calendar for minimum-distance steeplechasers. Badsworth Boy shot to stardom by winning three successive Champion Chases between 1983 and 1985. Trainer Tom Dreaper used to have a monopoly in this race through the 1960s, but, more recently, the likes of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have enjoyed similar dominance.
Marine Nationale under Sean Flanagan romped home in the 2025 Queen Mother Champion Chase. Overwhelming pre-race favourite Jonbon made a crucial mistake at the ninth fence, leaving Marine Nationale to soar beyond Quilixos to win the Champion Chase two years after his triumph in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Marine Nationale is the joint favourite to win again in 2026, alongside Il Etait Temps, priced at 5/2*.
Stayers’ Hurdle
The Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle is the oldest feature race at the Cheltenham Festival. Established in 1912, the race was originally run over three miles at Prestbury Park. Today, it’s raced over two miles, seven furlongs, and 213 yards, with a dozen hurdles dotted along the course. The event is open to thoroughbreds aged four and up.
This race is firmly established as the number-one hurdles race for stayers. Big Bucks is the most successful thoroughbred in this race, landing four wins back-to-back between 2009 and 2012.
Ten-year-old Bob Olinger, one of the oldest horses at the festival, won the 2025 Stayers’ Hurdle under the impressive Rachael Blackmore. He held off the much-fancied reigning champion Teahupoo in a memorable finish.
Teahupoo is once again the favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at 7/4*, while Bob Olinger returns for perhaps his final race and is available at 7/1*.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
For many racegoers and bettors, the Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the Cheltenham Festival. It carries the biggest prize purse of £625,000 and is raced over three miles, two-and-a-half furlongs and a gruelling 22 fences. Many within the sport have described the Gold Cup as the “Blue Riband” of jump racing, with some of the finest chasers prevailing in this race, namely Arkle, Best Mate, Kauto Star and Denman.
In 2022, Rachael Blackmore made history as the first female jockey to win a Gold Cup with A Plus Tard. Golden Miller is still the most successful horse in Gold Cup history, winning five back-to-back between 1932 and 1936.
15/2 chance Inothewayurthinkin won the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup, denying Galopin Des Champs a famous hat-trick. It was a remarkable finish for Gavin Cromwell, who watched on as his charge powered up the hill to beat the two-time champion by six lengths.
Galopin Des Champs is heavily fancied to win his third Gold Cup in 2026 and is the ante-post favourite at 5/1*. If you think Inothewayurthinkin can go back to back, you can get him at 11/2* at Parimatch.
*Odds correct at the time of writing.
