Cheltenham Festival 2025: Dates, races, start times and dress code

The Cheltenham Festival in March is the biggest event in the Jumps racing calendar and is widely regarded as 'the greatest show on turf'.

The eyes of the wider sporting world are fixated on Cheltenham as the best horses, trainers and jockeys from Britain, Ireland and beyond congregate for four days of top-class National Hunt racing.

Cheltenham Festival date

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival will take place from Tuesday 11th March 2024 to Friday 14th March 2024.

Cheltenham Festival venue

The Cheltenham Festival takes place at Prestbury Park in the heart of the Cotswolds.

Cheltenham Festival races and running order

Cheltenham Tuesday races and prize money

1.20: Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m - £150,000
2.00: Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1), 2m - £200,000
2.40: Ultima Handicap Chase, 3m1f - £150,000
3.20: Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m4f - £120,000
4.00: Champion Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m - £450,000
4.40: Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, 2m - £80,000
5.20: National Hunt Chase (Novices' Handicap), 3m6f - £100,000

Cheltenham Wednesday races and prize money

1.20: Turners Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m5f - £150,000
2.00: Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, 3m - £200,000
2.40: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle, 2m5f - £100,000
3.20: Glenfarclas Cross Country Limited Handicap Chase, 3m5f - £75,000
4.00: Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1), 2m - £400,000
4.40: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase, 2m - £150,000
5.20: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1), 2m - £80,000

Cheltenham Thursday races and prize money

1.20: Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2), 2m1f - £105,000
2.00: Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase, 2m4f - £125,000
2.40: Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle), 3m - £100,000
3.20: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1), 2m4f - £375,000
4.00: Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1), 3m - £325,000
4.40: Trustatrader Plate (Handicap Chase), 2m4f - £150,000
5.20: Kim Muir Handicap Chase, 3m2f - £75,000

Cheltenham Friday races and prize money

1.20: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m - £150,000
2.00: County Handicap Hurdle, 2m - £100,000
2.40: Mares' Chase (Grade 2), 2m4f - £120,000
3.20: Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1), 3m - £150,000
4.00: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1), 3m2f - £625,000
4.40: St James Place Festival Hunter Chase, 3m2f - £50,000
5.20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle - £75,000

Cheltenham Festival dress code

Traditionally a formal event, gentlemen are advised to wear suits and women smart dresses.

But as of last year, the Jockey Club decided to ease dress restrictions across its courses, including Cheltenham, in an attempt to improve accessibility and inclusivity.

Racegoers can now wear whatever they like at the event – including trainers, jogging bottoms and ripped jeans – as long as it is not offensive or a football kit.

Read the full Cheltenham Festival dress code article here.

Cheltenham Festival courses

There are three courses at Cheltenham - the Old Course and the New Course are the two main focuses as well as a unique Cross Country Course which is used for the Cross Country Handicap Chase.

Both the Old and New courses are left-handed and undulating and have stiff fences that place a premium on sound jumping.

Both also feature a long climb in the home straight up the famous 'Cheltenham Hill'. This run to the line will expose any weak finishers and often at the Festival, races can completely change complexion 'up the hill'.

The Cross Country Course deliberately weaves around the centre of Prestbury Park, with turns to the left and right leading racers on a variety of routes and directions, jumping over a selection of natural and man-made obstacles incorporating banks, ditches, hedges, water, and timber rails.

What is the Cheltenham Roar?

The Cheltenham Roar has become synonymous with the Cheltenham Festival in the build-up to the opening race.

Ahead of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on the first day, over 70,000 spectators let out a roar to celebrate the opening of the meeting.

What is the Prestbury Cup?

Cheltenham has long been the home of Jumps racing in Britain. Down through the years, it has always been the place where the best horses in the UK are set to come face-to-face with the best from Ireland, often for the first and only time in a season.

The rivalry between Britain and Ireland has always been a key factor and, in 2014, the Prestbury Cup was introduced, with either Britain or Ireland taking the spoils for having the most winners across the four days of The Festival.

The Prestbury Cup, named after the nearest village to Cheltenham Racecourse, was won 18-9 by Ireland in 2024.

Cheltenham Festival most successful jockey

Ruby Walsh has ridden more Cheltenham winners than anyone else with 59. The Irishman partnered greats like Kauto Star, Big Buck's and Hurricane Fly to their finest wins on this major stage. 

In 2021, Rachael Blackmore made history in riding six winners at Cheltenham to become the first female rider to be leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival and she added a Gold Cup win on A Plus Tard in 2022.

Each year, the leading rider at The Festival is presented with the Ruby Walsh Trophy, in honour of the most successful jockey of all time. 

Cheltenham Festival most successful trainer

Willie Mullins has saddled an amazing 103 Cheltenham Festival winners from 1995-2024.

The Irishman has been leading trainer at the meeting 11 times, including each of the last six years, and in 2022 his tally of 10 winners set a new benchmark and helped Mullins to enjoy more race victories at the meeting than all of Britain's trainers combined at the meeting that year.