The Cheltenham Festival 2025, a highlight of the horse racing calendar, is set to take place from Tuesday, March 11th to Friday, March 14th. This four-day event promises a thrilling experience with 28 races, featuring top horses and jockeys.
Cheltenham Festival 2025 Dates
The Cheltenham Festival will take place between Tuesday, March 11th, and Friday, March 14th. The first race each day is scheduled for 13:20 GMT, with the final race starting at 5:20 p.m.
Daily Highlights
- Tuesday, March 11th – Champion Day: Known for a “feverish atmosphere,” the day features the Champion Hurdle and the traditional “Cheltenham Roar” accompanying the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle opening.
- Key Races: The Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, The Unibet Champion Hurdle.
- Wednesday, March 12th – Style Wednesday (Ladies Day): This day offers a more glamorous atmosphere, with the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase as the highlight.
- Key Races: The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase.
- Thursday, March 13th – St Patrick’s Day: Celebrated for its vibrant and colorful atmosphere with a strong Irish presence. Two championship races take place on this day.
- Key Races: The Ryanair Chase, The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.
- Friday, March 14th – Gold Cup Day: Considered by many racing fans as the pinnacle of the festival, featuring the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
- Key Races: The Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Full Race Schedule
Each day of the festival features seven races. The attention focuses mostly on the 4:00 race each day, with the revised schedule for 2025 moving each championship race to be the fifth one on the card.
Tuesday, March 11th
- 13:20 – The Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
- 14:00 – The My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase
- 14:40 – The Ultima Handicap Chase
- 15:20 – The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Race
- 16:00 – The Unibet Champion Hurdle
- 16:40 – The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race
- 17:20 – The National Hunt Novices’ Chase
Wednesday, March 12th
- 13:20 – The Turners Novices’ Hurdle Race
- 14:00 – The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
- 14:40 – The Coral Cup Hurdle
- 15:20 – The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase
- 16:00 – The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase
- 16:40 – The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
- 17:20 – The Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Thursday, March 13th
- 13:20 – The Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
- 14:00 – The Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase
- 14:40 – The Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
- 15:20 – The Ryanair Chase
- 16:00 – The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
- 16:40 – The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
- 17:20 – The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Friday, March 14th
- 13:20 – The JCB Triumph Hurdle
- 14:00 – The County Hurdle
- 14:40 – The Mares’ Chase
- 15:20 – The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- 16:00 – The Cheltenham Gold Cup
- 16:40 – The St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase
- 17:20 – The Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle
What to Expect
The Cheltenham Festival is more than just horse racing; it’s a cultural event. Expect large crowds, a vibrant atmosphere, and high-stakes competition. Many horses who starred in previous years are expected to return, alongside newcomers looking to thrust their names into the headlines. The competition between Irish and British jockeys is fierce, and Irish horses have traditionally had an advantage.
Key Storylines
The Gold Cup is always a highlight, and the prospect of Galopin Des Champs making history by potentially winning it three times is a massive storyline for the 2025 renewal. There are a host of other potentially massive stories, too. Day one revolves around Constitution Hill’s bid to regain the Champion Hurdle. Wednesday is D-Day for Jonbon as he looks to break his Festival hoodoo and give owner JP McManus a long-awaited first Champion Chase win.
Getting Ready
Tickets are already on sale, so securing them early is recommended to soak up the legendary Cheltenham atmosphere.
Horses to Watch
Many of the horses who starred in the 2024 edition of the Cheltenham Festival will return to Prestbury Park in 2025. Favourites include Galopin Des Champs, Jonbon, Fact To File, and Constitution Hill. Willie Mullins’ French-bred thoroughbred, Galopin Des Champs, is a favorite to win the Gold Cup. Other top contenders for the Gold Cup include Joseph O’Brien’s star, Banbridge, which jockey JJ Slevin notes is being trained specifically for the event.
Changes to the Festival
There have been a number of changes intended to deliver more competitive action at an event whose customers have been promised increased value for money and a better racecourse experience. The Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase was axed and replaced with a novice handicap over the same trip. The National Hunt Chase was changed to a 0-145 novice handicap open to professional jockeys while the Cross Country Chase was made a limited handicap. The action will run from 1.20 pm-5.20 pm, and the feature race on each day will be run at 4.00 pm. A further change is that six rather than five of the seven races run on each day of the Festival will now be broadcast on terrestrial TV. The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle will be run in memory of Michael O’Sullivan, a fitting tribute to the Cork jockey who tragically died at the age of just 24.
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