The Cheltenham Festival is the Super Bowl of jumps racing — four days of Grade 1 battles, shock results, and moments that lodge in the memory for decades. For Australian punters, it is also one of the most profitable weeks on the calendar if you know where to look. This guide covers everything you need to enjoy the 2026 Festival from Down Under: when to watch, which races matter most, the key players to follow, and how to approach the betting markets intelligently.
When and Where to Watch Cheltenham Festival in Australia
The Festival runs from Tuesday 10 March to Friday 13 March 2026 at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, England. Racing begins at 1:20 PM GMT each day, which translates to 12:20 AM AEDT — meaning Australians on the east coast are watching the action in the early hours of the morning. The last race each day goes off at 5:20 PM GMT (4:20 AM AEDT), so a full night’s racing is on offer for the committed punter.
Sky Racing carries live coverage of the Cheltenham Festival in Australia. Most licensed Australian bookmakers also stream races live through their platforms, meaning you can watch and bet simultaneously without needing a separate subscription.
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The Full Race Schedule (AEDT)
All times are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT = UTC+11 in March).
|
Day
|
GMT
|
AEDT
|
Race
|
|
Tuesday 10 March
|
13:20
|
00:20 Wed
|
Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Gr.1)
|
|
|
14:00
|
01:00 Wed
|
Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy (Gr.1)
|
|
|
14:40
|
01:40 Wed
|
McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
|
|
|
15:20
|
02:20 Wed
|
Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase
|
|
|
16:00
|
03:00 Wed
|
Unibet Champion Hurdle (Gr.1)
|
|
|
16:40
|
03:40 Wed
|
Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase
|
|
|
17:20
|
04:20 Wed
|
National Hunt Challenge Cup
|
|
Wednesday 11 March
|
13:20
|
00:20 Thu
|
Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Gr.1)
|
|
|
14:00
|
01:00 Thu
|
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Gr.1)
|
|
|
14:40
|
01:40 Thu
|
BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle
|
|
|
15:20
|
02:20 Thu
|
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
|
|
|
16:00
|
03:00 Thu
|
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Gr.1)
|
|
|
16:40
|
03:40 Thu
|
Grand Annual Handicap Chase
|
|
|
17:20
|
04:20 Thu
|
Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Gr.1)
|
|
Thursday 12 March
|
13:20
|
00:20 Fri
|
Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Gr.2)
|
|
|
14:00
|
01:00 Fri
|
Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
|
|
|
14:40
|
01:40 Fri
|
Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Gr.1)
|
|
|
15:20
|
02:20 Fri
|
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Gr.1)
|
|
|
16:00
|
03:00 Fri
|
Ryanair Chase (Gr.1)
|
|
|
16:40
|
03:40 Fri
|
Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
|
|
|
17:20
|
04:20 Fri
|
Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
|
|
Friday 13 March
|
13:20
|
00:20 Sat
|
JCB Triumph Hurdle (Gr.1)
|
|
|
14:00
|
01:00 Sat
|
William Hill County Handicap Hurdle
|
|
|
14:40
|
01:40 Sat
|
Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Gr.2)
|
|
|
15:20
|
02:20 Sat
|
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Gr.1)
|
|
|
16:00
|
03:00 Sat
|
Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Gr.1)
|
|
|
16:40
|
03:40 Sat
|
Princess Royal Hunters’ Chase
|
|
|
17:20
|
04:20 Sat
|
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
|
The Five Races Every Australian Punter Must Watch
1. The Champion Hurdle (Tuesday, 3:00 AM AEDT)
The opening day’s showpiece is a two-mile battle over hurdles that attracts the very best hurdlers in training. The 2026 field is headlined by Brighterdaysahead (Gordon Elliott), Lossiemouth (Willie Mullins), and Ballyburn (Willie Mullins) — three horses who have been trading blows all season. The Champion Hurdle is the race that sets the tone for the entire festival.
2. The Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday, 3:00 AM AEDT)
Speed, precision jumping, and two miles of relentless pace make the Queen Mother Champion Chase one of the most electrifying races in the calendar. Majborough and Il Etait Temps from the Mullins yard head the market, but Jonbon (Nicky Henderson) is a proven Grade 1 performer who will not be easily dismissed.
3. The Stayers’ Hurdle (Thursday, 2:20 AM AEDT)
Three miles over hurdles is a true test of stamina, and the Stayers’ Hurdle often produces a dramatic finish up the famous Cheltenham hill. Teahupoo is the defending champion and a strong market leader once again.
4. The Ryanair Chase (Thursday, 3:00 AM AEDT)
Often described as the most competitive Grade 1 of the entire festival, the Ryanair Chase over two miles and five furlongs is a race that suits the versatile, high-class chaser. Fact To File (Willie Mullins) heads the market on a rating of 181, but Il Etait Temps, Gaelic Warrior, and Jonbon are all in the mix.
5. The Cheltenham Gold Cup (Friday, 3:00 AM AEDT)
The Blue Riband. The race every trainer, owner, and punter wants to win. Three miles and two furlongs of the most demanding steeplechase course in the world. Galopin Des Champs bids for a hat-trick of Gold Cup wins, but faces a formidable field including Gaelic Warrior, Banbridge, and the rapidly improving Inothewayurthinkin.
The Dominant Forces: Trainers and Jockeys to Follow
No preview of the Cheltenham Festival is complete without acknowledging the extraordinary dominance of Willie Mullins. The Closutton maestro has amassed 104 wins at Cheltenham over his career, and in the 2021–2026 period alone he has sent out 46 festival winners from 372 runners — a strike rate of 12.4% that is remarkable given the depth of competition. His stable jockey Paul Townend carries a win rate of 26.3% at Cheltenham over the same period, the highest of any jockey riding regularly at the festival.
On the British side, Dan Skelton has emerged as the most potent domestic force with 42 festival wins since 2021, while Nicky Henderson — despite a smaller string — maintains a 15% win rate at his beloved track. Harry Skelton leads the jockeys’ championship with 38 Cheltenham wins since 2021, and his partnership with his brother’s horses is one of the most formidable in the sport.
|
Trainer
|
Cheltenham Wins (2021–26)
|
Runs
|
Win Rate
|
|
W P Mullins
|
46
|
372
|
12.4%
|
|
Dan Skelton
|
42
|
283
|
14.8%
|
|
Nicky Henderson
|
34
|
241
|
14.1%
|
|
Henry De Bromhead
|
25
|
166
|
15.1%
|
|
Gordon Elliott
|
19
|
301
|
6.3%
|
Betting Guide for Australian Punters
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you prepared to lose today? Set a deposit limit Imagine what you could be buying instead.Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most heavily bet events in the Australian racing calendar, and all major bookmakers — Sportsbet, TAB, Ladbrokes, Neds, Betfair — will carry markets on every race. A few principles are worth keeping in mind.
Ante-post value is real but carries risk. Prices available now on the Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle are often significantly better than those on race day. The trade-off is that you lose your stake if your horse is a non-runner. For horses with confirmed entries and no injury concerns, ante-post betting is often the sharper play.
The handicaps are the great levellers. Races like the Ultima, the Plate, and the Pertemps Final attract fields of 50–80 runners and produce some of the biggest-priced winners of the week. These are not races to approach with a single win bet — each-way betting at three or four places is the sensible strategy.
Willie Mullins runners shorten dramatically on the day. If you want value on a Mullins horse, the time to back it is now, not on the morning of the race when the market has been compressed by Irish money.
Watch the going. Cheltenham in March can produce anything from good ground to heavy. The going for 2026 is currently Good to Soft on the New Course and Soft on the Old Course. Horses with proven form on soft ground have a significant advantage.
RacingBase will publish daily previews, tips, and race-by-race guides throughout the Cheltenham Festival. Bookmark this page and check back each morning for the latest analysis.
Gambling responsibly means only betting what you can afford to lose. If you need support, contact the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858.
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