Cheltenham Festival 2025: Dates, race times, day-by-day schedule, betting tips and talkSPORT commentary for biggest racing event of the year

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival is horse racing’s biggest event of the year and it’s fast approaching.

The sport’s best horses and jockeys are preparing to take to the iconic course for a brilliant week of racing action.

Last year, Galopin Des Champs defended his Gold Cup crown to make history by making it back-to-back wins in the showpiece.

All eyes will be on the incredible horse yet again as he aims to make it a hat-trick on the final day of the festival.

Constitution Hill will also be featuring again, along with Jonbon and Lossiemouth, as the best in the business compete.

Cheltenham Festival 2025: Dates and start times 

This year’s Cheltenham Festival will start on Tuesday, March 11. 

There will be a full four days of racing before coming to an end on Friday, March 14. 

Each day of action is going to include seven races meaning there is a total of 28 throughout the week of the festival.

Racing will begin at around 1:20pm on each day with 40-minute intervals between races. 

The biggest races of each day are usually scheduled for 4pm while the final races will be taking place at 5:20pm. 

Tuesday is traditionally known as Champion Day, Wednesday is Style Wednesday and Thursday is St Patrick’s Thursday.

Then Friday is the biggest attraction – Gold Cup day. 

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Cheltenham Festival 2025: talkSPORT coverage

talkSPORT will have live coverage of all the action from Cheltenham.

We will have commentators on the course each day, bringing you coverage of all the races throughout the festival.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. 

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date with all the latest build-up and reaction too.

If you want to watch the action on TV, you can tune in to watch free-to-air coverage on ITV.

Cheltenham Festival 2025: Betting tips 

talkSPORT will provide you with all the latest tips and free bet offers throughout the festival.

Odds will be available on talkSPORT BET and our resident tipster will be selecting multiple picks for each day of racing.

You can check the current odds for Cheltenham at talkSPORT BET HERE.

Find all the best Cheltenham Festival free bet offers from talkSPORT and our partners across the website during the week.

Cheltenham Festival 2025: Race schedule 

Champion Day – Tuesday, March 11 

• 13:20 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 
• 14:00 – Arkle Novices’ Chase 
• 14:40 – Handicap Steeple Chase 
• 15:20 – Mares’ Hurdle 
• 16:00 – Champion Hurdle
• 16:40 – Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 
• 17:20 – National Hunt Novices’ Chase

Style Wednesday – Wednesday, March 12

• 13:20 – Turners Novices’ Hurdle 
• 14:00 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase 
• 14:40 – Coral Cup Hurdle 
• 15:20 – Cross Country Steeple Chase 
• 16:00 – Queen Mother Steeple Chase
• 16:40 – Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 
• 17:20 – Champion Bumper 

St. Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, March 13 

• 13:20 – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle 
• 14:00 – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
• 14:40 – Pertemps Network Final 
• 15:20 – Ryanair Steeple Chase 
• 16:00 – Stayers’ Hurdle
• 16:40 – TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
• 17:20 – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 14

• 13:20 – Triumph Hurdle
• 14:00 – County Handicap Hurdle 
• 14:40 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple Chase 
• 15:20 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle  
• 16:00 – Cheltenham Gold Cup
• 16:40 – Festival Hunters Chase 
• 17:20 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle

Cheltenham Festival 2025: What has been said?

With there said to be a shortage of Guinness at this year’s event, talkSPORT’S Alan Brazil has threatened to boycott the festival.

He said: “We don’t go!

“Fans would go ballistic, the charge at 10:30am when the gates open, they’d be in mourning!”

“There has to be Guinness at Cheltenham! Ridiculous!”