Cheltenham Festival 2026 Champion Day Set for March 10 Opener

Champion Day is here, and Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire opens its gates at 10:30 this morning for the first of four days that represent the pinnacle of jump racing. Seven races fill the card from 1:20pm to 5:20pm GMT, with the Grade 1 Unibet Champion Hurdle at 4pm the undisputed centerpiece of a programme that runs the full range of National Hunt disciplines.

The traditional curtain-raiser is the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at 1:20pm, a Grade 1 contest over approximately two miles. From there, the card builds through the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase at 2pm, another Grade 1 run over about two miles and the premier novice chasing prize of the week. The 2:40pm slot belongs to the McCoys Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, registered as the Fred Winter, over approximately two miles and a half-furlong. The Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase follows at 3:20pm over three miles and one furlong, a stamina test that tends to produce one of the week's more chaotic finishes. After the Champion Hurdle, the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase at 4:40pm over approximately two miles and four furlongs rounds out the competitive afternoon before the National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup closes proceedings at 5:20pm over three miles and six furlongs. All timings are listed with the caveat that they are subject to change.

The Champion Hurdle runs over two miles and 87 yards on the Old Course with eight hurdles to clear, and is open to horses aged four and older. It completes the Triple Crown of Hurdling, alongside the Fighting Firth Hurdle and the Christmas Hurdle, and has a history of producing moments that define careers and eras in the sport.

The race is more open this year after Seven Barrows confirmed that Constitution Hill, who won this race in 2023 under trainer Nicky Henderson, will not run over hurdles again. That announcement reshuffled the market and left a legitimate vacancy at the top. Lossiemouth, Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion are among the names squaring off in what figures to be a highly competitive renewal. TalkSport's Tom Lunn has Lossiemouth as his Champion Hurdle selection on the day.

Lunn's full slate of Day One tips gives a clear picture of which horses have pundit support across the card: Old Park Star in the Supreme at 1:20pm, Lulamba in the Arkle at 2pm, The Mighty Celt in the Fred Winter at 2:40pm, Iroko in the Ultima at 3:20pm and Zurich in the Sun Racing Plate at 4:40pm. The Arkle also features Kopek Des Bordes, who shapes up as Lulamba's primary rival in the two-mile Grade 1 novice chase.

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra carries live coverage from 1pm through to 5:30pm, with Gina Bryce presenting. Former Gold Cup-winning jockey Andrew Thornton, former jockey Paddy Brennan and Welsh Grand National winner Charlie Poste provide analysis, with John Hunt leading the race commentary. An on-site Preview Show runs in the Parade Ring ahead of the first race for those arriving early at Cheltenham.

The festival runs through Friday, March 13, with the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup closing the week. But for now, the Supreme Novices' is minutes away, and the first roar of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival is about to sound.