Cheltenham Festival 2024 race card, dates, start times and full four-day schedule

The horse racing season will get into its stride this month as the great spectacle that is Cheltenham Festival gets under way.

The Festival will take place over four days in March, starting with Champion Day, then Ladies Day (officially called Style Wednesday) on day two, and St Patrick’s Day falling on day three before finishing with Gold Cup Day.

There will be 28 races to enjoy, beginning with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Champion Hurdle on the opening Tuesday, and Friday’s finale will feature the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins will be looking to make it six years in a row as the trainer with the most wins at the Festival, while his jockey Paul Townend has been the outstanding rider in three of the past four years. The jockey who broke that streak, Rachael Blackmore, will also be riding at Cheltenham this year.

Jockey Paul Townend, right, with Irish trainer Willie Mullins (AFP via Getty Images)

When is 2024 Cheltenham Festival?

The Festival begins on Tuesday 12 March and concludes on Friday 15 March.

The first race is scheduled for 1.30pm GMT each day, and the final race of the day is set to begin at 5.30pm. The championship race will be run at 3.30pm.

Here is the full race schedule:

Champion Day – Tuesday, March 12

13:30 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

14:10 – Arkle Challenge Trophy

14:50 – Handicap Steeple Chase

15:30 – Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy

16:10 – Mares’ Hurdle

16:50 – Juvenile Handicap Hurdle

17:30 – National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup

Ladies Day – Wednesday, March 13

13:30 – Novices’ Hurdle

14:10 – Novices’ Steeple Chase

14:50 – Coral Cup Hurdle

15:30 – Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase

16:10 – Cross Country Steeple Chase

16:50 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup

17:30 – Champion Bumper

St Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, March 14

13:30 – Turners Novices’

14:10 – Pertemps Network Final

14:50 – Ryanair Steeple Chase

15:30 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

16:10 – Magners Plate

16:50 – Jack de Bromhead Mares Novices’ Hurdle

17:30 – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 15

13:30 – Triumph Hurdle

14:10 – County Handicap Hurdle

14:50 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

15:30 – Cheltenham Gold Cup

16:10 – Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase

16:50 – Mares’ Steeple Chase

17:30 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle

How to buy tickets

Tickets are being sold to the general public across the four days. There are a number of options, including the Club Enclosure, the Tattersalls Enclosure and Best Mate Enclosure, which is the cheapest with prices from £52 per person. Grandstand tickets have sold out.

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