Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
Essential Guide To The Cheltenham Festival
Four days a year, the chance of a lifetime and unique in the world of horse racing. Hats and fashion are still on vivid display but Cheltenham is much more about the horses, the jockeys, the trainers and the public.
Tens of thousands make their pilgrimage to Gloucestershire, announcing their arrival with the magnificent Cheltenham roar. The time has come to travel. Presumably, you've bought your ticket and the big day has arrived.
Hopefully, you have studied all the horse racing form and selected your winners.
Those travelling to Cheltenham should make note of up-to-the-minute travel news outlets for their method of choice. Whatever method that is, the main advice from OLBG members and others is to GET THERE EARLY!!
The Schedule - Tuesday
Cheltenham Festival races for Tuesday 11th March 2025
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, the feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:30 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Slade Steel (IRE) 6yo - 7/2 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:10 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 6yo - 2/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:50 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Chianti Classico (IRE) 7yo - 6/1 | Kim Bailey David Bass |
| 15:30 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | State Man (FR) 7yo - 2/5 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:10 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 5yo - 8/13 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:50 Cheltenham Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Lark In The Mornin (GER) 4yo - 9/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien J J Slevin |
| 17:30 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Corbetts Cross (IRE) 7yo - 15/8 | Emmet Mullins Mr Derek O'Connor |
OLBG Cheltenham Sponsorship
OLBG has sponsored hundreds of horse races around the country including the OLBG Mares Hurdle on the Tuesday of the Cheltenham Festival.
The Schedule - Wednesday
Cheltenham Festival races for Wednesday 12th March 2025
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:30 Cheltenham Baring Bingham Novices Hurdle | Ballyburn (IRE) 6yo - 1/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:10 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Fact To File (FR) 7yo - 8/13 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 14:50 Cheltenham Coral Cup | Langer Dan (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 15:30 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Captain Guinness (IRE) 9yo - 17/2 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:10 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Delta Work (FR) 10yo - 11/10 | Gordon Elliott Keith Donoghue |
| 16:50 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Unexpected Party (FR) 9yo - 12/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 17:30 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
The Schedule - Thursday
Cheltenham Festival races for Thursday 13th March 2025
Halfway through the festival and onto day three where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last best up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:30 Cheltenham Turners Novices Chase | Grey Dawning (IRE) 7yo - 5/2 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:10 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Monmiral (FR) 7yo - 25/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:50 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Protektorat (FR) 9yo - 17/2 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 15:30 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Teahupoo (FR) 7yo - 5/4 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| 16:10 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Shakem UpArry (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Ben Pauling Ben Jones |
| 16:50 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 6yo - 10/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 17:30 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 6yo - 13/8 | Gavin Cromwell Mr Derek O'Connor |
The Schedule - Friday
Cheltenham Festival races for Friday 14th March 2025
The final day of the festival and feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:30 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Majborough (FR) 4yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 14:10 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Absurde (FR) 6yo - 12/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:50 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Stellar Story (IRE) 7yo - 33/1 | Gordon Elliott Sam Ewing |
| 15:30 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Galopin Des Champs (FR) 8yo - 10/11 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:10 Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup | Sine Nomine (GB) 8yo - 8/1 | Fiona Needham Mr John Dawson |
| 16:50 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Limerick Lace (IRE) 7yo - 3/1 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 17:30 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Better Days Ahead (IRE) 6yo - 5/1 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
Cheltenham Festival - By Car
Cheltenham Racecourse advises people to follow the signs when close to the racecourse which will guide you to the pick-up & drop-off areas, this is at the West Car Park which is a five-minute walk from the entrances.
Cheltenham Racecourse member Jennywales says the routes to the car parks have changed slightly and whilst at first, it may appear you've entered a cross-country rally, follow the signs for your designated area.
Car Park Chaos
At the 2024 Festival, after heavy rain, the Car Parks became a quagmire. Racegoers reported bedlam as cars got stuck in the mud, and many were delayed by up to two hours to exit. Parking at Cheltenham is already bad enough without the rain, so be warned and give yourself plenty of time.
The Cheltenham website gives full details on the car parking arrangements.
- Those with prepaid parking at the course can view the various coded areas here - Parking
- Constantly updated travel map for the Cheltenham area. Travel Map
- Any accidents and appropriate diversions are reported here by Gloucestershire Police Road Incident Updates
There will be delays and diversions near the M5 to the north of Cheltenham between Tewkesbury and Worcester during the festival week. This website - Roadworks.org - displays all current and planned roadworks for the area and offers an email update facility.
Several places close to the track offer parking for the day. For example, parking and refreshments are available at Southam Village Hall, within a short walk of the racecourse. Check local press and social media for other similar offers.
Cheltenham Festival - By Train
OLBG Blog Content Manager and festival stalwart Nors advises anyone travelling via Birmingham to arrive there early as queues are potentially very long.
Taxis from Cheltenham Spa train station to the racecourse take approximately ten minutes.
Anyone intending to use a bus between the station and the racecourse should read the relevant “By Bus“ section below.
Arrivals boards with the facility to receive disruption alerts - Just click the name of the relevant station
Cheltenham Festival - By Bus
To Cheltenham National Express offer a Cheltenham Festival service, arriving at the course well before the first race and leaving after the racing finishes.
Click this link - National Express Cheltenham booking page - and use the drop-down menus on the left
In Cheltenham Stagecoach offers a bus service during the Festival, with pickups in the town centre and en route.
Details can be found here: Stagecoach Festival Bus Service
Cheltenham Festival - At The Course
Cheltenham has updated its racecourse map specifically for the festival and it can be viewed here: Cheltenham Racecourse Map
Most, if not all of us, will be aware of the significant changes to the course and grandstands.
Cheltenham Racecourse and The Jockey Club have invested millions in improving facilities and if this is your first visit to the track this season then take a few minutes to view the above map and also images online and on social media websites.
OLBG's Jennywales mentions the Tapas Bar ( formerly Hurdler's Hall ), which could be fun if the weather changes!
And if you like to fill out your placepots slips next to a statue of your favourite Cheltenham legend then a few of these have been relocated: it seems Arkle was bored and has now moved to the second tier at the head of the parade ring ( also improved with a new concourse at its entrance )
Luggage or bags can be deposited at the Left Luggage facility, #12 bottom left of the map in the North Car Park.
The first thing I do after arriving at the course is to make my way to the stands next to the finish line and look out across Prestbury Park towards Cleeve Hill.
The view is spectacular yet also feels like an artist might when looking upon a blank canvas or a writer on a blank page "The possibilities yet to unfold, what drama awaits.
This is where I stand when the tape goes up for the festival opener, the Supreme Novices Hurdle. However, as you can see below, it can get rather busy so get there early!
The advice from many OLBG members is to get these done early.
Placepots and any accumulators or Lucky 15's can be placed at several locations, with the Centaur building being a popular and thus busy location.
How to win the Placepot
OLBG is the ideal place for betting tips and useful information when selecting a horse for any of the 28 races during the week.
Place Your Bets!
Read the blogs and tipping advice,
Take advantage of the bookmaker offers by accessing the relevant sections from the menus at the top of the page or visit the dedicated site for the Cheltenham Festival.
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Essential Guide To The Cheltenham Festival are at hand, Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
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