Thirteen flights on Monday conveyed race-goers from Dublin to the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, which takes place from Tuesday, March 10, to Friday, March 13, 2026. This four-day event at Cheltenham Racecourse features 28 races, beginning with Champion Day and culminating with the prestigious Gold Cup on Friday. Gates open at 10:30, with the first race starting at 13:20 daily.
- Day 1 (Tuesday, March 10): Champion Day: Featuring the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
- Day 2 (Wednesday, March 11): Ladies Day: Featuring the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase.
- Day 3 (Thursday, March 12): St. Patrick’s Thursday: Featuring the Ryanair Chase and Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle.
- Day 4 (Friday, March 13): Gold Cup Day: Featuring the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Each day includes seven races, with the main feature race scheduled for 16.00
Ireland historically sends a sixth of the 350-plus runners and yields about 30pc of the winners at Cheltenham., although this has risen to more than 50pc in every year since 2015.
