Cheltenham Festival Day 1

The first day of the Cheltenham Festival is known as Champions Day. In this Cheltenham Festival Day One Guide, you will learn everything you need to know from the latest news, tips, stats and information on all the Day 1 action from Cheltenham Racecourse.

This first day is the first of four days of top-class racing, starting on a Tuesday and finishing on Friday.

The opening day showcases the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle, which is a fiercely contested 2m hurdle race for the best hurdlers in the world. Other major races on the first day include the Grade 1 Arkle Trophy and the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

It also sees the start of the British and Irish runners competing against each other in the Prestbury Cup annual challenge.

Find out more about the first day of racing at the Cheltenham Festival:

Cheltenham Festival Day One Racecards

Here are the following races competed on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, Tuesday 11th March 2026:

13:20 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

The curtain-raiser of the Festival is the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. There are eight hurdles to jump during the race, which is 2 miles and 12 furlongs long.

The opening race always draws huge, loud cheers from the horse racing fans, known as the “Cheltenham roar”.

Cheltenham 13.20 Tips – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

14:00 The Arkle Novices’ Chase

The Arkle Novices’ Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase for horses aged five and above.

It is run over a distance of 2 miles on the Old Course, and there are 13 fences to jump during the race.

It is always one of the most thrilling and eagerly anticipated races of the festival.

Cheltenham 14.00 Tips – Arkle Novices’ Chase

14:40 Ultima Handicap Chase

The Ultima Handicap Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase for horses aged five and over.

It is run a distance of around 3 miles and 1 furlong on the Old Course at Cheltenham, and there are twenty obstacles to jump during the race.

Cheltenham 14.40 Tips – The Ultima Chase

The third race of the meeting at 2:40 pm is the Ultima Handicap Chase. A race where novices have a strong record.

15:20 The Mares’ Hurdle Race

The David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, now known as the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle for sponsorship reasons, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle event for mares aged four years and above.

It is run a distance of around 2 miles and 4 furlongs on the Old Course, and there are 10 hurdles to leap during the race.

Cheltenham 15.20 Tips – The Mares Hurdle

16:00 Champion Hurdle (the feature race)

The fourth race of the meeting at 4:00 pm is the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle, where the best hurdlers lock horns on the biggest stage.

This is the feature race on the opening day. It is run a distance of 2 miles and 12 furlongs on the Old Course, and there are eight hurdles to leap during the race.

For a complete guide on the Champion Hurdle, or the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy to give it its full name, check out our review page.

Cheltenham 16.00 Tips – The Champion Hurdle

16:40 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle

The Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, also known as the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle for sponsorship purposes, is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle competition for horses aged four years.

It covers a distance of around 2 miles and 12 furlongs, with eight hurdles to overcome along the way.

These are the youngest horses that can compete over jumps, and it is often a tricky race to predict.

The race is typically run at breakneck speed, so accurate jumping, stamina and guys are usually required to win.

Cheltenham 16.40 Tips – Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race

Our Cheltenham 16.40 Tips are to wager on

17:20 National Hunt Novices’ Chase (Novices’ Steeple Chase) (Novices’ Handicap)

The last race on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival meeting at 5:20 pm is the National Hunt Novices’ Chase (Novices’ Steeple Chase) (Novices’ Handicap), a Grade 2 steeplechase for amateur riders on horses that are five years old or above.

It is run over a distance of approximately 3 miles and 6 furlongs, with 23 hurdles to be jumped along the way.

Cheltenham 17.20 Tips – The National Hunt Cup

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Cheltenham Festival Day One Tips –

Here are the betting tips for Day One of the Cheltenham Festival 2026.

• Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) –
• Arkle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) –
• Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) –
• Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) –
• Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) – 
• Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle –
• National Hunt Chase (Grade 2) –

If you are looking to bet on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, make sure you check out any Cheltenham Festival free bets and sign-up offers. You can see these on our Cheltenham Free Bets page.

If you are looking for Cheltenham tipsters on which horses to wager, there is no better source of information than the trainers’ direct. Check what the trainers have to say about their horses running on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival.

• Henry De Bromhead Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Paul Nicholls’ Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Willie Mullins’ Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day
• Dan Skelton Cheltenham Best Selections on the First Day

Champions Day Cheltenham 2026 Tickets

Day One kicks off The Cheltenham Festival with Champion Day.

With seven races, including the Unibet Champion Hurdle, tickets for opening day sell quickly, so it is advisable to purchase in advance.

The best place to purchase tickets for Champions Day is here.

Cheltenham Favourites for Day 1 Racing

Many punters are looking for the runners and favourites at Cheltenham today and for the whole Festival week.

If you are a favourite backer, you will want to check out our guide to the amount of Starting Price favourites to win at the Cheltenham Festival.

The first race at Cheltenham today is 1:20 pm, and the last race at Cheltenham today is 5:20 pm.

Of the Cheltenham Favourites today, the central bankers for punters in Acca bets would be Honeysuckle and Edwardstone.

Betting on Cheltenham Festival Day 1

Cheltenham Day 1 Free Bets And Betting Offers are out in force for the opening Champions Day at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.

If you are looking to bet on the first day of Cheltenham, check out great deals from some great bookies.

Many offer great deals for new customers at the moment. They all have a wide range of sportsbook betting options (not just racing), which can cater to all your sports betting needs, as well as offering excellent horse racing betting markets. 

Summary of Day 1 Racing at the Cheltenham Festival

The first day of the Cheltenham Festival, known as Champion Day, is held on a Tuesday at the world-class Cheltenham racecourse. The feature race is the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle, where all eyes will be on Constitution Hill.

The first day of Cheltenham is renowned for its cracking atmosphere and the “Cheltenham roar” that rises after the tapes rise for the first race.

The Grade 1 Arkle Trophy and the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle are the two other significant races on the opening day, along with several excellent handicaps, including the Festival Handicap Chase, which is always a tough race.

The first day at Cheltenham is one of British sports’ great days out, and the teams here at British Racecourses highly recommend it.

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