The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is looming over the horizon. With the New Year having been turned, entries for the Cheltenham Festival will begin to emerge, with runners in the feature chases and hurdles contests appearing from January 6 onwards.
We run you through all of the key dates for the entries at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, outlining when the entries can be expected for every single Cheltenham race, while also previewing which horses are among the likeliest to make headlines at this year’s Festival.
2026 Cheltenham Festival Entries Release Dates
January 6, 2026
January 13, 2026
January 20, 2026
- Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
- Turners Novices’ Hurdle
- Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
- Triumph Hurdle
- Arkle Challenge Trophy
- Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
February 10, 2026
February 17, 2026
- Ultima Handicap Chase
- Coral Cup
- Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
- Pertemps Final
- Plate Handicap Chase
- Kim Muir Handicap Chase
- County Hurdle
- Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
- Grand Annual Handicap Chase
- National Hunt Chase
- Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase
- Cross Country Handicap Chase
February 24, 2026
- Champion Bumper
- Hunters’ Chase
2026 Cheltenham Festival Entries – Likely Runners
The entries for the Cheltenham Gold Cup will be the first to appear, on Tuesday 6 January, with a rematch between Inothewayurthinkin and Galopin Des Champs likely to be on the cards. Both were beaten over Christmas, with Savills Chase winner Affordale Fury and King George hero The Jukebox Man also likely to be given early options in the big race, set to take place on Friday 13 March.
Also on the 6th, entries for the Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase will be released. Marine Nationale will defend his title in the former contest, while Fact To File will be the big name among the Ryanair Chase entries, though could be joined by stablemate and John Durkan conqeuror Gaelic Warrior. The last-named horse may well be given an entry in the Gold Cup too.
On Tuesday 13 January, entries for the Champion Hurdle should feature two-time Mares’ Hurdle winner Lossiemouth, who is also likely to be among the contenders for a hat-trick in the mares’ only race. In the Stayers’ Hurdle, Teahupoo will be the headline act as he bids to go one better than 12 months ago and regain his title.
The novice hurdle and chase entries come out on Tuesday 20 January. Markets for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, as well as the Turners and Albert Bartlett, look extremely open, with El Cairos, Mydaddypaddy and Sortudo names to look out for, while in the novice chases, Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba is the shortest-priced favourite in the ante-post markets for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival and will almost certainly feature in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase entries.
A break occurs before the entire are announced for the remaining mares’ only contests on Tuesday 10 February, while handicap entries will emerge on Tuesday 17 February. That incorporates all 12 handicap contests, with the final races to gain their entries being the Champion Bumper and Hunters’ Chase on Tuesday 24 February.
FAQs: Cheltenham Festival Entries 2026
Q: When are the Cheltenham Festival entries declared?
Entries for the Cheltenham Festival will be declared 48 hours in advance of every race. Therefore, races on the Tuesday of the Cheltenham Festival will have their declarations on Sunday, Wednesday’s on Monday, and so on.
Q: When are the Cheltenham Gold Cup entries announced?
Entries for the Cheltenham Gold Cup will be released on Tuesday 6 January 2026.
Q: Which horses will run at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival?
Horses such as Galopin Des Champs, Sir Gino, Lossiemouth and Marine Nationale are likely to run at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
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