Cheltenham Trials Day Entries - Sir Gino v The New Lion the highlight

Cheltenham will play host to a sensational eight-race card on Saturday 24 January, as Festival Trials Day is set to throw up a whole plethora of clues for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Undoubtedly, the standout race on the card is the Unibet Hurdle (registered as International Hurdle) at 3pm as Champion Hurdle favourites Sir Gino and The New Lion are set for an epic clash.

As well as two of the premier hurdlers doing battle in that Grade 2 contest there’s more top notch action during the card with Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning set to take on a maximum of four rivals in the Cotswold Chase at 2.25pm.

Festival Trials Day has often provided a springboard to a number of horses looking to return in March for the Cheltenham Festival itself, and with Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup clues on offer then it’s set to be a sparkling day’s National Hunt racing at Prestbury Park.

As well as the aforementioned brace of Grade 2 events there’s a fascinating JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial at 12.40pm, with the Classic Novices’ Hurdle concluding the card at 4.05pm. Add in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase and the Cleeve Hurdle as well, where there will be Stayers’ Hurdle pointers available, then it’s a fixture where notebooks will be needed as plenty will be returning to GL50 in the spring to try and claim festival glory.

2026 Cheltenham Festival Trials Day Racecard

• 12.05pm – Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase
• 12.40pm – JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
• 1.15pm – Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase
• 1.50pm – Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
• 2.25pm – Betfair Cotswold Chase
• 3.00pm – Unibet Hurdle
• 3.35pm – Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle
• 4.10pm – AIS Novices’ Hurdle 

2026 Unibet Hurdle Entries

2026 Cotswold Chase Entries