The 2026 Cheltenham Festival arrives on Tuesday. Among the headline stories for the opening day are Golden Ace‘s defence of her Champion Hurdle crown, while Sean Bowen goes in search of an elusive first Festival success.
Find out more about today’s racing news ahead of the Cheltenham Festival in our round-up.
Cheltenham Festival 2026 headlines
Golden Ace will defend her Champion Hurdle crown on Tuesday. The feature race in the hurdling division sees nine horses go to post. Jeremy Scott’s mare won an extraordinary renewal in 2025, but is back for more among a shallower field this season. Scott said he “couldn’t be happier with the way she is going into it,” as Golden Ace faces rivals such as Lossiemouth, Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion in the Cheltenham Festival day one feature. (BBC)
Champion Jockey Sean Bowen is still awaiting his first victory at the Cheltenham Festival. Bowen has more than twice as many victories as his nearest rival in the race to be champion this season. However, he is yet to deliver on the biggest stage of them all. He is confident that this season looks different though, with multiple chances across the week. One of those is Haiti Couleurs, who he will partner in the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup. (Guardian)
Bookmakers and businesses anticipating Cheltenham boom
Bookmakers are reporting that a combined £1 billion may be placed across the four days of the Cheltenham Festival this week. The meeting’s reach beyond the traditional racing audience ensures a significantly higher betting turnover than at any other point in the calendar. A celebrity cast will be involved in that figure, with Harry Redknapp one of the protagonists this week. His The Jukebox Man is currently vying for Gold Cup favouritism. (The Sun)
The Jockey Club’s regional head chef for Cheltenham is making sure diners will enjoy local produce this week. Warren O’Connor has been keen to capture ingredients that give a flavour of the region. Over 40,000 meals will be served across the four days, though it is not just at the racecourse where local food is enjoyed. Bakeries in the town of Cheltenham report that their business quadruples compared to a normal week. (BBC)
Evan Williams charged with causing grievous bodily harm
Trainer Evan Williams was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on Monday. The Welsh trainer is set to saddle runners at the Cheltenham Festival this week. However, Williams was charged over an incident on his property in December 2024 in which he reportedly hit a man multiple times with a hockey stick. He was charged at Cardiff Crown Court and will be sentenced there on April 14, just days after the Grand National. (Racing Post)