Located in Gloucestershire in the South West of England, Cheltenham Racecourse has been used for professional horse racing since 1815. It now hosts some of the best and most prestigious races on the British racing calendar. In fact, no horse can be considered a true champion of National Hunt racing without proving itself in a blue riband event at Cheltenham, such as the Gold Cup or the Champion Hurdle.
Racing has been popular at Cheltenham ever since the racecourse opened its doors for the first time. In fact, the crowds at Cheltenham races grew to as many as 30,000 in the space of a decade. This led to the introduction of a two-day July meeting that featured what would eventually become the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Today, around 700,000 people visit Cheltenham Racecourse each year. Almost half of these visit during the Cheltenham Festival, which is held in March.
For trainers and jockeys, owning or riding a winner at the Festival is seen as one of the sport’s greatest achievements. The biggest prizes are the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup, but riding any winner at the Cheltenham Festival is viewed as a great honour. Unsurprisingly, the setting has played host to some of the greatest names in jump racing history; from Kauto Star and Denman to Long Run and Best Mate.
But, there’s a lot more going on at Cheltenham Racecourse than just the Cheltenham Festival. The racecourse’s opening meeting in October is viewed by many as the unofficial start of the jumps season, whilst the standard of racing at the November and December Cheltenham race meetings is almost as high as it is at the Festival itself.
In total, Cheltenham Racecourse hosts eight meetings and 16 days of racing. Cheltenham horse racing events in 2024 include:
- The Showcase - October
- The November Meeting - November
- The Christmas Meeting - December
- New Year’s Day - January
- Festival Trials Day - January
- Cheltenham Festival - March
- The April Meeting - April
- Race Night - May
The Festival may be the big one, but regardless of which of the Cheltenham race meetings you attend, you’re guaranteed to witness some top-class racing.