Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Guide

With the Cheltenham Festival just around the corner, there is no better place to be than OddsMonkey to get a preview of the different days throughout the festival. In this piece, we will look through the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival and what different races take place across the day. Not only looking at the races but also at the past winners of each event, how long the race is, how many runners usually take part in the race, and some particularly interesting horses to look out for, alongside the favourites this year. 

Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Overview

The first race of the Cheltenham Festival 2026 takes place on Tuesday, the 10th of March, and this first day of the festival is named ‘Champion Day’. The names of the days are a tradition which does not change annually, and there are seven races that are scheduled for day one of the Cheltenham Festival. It is typical for the most important or notable races to take place around 16:00 (GMT). This is the case for the first day as the Unibet Champion Hurdle takes place at this time, and this is a 2-mile Grade 1 race. 

These are the scheduled races which are set to take place throughout Cheltenham Festival day one:

• Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race
• The Singer Arkle Novices’ Chase
• The Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
• The Ultima Handicap Chase
• Unibet Champion Hurdle
• The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
• The National Hunt Novices’ Chase

If you are not sure about some of the terminology we have used so far, we have a horse racing betting guide that can clue you in on everything about horse racing.

Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Races

Here, we will go through each of the different races that are set to take place across day one and some of the different odds that each horse will be placed at. With these odds available, users can look to make the most of Cheltenham betting offers.

13:20 – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race (Hurdle)

With a distance of 2 miles, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race kicks off the Cheltenham Festival with a bang, as this event is a 2-mile race with 8 hurdles in total. Last year, Kopek Des Bordes was able to win as the favourite, as William Munny and Romeo Coolio came home in second and third. This year, we turn our heads to Old Park Star, with odds of 2/1, whilst other competitors like Talk The Talk are placed at 9/2.

14:00 – My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase (Chase)

Slightly shorter than the previous race, this 1.7-mile event features 13 hurdles. With 15 runners, the smaller field makes for fewer betting options. In 2024, Gaelic Warrior was able to win the race at the age of 6, whilst in 2025, Jango Baie was successful. This year, Lulamba is the clear favourite at 13/8, whilst some bettors look for value in options such as Irish Panther and Kappa Jy Pyke. By seeking value, users can maximise value betting, a strategy used by many horse racing bettors. 

14:40 Hallgarten and Novum Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Hurdle

This race is a premier handicap hurdle race, which is designed only for 4-year-old horses, known to be prestigious and a competitive test for both jockeys and horses. With Puturhandstogether winning the 2025 edition, the odds are spread quite evenly here, with Winston Junior being the favourite at 5/1. Sitting close behind him are options Saratoga and Selma de Vary, which are set at 9/1 and 12/1.

15:20 – The Ultima Handicap Chase (Chase)

The longest race so far and the second longest of the day, this race takes place across 3 miles with 20 fences being in play. The race is only open to horses aged five years or older, and it is a handicap race. The favourite for the 2026 edition is Jagwar at 6/1, with Myretown close behind at 8/1. Myretown was last year’s winner, finishing first by 11 lengths at odds of 13/2.

16:00 – Unibet Champion Hurdle (Hurdle)

Being the most notable race of the day, the Champion Hurdle only features 10 runners and 8 hurdles. Last year, Constitution Hill famously fell at the fifth fence, whilst defending champion State Man fell at the final flight, leading Golden Ace to be victorious in an interesting race. This year, The New Lion is 9/4 to win, whilst Constitution Hill is placed at 9/2 and Golden Ace at 6/1. For those who are not sure about the different ways to bet on the Cheltenham Festival, we have a detailed Cheltenham Festival Matched Betting guide, which is full of tips.

16:40 – The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Hurdle Race (Hurdle)

Open only to horses under 4, the 2-mile race features 8 hurdles. With a whopping 47 runners, the favourite seems to be Madara and McLaurey, who are placed at a long 8/1, whilst Vincenzo and Kim Roque are placed at 10/1 and 14/1 respectively.

17:20 – The National Hunt Novices’ Chase (Chase)

Being the last and longest race of the day, this long, challenging race requires 23 hurdles to be jumped in total. With Haiti Couleurs winning in the 2025 event, the favourite for this race is currently set between four horses set at 10/1, which are Wade Out, Will The Wise, Backmersackme and Shuffle The Deck.

To conclude, there is a huge range of different and interesting races throughout the first day of the Cheltenham Festival, setting the event up for another memorable year. If users are looking for the best ways to make the most of the Cheltenham Festival, we have a Cheltenham Festival Profit guide that also includes a horse racing matched betting guide for those who are new to the sport. OddsMonkey has different tips and guides for all horse racing fans.

There are also more day-specific  Cheltenham guides at OddsMonkey, such as our Cheltenham Festival day 2 guide and our Cheltenham Festival day 3 guide.