All roads lead to Cheltenham: Key races to watch in the lead-up to the 2026 Cheltenham Festival

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As the jumps season gathers full momentum, all roads begin to lead toward the Cheltenham Festival — four days in March that define champions, careers, and legacies. But before the famous roar of the opening race echoes across Prestbury Park, the National Hunt calendar is packed with key fixtures that shape the storylines, sharpen the form, and reveal the stars destined to shine at Cheltenham.

From early-season tests at the November Meeting to the pivotal Trials Day in January, each race along the way offers vital clues about the horses, trainers, and tactics we’ll see come Festival week. These pre-Cheltenham contests are more than just warm-ups – they are proving grounds where potential heroes emerge and seasoned campaigners fine-tune their craft.

If key fixtures in the lead-up influence your stakes on the Cheltenham Festival and beyond – read on as we explore the most important races leading up to the Cheltenham Festival.

These are fixtures that every racing fan should mark on the calendar, as each play their part in impacting the horse racing betting odds and building anticipation for the sport’s greatest show on turf.

Gold Cup Handicap Chase

The Gold Cup Handicap Chase, run in mid-November at Cheltenham, is one of the earliest major handicaps of the National Hunt season. It doesn’t directly mirror any Festival race, but it’s a vital early-season benchmark for high-class handicappers and emerging chasers. Horses that perform well here frequently go on to run in the Ryanair Chase or Plate Handicap Chase at the Festival. Because it’s held at Cheltenham, the race also offers valuable track experience for runners targeting March glory.

Greatwood Hurdle

The Greatwood Hurdle, also staged during the November Meeting, is a competitive handicap hurdle that often reveals potential contenders for the Champion Hurdle. Although it’s not a graded race, its depth and competitiveness make it an important form guide for the season’s leading two-mile hurdlers. Horses that win or run well here frequently reappear at Cheltenham in March, often having sharpened their finishing speed and hurdling fluency.

Cotswold Chase

The Cotswold Chase is one of the final big staying chases before the Cheltenham Festival and is run over about three miles and one and a half furlongs at Cheltenham on Trials Day. As a Grade 2 contest, it often serves as a key trial for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with horses using it to test their stamina and jumping on the same undulating track they’ll face in March. A strong performance here can be a major indicator of Gold Cup potential, and the race is also a proving ground for experienced chasers looking to establish themselves as top-tier stayers.

JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle

Also held on Cheltenham’s Trials Day, the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle gives four-year-old hurdlers a chance to showcase their early potential ahead of the Festival’s Triumph Hurdle. As a Grade 2 event, it provides a valuable insight into which juveniles are progressing fastest through the ranks. It’s often where future Triumph Hurdle winners first demonstrate their blend of speed, jumping skill, and temperament required for the big stage in March.

Cleeve Hurdle

The Cleeve Hurdle, another major feature of Trials Day, is a staying hurdle run over three miles and a crucial pointer toward the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival. This Grade 2 race regularly attracts the leading long-distance hurdlers, offering a genuine test of stamina on testing ground. Many past Stayers’ Hurdle champions have used the Cleeve as their final prep run, and how a horse finishes here often tells punters whether it has the endurance and tenacity to handle the Festival’s demanding conditions.

Game Spirit Chase

The Game Spirit Chase is a Grade 2 contest run over two miles and one furlong at Newbury during “Super Saturday”, a key day in the British jumps calendar. It serves as a crucial trial for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, providing an opportunity for leading two-mile chasers to fine-tune their speed and jumping. Trainers often use this race to gauge readiness for the Festival, making it a prime watch for those following the top-level two-mile division.