By Callum Close
The 2025 national-hunt season will reach its climax when the Cheltenham Festival commences in six weeks’ time.
Headlining the event is the clash between the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious yards, as they return for their yearly head-to-head for supremacy in the Gloucestershire hills.
This year’s Festival will see an increase in prize money with the two Grade One novices’ chases – the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and the My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase – now worth £200,000 each (up from £175,000).
Furthermore, all handicap chases have been increased in value to £150,000 (up from £125,000).
From the anticipation and excitement to the thunderous hooves and roaring cheers, the iconic Cheltenham Festival is rivalled by no other in the sport.
When is the Cheltenham Festival?
Tuesday, March 14 is the date that will see racing’s elite gather in the West of England.
The first race of 28 at the Festival is the Supreme Novices Hurdle, which will come under starter’s orders at 1.20pm UK time.
Day one will also feature the Champion Hurdle, in which trainer Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill will look to retain his crown.
Days two and three will feature the Queen Mother Champion Chase – where Henderson’s Jonbon will look to claim his 10th Grade One victory – and the Stayers Hurdle for which leading Irish challenger Teahupoo is the ante-post favourite.
READ MORE: Cheltenham News – Will Jonbon gain first Festival win at the 2025 event?
The Festival’s four days of illustrious racing precedes the Gold Cup on the final day.
Won by legends such as five-time King George winner Kauto Star, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Britain’s most valuable non-handicap chase – in 2023, the prize money totalled £625,000.
It will come under starter’s orders at 4pm on Friday, March 17.
Trainers to watch
Irishman Willie Mullins has been crowned the Festival’s Champion Trainer 10 times since 2013.
In that time it’s an honour shared by only one other trainer, fellow Irishman Gordon Elliott, crowned champion trainer in 2017 and 2018.
Mullins is the most decorated trainer at the track; he has had 103 winners at Cheltenham.
His leading chances are Gold Cup ante-post favourite Galopin des Champs, fan-favourite mare Lossiemouth and last year’s Arkle Chase winner Gaelic Warrior.
The last British-crowned Champion Trainer was Henderson in 2012.
Henderson trains one of the sport’s ‘crown jewels’ in Constitution Hill, whilst Jonbon and ante-post Arkle Chase favourite Sir Gino also represent team Henderson.
READ MORE: Constitution Hill ‘up for it’ ahead of Cheltenham Festival prep
Jockeys to watch
After the retirement of Mullin’s former stable jockey Ruby Walsh, Paul Townend inherited the role.
He is bidding to make history by winning three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups.
Townend rode his first Gold Cup winner in 2019 when he rode Al Boum Photo to victory before following up on board the same horse in 2020.
The 2025 event will also see Townend look to retain the Champion Festival Jockey title, a prize he has won at four of the last five Festivals.
Nico de Boinville is the ever-pragmatic stable jockey for the Henderson yard.
He is the last British winner of the Champion Festival Jockey after his win in 2019 – a year in which he won his third Champion Chase on board retired Henderson horse, Altior.
How to watch the Cheltenham Festival?
It was announced in October that ITV would broadcast an extra race from the Festival.
The terrestrial broadcaster will screen six races live a day, for free, while all seven races will continue to be shown on subscription-based channel Racing TV.
READ MORE: Potters Charm team expecting ‘different horse’ at Cheltenham Festival
