ITV Racing to show six races on each day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, with new order of events revealed

Terrestrial TV viewers will be able to see additional races this season at the Cheltenham Festival, with ITV Racing showing six races each day in March.

The move means ITV will show 24 of the 28 races during the meeting, with the Fred Winter (Tuesday), Grand Annual (Wednesday), Plate (Thursday) and Hunter Chase (Friday) now the final events to be shown over the four days .

The timing has also been changed, meaning that each day’s special events – the Steeplechase of Champion, Pursuit of Champion, Steers Steeplechase and the Gold Cup – will be run as the fifth race rather than the fourth at 4pm. The meeting will also start ten minutes earlier, with the first race starting at 1.20pm.

Cheltenham: the soil is heavy, soft in places

Cheltenham Festival: Special races will take place each day at 4pmcredit: Michael Steele (Getty Images)

The procedure for the Cheltenham Festival in 2025

Tuesday, March 11 (old course)

1.20: Sky Bet Supreme Novice (Grade 1), 2m, ITV, £150,000
2.00: My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1), 2m, ITV, £200,000
2.40: Ultima Handicap Chase, 3m1f, ITV, £150,000
3.20: Close Brothers Mares Hurdles (Grade 1), 2m4f, ITV, £120,000
4.00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grad 1), 2m, ITV, £450,000
4.40: Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdles, 2m, ITV, £80,000
5.20: National Hunt Chase (Novice Handicap), 3m6f, £100,000

Wednesday, March 12 (old course)

1.20: Turners Novice Hurdles (Grade 1), 2m 5ft, ITV, £150,000
2.00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, 3m, ITV, £200,000
2.40: Coral Cup, Handicap, Barrier, 2x5f, ITV, £100,000
3.20: Glenfarclas Cross Country Limited Handicap Chase, 3m5f, ITV, £75,000
4.00: BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grad 1), 2m, ITV, £400,000
4.40: Johnny Henderson’s Great Annual Handicap, 2m, ITV, £150,000
5.20: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1), 2m, £80,000

Thursday, March 13 (new course)

1.20: Ryanair Mares Novice Hurdle (Grade 2), 2m1f, ITV, £105,000
2.00: Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase, 2m4f, ITV, £125,000
2.40: Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdles), 3m, ITV, £100,000
3.20: Ryanair Chase (Class 1), 2m4f, ITV, £375,000
4.00: Paddy Power Steers Hurdles (Grade 1), 3m, ITV, £325,000
4.40: Trustatrader Plate (Handicap Chase), 2m4f, ITV, £150,000
5.20: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase (Sponsored by JRL Group), 3m2f, £75,000

Friday, March 14 (new course)

1.20: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m, ITV, £150,000
2.00: William Hill County Handicap, 2m, ITV, £100,000
2.40: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2), 2m4f, ITV, £120,000
3.20: Albert Bartlett Novice Steeplechase (Grade 1), 3m, ITV, £150,000
4.00: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grad 1), 3m2f, ITV, £625,000
4.40: St James Place Festival Hunter Chase, 3m2f, ITV, £50,000
5.20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdling, 2m4f, £75,000

ITV Racing editor Richard Willoughby said: “Terrestrial viewers will be delighted that ITV Racing will be able to show extra races on every day of the festival in 2025.

“This means we will be showing 24 races live throughout the week and will be on air for more than four hours each day, as well as broadcasting our extended 90-minute opening show each morning.”

Prize money has also been increased, with two Level 1 Novice Chases, the Arkle and the Brown Advisory, increased by £25,000 to £200,000. All of the meeting’s handicap chases have also received the same cash injection, rising to £150,000 sterling

Ian Renton, managing director of the Jockey Club, said: “The publication of the running order follows on from the changes announced last month and sees feature races now taking place later on the card each day, creating a sense of excitement. and expectations build by the end of the day.”

The announcement comes after a number of changes were made to the meeting this season, notably the cancellation of the Turners rookie chase.

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