2025 Cheltenham Festival Changes - Triumph Hurdle Tweak plus Pricing Changes
Significant reforms are coming for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival to improve both the racing and visitor experience. The most notable change on-course is a minimum rating of 110 for entries in the Triumph Hurdle, preventing debutants from winning as happened in 2024. Attendance will be limited to 66,000 per day to address overcrowding, and several hospitality upgrades are planned, including refurbished bars, a new food court, and reduced Guinness prices. The festival seeks to enhance accessibility with more affordable lodging and ticket discounts.
- Triumph Hurdle now requires a minimum rating of 110 for entry
- Daily attendance capped at 66,000; Ladies Day reinstated
- Bar and hospitality upgrades, cheaper Guinness, and new food court coming
A series of changes have been announced for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, including a requirement tweak for the opening Grade One on Gold Cup day.
The Cheltenham Festival will, again, overshadow the upcoming 2025/26 National Hunt season. Jumps racing's showpiece event remains the most popular meeting in the sports, despite decreasing attendance figures and complaints being raised by disgruntled racegoers.
As a result, the BHA have announced a number of changes for the upcoming Festival - most of which concern off-track matters.
The most significant on-course change was made to the Triumph Hurdle, which was won in 2024 by 150/1 outsider Poniros. Highly rated on the flat, Poniros was making his hurdles debut for Willie Mullins when he upset Lulamba in Friday's opener. To ensure this doesn't happen again, the BHA have enforced a minimum rating on any horse hoping to run in the Triumph Hurdle, with a rating of 110 needed to feature in the final field.
110 isn't a particularly lofty rating for a Triumph Hurdle contender. However, juveniles will need at least one run over obstacles to earn a rating - thus ensuring that this important Grade One won't be won by a hurdling debutante.
To combat the overcrowding issue, attendance for all four days of the Cheltenham Festival have been capped to 66,000. Wednesday will revert back to being called "Ladies Day", having been unsuccessfully rebranded as "Fashion Day" in 2019.
The price of a pint of Guinness has been reduced by 30p down to £7.50 - a price that will remain consistent at Cheltenham throughout the jumps season. The Cottage Rake and Mill House bars in the Main Grandstand will be refurbished, while a new bar called Prestbury View will be opening in the same enclosure.
A brand new covered food court will be built in the Tented Village, to help cater for and shelter punters during inclement weather. Prosecco has also been made widely available around the racecourse.
The BHA was keen to highlight the efforts made by the "Room To Race" initiative, who're trying to introduce more affordable accommodation to the area during Festival week. Improvements have been made to the on-course PA system, while additional discount windows for tickets could announced at different periods throughout the season.
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