Cheltenham 2025 Fixtures, Meetings And Changes

The fixtures are out from the BHA for the coming year 2025 and as usual we will give you the details for the meetings at Cheltenham here.  Last year in 2024 we saw several changes with races moving around and new races added.  This year we see less changes overall but there are some major changes to the Cheltenham Festival as authorities look to refresh the premier meeting due to declining attendances since the pandemic.

The first change to be announced sees the removal of the Turners Novice Chase from Day 3 and the reinstatement of the Grade 2 Novices’ Handicap Chase, that was moved to Sandown in 2021.   Along with that change, and to the consternation of many, the much loved Cross-Country Chase will be changed from a conditions to handicap race.  It is hoped this change will increase the field size but many fear it will lose it’s status as the ‘Grand National’ of Cheltenham.

Following that announcement further changes to the Festival were made.  The biggest of which sees Cheltenham’s oldest race, The National Hunt Chase, that pre-dates the Festival itself, being downgraded from Grade 2 to a handicap. It will now be open to professional as well as amateur riders.  Again this change is driven by a desire to increase the field size with only eight horses entering in 2024.

Other changes include removal of penalties in Mares Novices’ Hurdles and an increase in the number of races need to qualify for non-handicaps at the Festival.  This goes up from three to four over hurdles and four to five over fences.

It is not just the racing that will see an overhaul for 2025, Cheltenham is also making significant changes to improve the customer experience – again to try to reverse declining attendances.  These include freezing ticket prices, improving food and drink access, improving parking and access and increasing affordable accommodation options.