Horse Racing Calendar 2026Every Major UK Festival & Race
The definitive UK horse racing calendar for 2026. Every major festival, key race date and venue — from the Grand National at Aintree in April to QIPCO British Champions Day in October. Use this guide to plan your betting year, identify the biggest non-GamStop betting opportunities and never miss a major race.
UK Horse Racing Calendar 2026 — Full Schedule
Below is a comprehensive calendar of the major UK horse racing festivals and races for 2026 — both jump racing and flat racing. Each event links to our detailed betting guide where available. Use this as your reference for planning betting activity across the year.
| Date | Festival / Race | Venue | Type | Key Race |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10–13 Mar | Cheltenham Festival ✅ | Cheltenham | Jump | Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle |
| 9–11 Apr | Aintree Festival (Grand National) 🔴 | Aintree, Liverpool | Jump | Grand National — Sat 11 Apr, 4pm |
| 13 Apr | Irish Grand National | Fairyhouse, Ireland | Jump | Irish Grand National (Easter Mon) |
| Early May | Chester May Festival | Chester | Flat | Chester Cup, Dee Stakes |
| 2 May | Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs, USA | Flat | Kentucky Derby (US Triple Crown leg 1) |
| 1–2 May | 2000 & 1000 Guineas | Newmarket | Flat | Opening English Classics of the flat season |
| 16 May | Preakness Stakes | Laurel Park, USA | Flat | US Triple Crown leg 2 |
| 5–6 Jun | Epsom Derby Festival | Epsom Downs, Surrey | Flat | The Derby (Sat 3:30pm, £1.125m) |
| 6 Jun | Belmont Stakes | Saratoga, USA | Flat | US Triple Crown finale |
| 16–20 Jun | Royal Ascot | Ascot, Berkshire | Flat | 8 Group 1s — Gold Cup, St James's Palace |
| 25 Jul | King George Day | Ascot | Flat | King George VI & QE Stakes (£2m) |
| 28 Jul–1 Aug | Glorious Goodwood | Goodwood, W. Sussex | Flat | Sussex Stakes, Goodwood Cup |
| 19–22 Aug | York Ebor Festival | York Racecourse | Flat | Juddmonte International, Yorkshire Oaks, Ebor |
| 10–13 Sep | St Leger Festival | Doncaster | Flat | St Leger — final English Classic |
| 5 Sep | Sprint Cup Day | Haydock Park | Flat | Betfair Sprint Cup (G1) |
| Oct | Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe | Longchamp, Paris | Flat | Arc — Europe's greatest flat race |
| 21 Oct | QIPCO British Champions Day | Ascot | Flat | Champion Stakes (£1.3m) — richest UK raceday |
| Oct/Nov | Breeders' Cup | USA | Flat | Breeders' Cup Classic and Sprint |
| Nov | Melbourne Cup | Flemington, Australia | Flat | Melbourne Cup — "race that stops a nation" |
| 13–15 Nov | Cheltenham November Meeting | Cheltenham | Jump | Paddy Power Gold Cup (Super Saturday) |
| 23–24 Oct | Cheltenham Showcase | Cheltenham | Jump | NH season curtain-raiser |
🟢 Live Festival Guides Available
Our full betting guides are live for the events marked with ✅. We are adding Royal Ascot, Epsom Derby, Glorious Goodwood and York Ebor guides in April and May — bookmark this page for the latest additions.
Jump Racing Calendar 2026 — Key NH Dates
National Hunt racing runs year-round but the major festival season is October to April. Key dates for jump racing fans in 2026:
| Date | Meeting | Venue | Key Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | Cheltenham November Meeting | Cheltenham | Paddy Power Gold Cup |
| Dec 2025 | Leopardstown Christmas Festival | Leopardstown, IRE | Savills Chase (G1) — key Gold Cup trial |
| 27–28 Dec 2025 | King George / Kempton | Kempton Park | King George VI Chase (G1) |
| Jan 2026 | Cheltenham Festival Trials | Cheltenham | Festival trials for March |
| Jan 2026 | Dublin Racing Festival | Leopardstown, IRE | Irish Champion Hurdle, Irish Gold Cup trial |
| 10–13 Mar | Cheltenham Festival ✅ | Cheltenham | Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, 28 races |
| 9–11 Apr | Aintree Festival (Grand National) 🔴 | Aintree | Grand National — 11 Apr, 4pm |
| 13 Apr | Irish Grand National | Fairyhouse | Irish Grand National |
| May | Punchestown Festival | Punchestown, IRE | Irish championship jump meeting |
Expert analysis
Horse Racing Calendar 2026 — Betting Tips
The biggest betting value in UK racing comes from ante-post markets. Identify your target races for the year now — Grand National, Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot — and monitor trials and prep races from January onwards to catch the best prices before they shorten.
Non-GamStop bookmakers require KYC verification (usually 24-48 hours). Register and complete verification at least 2-3 days before any major festival so your account is fully ready to bet. Don't wait until race day.
The UK racing calendar offers major betting opportunities every month. Spreading activity across the year — rather than concentrating everything at Cheltenham or the Grand National — improves overall results and maintains focus.
Ante-post prices open for major races months in advance. The Grand National ante-post market opens after Christmas; Royal Ascot markets open in spring. Using this calendar to anticipate when to act gives you access to the best prices.
Where to bet
Best Non-GamStop Bookmakers for Horse Racing Calendar 2026
These non-GamStop bookmakers offer full coverage of Horse Racing Calendar 2026 with the best each-way terms and competitive odds.
Common questions
Horse Racing Calendar 2026 — FAQs
The Grand National 2026 takes place on Saturday 11 April 2026 at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. The race starts at 4:00pm. The full Aintree Festival runs from Thursday 9 April to Saturday 11 April.
Royal Ascot 2026 runs from Tuesday 16 June to Saturday 20 June 2026 at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire. Five days of flat racing with 36 races including 8 Group 1s.
The Betfred Derby 2026 takes place on Saturday 6 June 2026 at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey. The race starts at 3:30pm. The Epsom Derby Festival is a two-day event with The Oaks on Friday 5 June.
QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 21 October 2026 is the richest single race day in UK racing — with total prize money exceeding £4 million including the QIPCO Champion Stakes (£1.3m) and three other Group 1 races. It serves as the finale to the British flat racing season.
Non-GamStop bookmakers including Freshbet, Goldenbet and BetOnRed cover all major UK racing festivals throughout 2026. Register at one or more of these sites to access ante-post markets, day-of betting and enhanced each-way terms across the full racing calendar.