If, like me, you start feeling more optimistic as soon as the ground turns soft, the National Hunt 2026/2027 calendar is already demanding your attention. The Flat season may still have a few big prizes to hand out, but my thoughts are drifting towards muddy silks, novice chasers and horses whose jumping technique raises the blood pressure for all the wrong reasons.
I’ll be covering the 2026/27 jumps season here at Inside the Paddock. Expect horses to follow, festival previews, ante-post selections and the occasional reminder that backing a talented novice at short odds is rarely as relaxing as it sounds.
To make life easier, I’ve gathered the biggest National Hunt fixtures in Britain and Ireland into one month-by-month guide. Save the page, bookmark it or copy the dates into the family calendar before anybody arranges a wedding on Gold Cup day. Some things can be forgiven. That cannot.
All dates were checked on 4 September 2026 against official fixture lists and racecourse websites. Fixtures can still change, so check with the racecourse before booking travel or accommodation. Punchestown’s 2027 dates are currently advertised by an official racecourse partner but have not yet appeared on Punchestown’s own fixture list.
National Hunt 2026/2027 calendar: month-by-month fixtures
The jumps never completely disappear, thanks to summer racing, but October is when the winter National Hunt campaign begins to take shape. From Chepstow’s curtain-raiser to the final celebrations at Punchestown, these are the meetings I’ll be watching most closely.
October 2026 – National Hunt racing gets serious
Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival (Fri 9 – Sun 11 October 2026, Chepstow)
Chepstow has expanded its traditional autumn curtain-raiser into a three-day Welsh Racing Festival. The meeting includes the Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle and the returning Welsh Champion Hurdle, giving me an early look at several horses worth keeping on side.
I never expect every runner to be fully wound up in October. Half the challenge is working out which horses are ready to race and which are enjoying a very public fitness exercise. Even so, Chepstow’s October meeting is the weekend when the new National Hunt season begins to feel real.
The William Hill Showcase (Fri 23 – Sat 24 October 2026, Cheltenham)
Cheltenham opens its 2026/27 jumps season with The William Hill Showcase on 23 and 24 October. The atmosphere is more relaxed than it will be in March, but nobody is there purely for the scenery.
Competitive handicaps and novice races provide the first Cheltenham Festival clues. Plenty will prove misleading, of course. October form has a habit of looking obvious five months later and completely baffling at the time.
November 2026 – The jumps season moves up a gear
The November Meeting (Fri 13 – Sun 15 November 2026, Cheltenham)
The November Meeting is often described as a smaller version of the Festival. That undersells it slightly. Across three busy days, the Paddy Power Gold Cup headlines Saturday and the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle takes centre stage on Sunday.
This is also an important meeting for novice chasers. A fluent round here can transform a promising horse into a Festival fancy before you have even finished your pint.
Betfair Chase Day (Sat 21 November 2026, Haydock Park)
The Betfair Chase returns on 21 November as the first Grade 1 chase of the British jumps season. As I explain in my Haydock Park Racecourse betting guide, a November afternoon here is rarely a gentle examination. The ground can be testing, and any weakness in stamina tends to be exposed before the home straight.
It is an early opportunity for established staying chasers to advertise their Cheltenham Gold Cup credentials. One strong performance can shorten a horse’s price dramatically. One poor round can produce six months of excuses.
Coral Gold Cup Weekend (Fri 27 – Sat 28 November 2026, Newbury)
The meeting reaches its climax with the Coral Gold Cup on Saturday 28 November. Many racing fans still call it the Hennessy, and I suspect they always will.
Previous Coral Gold Cup winners include outstanding chasers such as Denman, Bobs Worth and Native River. Carrying a big weight to victory at Newbury remains a serious achievement and an excellent way to announce yourself as a future Grade 1 contender.
BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Sat 28 November 2026, Newcastle)
The Fighting Fifth Hurdle takes place on the same afternoon. It is one of the first major tests for Champion Hurdle contenders and usually attracts a small but fascinating field.
Newcastle’s flat track puts the emphasis on speed and accurate jumping. Unfortunately, the clash with Newbury also puts the emphasis on finding the television remote quickly.
Fairyhouse Winter Festival (Sat 28 – Sun 29 November 2026, Fairyhouse)
Ireland joins an already crowded weekend with the Fairyhouse Winter Festival. Sunday’s card includes the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle and Drinmore Novice Chase, alongside the Grade 2 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
The meeting regularly produces future Cheltenham Festival contenders. By Sunday evening, I normally have several new ante-post ideas and at least one price I regret not taking on Saturday morning.
December 2026 – Christmas belongs to jump racing
Betfair Tingle Creek Festival (Fri 4 – Sat 5 December 2026, Sandown Park)
The Betfair Tingle Creek Festival usually brings together some of Britain’s leading two-mile chasers. Sandown’s fences arrive quickly, particularly down the back straight, so there is little room for hesitant jumping.
Saturday’s Grade 1 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase is fast, technical and usually revealing. A horse with Champion Chase ambitions cannot afford to treat the Railway fences as optional.
Howden Christmas Racing Weekend (Fri 18 – Sat 19 December 2026, Ascot)
Ascot’s festive meeting is headlined by the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle on Saturday. It is one of the most important staying hurdle races before Cheltenham and a proper test over three miles.
Ascot at Christmas brings festive jumpers, seasonal food and rather more polish than you find at most winter meetings. The mud still wins eventually.
Ladbrokes Christmas Festival (Sat 26 – Sun 27 December 2026, Kempton Park)
Boxing Day revolves around the King George VI Chase. The Ladbrokes Christmas Festival begins on 26 December before continuing with Kauto Star Chase Day on the 27th. This season, the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase moves to day two of the meeting.
Kempton’s sharp, right-handed track places a premium on speed, but the King George still demands stamina. Speed helps horses reach the final bend; staying power decides what happens afterwards. It is also the ideal excuse to avoid another afternoon of leftover turkey and board games.
Leopardstown Christmas Festival (Sat 26 – Tue 29 December 2026, Leopardstown)
Across the Irish Sea, the Leopardstown Christmas Festival delivers four days of top-class National Hunt racing.
The programme includes Grade 1 races such as the Savills Chase and December Hurdle, alongside several major novice contests. Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Ireland’s other leading trainers usually send out powerful teams. If you are searching for horses to follow on the road to Cheltenham, prepare to take plenty of notes.
Coral Welsh Grand National (Mon 28 December 2026, Chepstow)
There is an important change this season. The Coral Welsh Grand National moves to Bank Holiday Monday 28 December as part of a revamped four-day British Christmas racing programme.
Chepstow in late December provides exactly what this race needs: a long trip, demanding fences and ground that can make every yard feel twice as far. The winner will have earned the prize. So will everybody who reaches the car park with dry socks.
January 2027 – Festival dreams begin to look serious
Cheltenham New Year’s Day Racing (Fri 1 January 2027, Cheltenham)
Cheltenham stages its traditional New Year’s Day meeting on Friday 1 January. Seven competitive races offer a much better start to the year than pretending the new gym membership will change everything.
There are usually useful novice and handicap clues on the card. Festival ambitions are still alive for almost everyone at this point, including a few horses whose official ratings suggest they should be less optimistic.
BetMGM Clarence House Chase Raceday (Sat 23 January 2027, Ascot)
The Grade 1 BetMGM Clarence House Chase brings the leading two-mile chasers back into the spotlight. It is an important trial for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and can become especially gruelling when Ascot receives its usual share of January rain.
A straightforward victory can establish a clear Champion Chase favourite. A dramatic defeat sends everybody back to the form book.
Festival Trials Day (Sat 30 January 2027, Cheltenham)
Festival Trials Day is the final Cheltenham meeting before the Festival. The card traditionally features the Cotswold Chase and Cleeve Hurdle, important trials for the Gold Cup and Stayers’ Hurdle.
Not every winner will repeat the performance in March, but Cheltenham course experience matters. Horses that handle the undulations, fences and uphill finish have already answered several important questions.
Dublin Racing Festival (Sat 30 – Sun 31 January 2027, Leopardstown)
Yes, it is called the Dublin Racing Festival and, this season, none of it actually takes place in February. The 2027 meeting runs on 30 and 31 January.
Its eight Grade 1 races include the Irish Gold Cup, Irish Champion Hurdle and major novice events over hurdles and fences. For me, this is the strongest weekend of racing outside the spring festivals. It is also scheduled against Cheltenham Trials Day, because apparently racing fans do not deserve a quiet Saturday.
February 2027 – Final Cheltenham Festival clues
Betfair Ascot Chase Raceday (Sat 20 February 2027, Ascot)
The meeting is headlined by the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase, run over about two miles and five furlongs. The Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase provides another important test for staying novices.
By this stage, most trainers know where their leading horses are heading at the Cheltenham Festival. Punters merely think they know, which is not quite the same thing.
March 2027 – The Cheltenham Festival takes centre stage
The Cheltenham Festival (Tue 16 – Fri 19 March 2027, Cheltenham)
The wait ends when the Cheltenham Festival returns from 16 to 19 March. Four days and 28 races decide the major championships of the British and Irish jumps season.
- Tuesday – Champion Day: The opening roar and the Champion Hurdle.
- Wednesday – Ladies Day: The Queen Mother Champion Chase takes centre stage.
- Thursday – St Patrick’s Thursday: The Ryanair Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle headline the card.
- Friday – Gold Cup Day: The week ends with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the biggest prize in steeplechasing.
My Cheltenham Racecourse betting guide explains how the Old Course, New Course and famous uphill finish can shape both races and betting decisions.
I’ll be covering the Cheltenham Festival throughout the build-up and across all four days. By Friday evening, there will be new champions, battered betting accounts and several confident declarations that we should all have seen the winner coming. Festival throughout the build-up and across all four days. By Friday evening, there will be new champions, battered betting accounts and several confident declarations that we should all have seen the winner coming.
Fairyhouse Easter Festival (Sat 27 – Mon 29 March 2027, Fairyhouse)
Easter falls early in 2027, so the Fairyhouse Easter Festival begins only eight days after the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The BoyleSports Irish Grand National is staged on Easter Monday, 29 March. Run over about three miles and five furlongs, it is one of the toughest handicaps of the Irish season. Winners need stamina, luck and a jockey who can stay out of trouble. Two of those three qualities are sometimes enough.
April–May 2027 – Grand National festivals and the Punchestown finale
Randox Grand National Festival (Thu 8 – Sat 10 April 2027, Aintree)
The Randox Grand National Festival takes place from 8 to 10 April. Thursday and Friday feature several Grade 1 races before the Grand National dominates Saturday’s programme. If you are planning to attend, you can check Aintree Racecourse tickets before choosing your day.
The Randox Grand National has a maximum field of 34 rather than the traditional 40. The runners tackle 30 fences over about four miles and two furlongs. Millions of people who ignore racing for the other 364 days of the year will suddenly appear with a selection based on its name or colours. Annoyingly, some of them will win.
Coral Scottish Grand National Festival (Fri 16 – Sat 17 April 2027, Ayr)
The Coral Scottish Grand National Festival follows at Ayr, with the feature race taking place on Saturday 17 April.
The Scottish Grand National is run over just under four miles and rewards stamina and efficient jumping. Horses may arrive after running at Cheltenham, Aintree or in the Irish Grand National. Finding one with enough energy left is half the puzzle.
Punchestown Festival (Tue 27 April – Sat 1 May 2027, Punchestown)
The Punchestown Festival brings the Irish season to a close from 27 April to 1 May. Its five days include 12 Grade 1 races, headed by the Punchestown Gold Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and Champion Stayers Hurdle.
Cheltenham winners meet horses kept fresh for Punchestown, while Ireland’s trainers’ and jockeys’ championships are decided. The racing is serious, but the atmosphere is more relaxed than in March. By Saturday, even the weather has normally tried four different seasons.
National Hunt 2026/2027 – A season worth planning around
So, that is my National Hunt 2026/2027 calendar, covering everything from Chepstow’s autumn opener to the final afternoon at Punchestown. Over those seven months, early promise turns into serious form, festival dreams become reality and at least one horse I gave up on will win as soon as I stop backing it.
I’ll be covering the National Hunt season here on Inside the Paddock, following the main stories, horses and betting angles throughout the campaign. Keep this guide close when weekends start filling up. When somebody asks whether you are free on Gold Cup Friday, you can answer immediately.
You are not. Racing comes first.
| Festival or fixture | Dates | Racecourse |
|---|---|---|
| Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival | 9–11 October 2026 | Chepstow |
| The William Hill Showcase | 23–24 October 2026 | Cheltenham |
| The November Meeting | 13–15 November 2026 | Cheltenham |
| Betfair Chase Day | 21 November 2026 | Haydock Park |
| Coral Gold Cup Weekend | 27–28 November 2026 | Newbury |
| BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle | 28 November 2026 | Newcastle |
| Fairyhouse Winter Festival | 28–29 November 2026 | Fairyhouse |
| Betfair Tingle Creek Festival | 4–5 December 2026 | Sandown Park |
| Howden Christmas Racing Weekend | 18–19 December 2026 | Ascot |
| Ladbrokes Christmas Festival | 26–27 December 2026 | Kempton Park |
| Leopardstown Christmas Festival | 26–29 December 2026 | Leopardstown |
| Coral Welsh Grand National | 28 December 2026 | Chepstow |
| Cheltenham New Year’s Day Racing | 1 January 2027 | Cheltenham |
| Clarence House Chase Raceday | 23 January 2027 | Ascot |
| Festival Trials Day | 30 January 2027 | Cheltenham |
| Dublin Racing Festival | 30–31 January 2027 | Leopardstown |
| Betfair Ascot Chase Raceday | 20 February 2027 | Ascot |
| Cheltenham Festival | 16–19 March 2027 | Cheltenham |
| Fairyhouse Easter Festival | 27–29 March 2027 | Fairyhouse |
| Randox Grand National Festival | 8–10 April 2027 | Aintree |
| Coral Scottish Grand National Festival | 16–17 April 2027 | Ayr |
| Punchestown Festival | 27 April –1 May 2027 | Punchestown |
FAQs about the National Hunt 2026/2027 season
Jump racing continues during the summer, so there is no single day on which National Hunt racing returns. However, many fans regard Chepstow’s Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival, held from 9 to 11 October 2026, as the real beginning of the winter jumps season.
The Cheltenham Festival takes place from 16 to 19 March 2027. The Grand National Festival follows at Aintree from 8 to 10 April, while the Punchestown Festival runs from 27 April to 1 May. The King George VI Chase is held at Kempton on 26 December 2026.
The 2027 Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday 16 March and ends with the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday 19 March. Its 28 races are spread across Champion Day, Ladies Day, St Patrick’s Thursday and Gold Cup Day.
The 2027 Grand National will be run at Aintree on Saturday 10 April. It is the final day of the three-day Randox Grand National Festival, which begins on Thursday 8 April.
The Dublin Racing Festival is scheduled for Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January 2027. The meeting normally falls around the final weekend of January or the beginning of February, so its exact position changes slightly according to the calendar.
Cheltenham offers the biggest overall experience, although it can be expensive and extremely busy. I would consider the November Meeting, Dublin Racing Festival or Punchestown for a first trip. All three provide high-quality racing and a lively atmosphere without quite the same pressure as Gold Cup week.
Most leading National Hunt horses begin their summer break after Punchestown, while attention shifts towards the Flat season. Jump racing does continue at selected courses during the warmer months, but the leading winter horses are generally rested before returning in the autumn.
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