Why Cheltenham Is the Biggest Week in Irish Racing
If you grew up in Ireland with a parent, an uncle, or a grandfather who followed the horses, the second week of March each year has a particular flavour. The pub TVs go on at lunchtime. The post office queues fill up with people placing bets. Schools and workplaces quietly become flexible about screen access. From Tuesday afternoon through to Friday's Gold Cup, Cheltenham is the unspoken national obsession.
And there's a reason for that obsession: Irish horses, Irish trainers, and Irish jockeys dominate this festival like no other event in world sport. In recent years, Ireland has won the Prestbury Cup (top country trophy) most years running — sometimes by margins so wide it barely seems fair. When you watch Cheltenham, you're not just watching racing. You're watching Ireland win on the world stage, repeatedly, for four straight days.
The challenge is getting all the coverage. RTÉ doesn't broadcast live races. ITV is geo-restricted to UK viewers. Racing TV costs €33/month if you subscribe direct. A premium IPTV Ireland subscription bundles everything you need for €5/month. For the technical streaming details, see our Cheltenham 2026 IPTV streaming guide — this post focuses on what to watch, who to back, and which races to clear your schedule for.
What's at Stake for Ireland in 2026
The 2026 festival sees Ireland defending its recent dominance against a Britain that desperately wants the trophy back. The key narratives:
- The Prestbury Cup: Ireland has won this country-vs-country contest most years recently. British trainers and owners have invested heavily to mount a serious challenge in 2026.
- Willie Mullins chasing more history: Mullins is the most successful trainer in festival history and routinely adds 8–12 wins per year. His stable depth in 2026 is once again formidable.
- Gold Cup defence: Recent Gold Cup winners from the Mullins yard (including Galopin Des Champs) put Ireland firmly in the spotlight again for the Friday feature.
- Top Irish jockeys: Paul Townend (Mullins's number one), Rachael Blackmore (de Bromhead's stable jockey), Mark Walsh and Jack Kennedy lead Ireland's jockey corps.
The Irish Trainers to Watch
Four Irish trainers will account for the vast majority of Irish runners and winners. Get familiar with these names — they'll dominate the coverage:
👑 Willie Mullins
Festival's #1The most successful trainer in Cheltenham history. Mullins typically arrives with 60–80 runners over the four days and lands 8–12 winners. His son Patrick rides as amateur jockey for the yard; stable jockey is Paul Townend. If you back Mullins horses blindly, you'll have a profitable festival.
🏆 Gordon Elliott
Top 3 TrainerMullins's chief Irish rival. Trained Tiger Roll to back-to-back Grand National wins and Don Cossack to the 2016 Gold Cup. Specialises in cross-country races and has a sharp eye for staying chasers. His Tuesday/Wednesday handicaps consistently produce winners at decent odds.
⭐ Henry de Bromhead
Gold Cup TrainerTrainer of Honeysuckle (3-time Champion Hurdle winner with Rachael Blackmore). Stable jockey Rachael Blackmore made history as the first female to win both the Gold Cup (A Plus Tard, 2022) and the Grand National (Minella Times, 2021). De Bromhead targets quality over quantity — fewer runners but higher strike rate.
🏇 Gavin Cromwell
Emerging ForceThe rising star of Irish training. Trained Inothewayurthinkin to the 2025 Gold Cup, beating Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs in a stunning result. Cromwell's runners often go off at decent odds and finish in the frame — worth a long, hard look at any runner he sends from Danestown.
Irish Jockeys at Cheltenham 2026
The riders who'll be wearing the famous Irish colours and steering the favourites home:
Paul Townend — Stable Jockey, Willie Mullins
Two-time festival top jockey. The Knockraha, County Cork rider has been Mullins's number one for over a decade. Known for his tactical patience and ability to deliver horses at the right moment. Look for him on the Mullins favourites in the championship races.
Rachael Blackmore — Stable Jockey, Henry de Bromhead
The first female Grand National winner (2021) and first female Gold Cup winner (2022). The Killenaule, County Tipperary rider has become a household name across Ireland and Britain. Her every ride at the festival is a moment — watch for her on de Bromhead's main hopes.
Jack Kennedy — Gordon Elliott Stable Jockey
The young Dingle, County Kerry-born rider has overcome multiple career-threatening injuries to establish himself among the elite. Aggressive front-runner who suits Cheltenham's uphill finish.
Mark Walsh — JP McManus's Retained Jockey
Rides JP McManus's horses across multiple yards — Mullins, Elliott, de Bromhead. Quietly excellent. The Naas, County Kildare jockey is a Festival regular winner.
Other Irish Names to Note
Danny Mullins (Willie's nephew), Patrick Mullins (Willie's son, amateur champion), Sam Ewing, Bryan Cooper, Robbie Power — all carry serious chances throughout the four days.
Watch Every Irish Runner at Cheltenham 2026 — Free for 24 Hours
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Start Your Free Trial →The Four Championship Races — Race-by-Race Preview
Each day of the festival features one championship race scheduled at approximately 3:30pm. These are the four that decide the festival's biggest stories:
🏆 The Champion Hurdle
The premier 2-mile hurdle in the calendar. Open to horses aged 4 and older. Recent winners include Constitution Hill and Honeysuckle. Pace is fast and falls are rare — pure speed-and-stamina balance. Watch for: Mullins, de Bromhead and top British hurdler.
👑 Queen Mother Champion Chase
The 2-mile chasing championship — speed and jumping precision matter equally. Often a thrilling race with big jumping errors mid-pack. Recent Irish winners include Energumene (Mullins) and El Fabiolo (Mullins). Watch for: the Mullins/Elliott/de Bromhead 2-mile chasers; one of Mullins's best chances all week.
🌟 Stayers' Hurdle
The longest-distance hurdle championship. Stamina and tactical patience win. Often features the older statesmen of National Hunt — horses who've graduated from shorter trips. Recent winner Teahupoo (Elliott) and Sire Du Berlais (Elliott). Watch for: Gordon Elliott's specialism, with Irish stayers often dominating.
🥇 The Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Big One. Jump racing's championship — the race that crowns the best chaser in training. Run over 3 miles 2½ furlongs with 22 fences, including the famous downhill section into the home straight. Recent winners include Galopin Des Champs (Mullins, 2024 & 2025) and A Plus Tard (de Bromhead, 2022). Watch for: the Mullins challengers, with possible interference from Cromwell's Gold Cup-class chasers. This is the most-watched single moment of the racing year for Irish viewers.
Why St Patrick's Thursday Is Especially Special
Day 3 of the festival is unofficially "St Patrick's Thursday" — falling close to but rarely on St Patrick's Day itself (March 17). The atmosphere is unmistakably Irish:
- Sea of green: 60,000+ spectators in the stands, many wearing green, with Tricolours waving everywhere
- The Guinness Village: The course's largest hospitality area transforms into a giant Irish pub for the day
- Music and craic: Live traditional Irish music throughout the day
- The biggest betting day: Irish punters traditionally bet largest on this day, often backing Irish-trained horses heavily
- Strong Irish race programme: Includes the Stayers' Hurdle and Ryanair Chase, both regularly won by Irish-trained horses
Watching the Thursday coverage on ITV1 or Racing TV through your IPTV is the next-best thing to being there. Plan your day around the 3:30pm Stayers' Hurdle — it's pure theatre.
Quick Guide: How to Watch Cheltenham on IPTV
For the full technical streaming walkthrough, see our complete Cheltenham IPTV streaming guide. Here's the short version:
- Start the free 24-hour trial — credentials via WhatsApp in minutes
- Install an IPTV app — TiviMate for Firestick/Android, IBO Player for Samsung/LG
- Load the M3U URL in the app's playlist section
- Add favourites: ITV1 HD, Racing TV, Sky Sports Racing, RTÉ One
- Test before Tuesday's Champion Day — confirm stable HD playback for 30+ seconds
- Activate the 12-month plan if happy — €59.99/year via our pricing page
The 3:30pm Gold Cup on Friday is the busiest streaming moment of the year in Ireland. Plug your Firestick or Smart TV directly into your router via Ethernet for the day. A €10 Cat6 cable eliminates 90% of buffering risk during this peak demand window — and you don't want to miss a stride of jump racing's championship race.
The Festival Atmosphere Through Your Screen
What makes Cheltenham different from any other meeting is the noise. Specifically, "the roar" — the sound of 60,000+ punters shouting their horses home up the famous Cheltenham hill. ITV's coverage captures this brilliantly with multi-angle camera work, on-course microphones, and reactions from the legendary parade ring.
Watch for the human stories: the trainers walking out to the pre-parade ring, the jockeys getting last-minute instructions, the owners' reactions in the winner's enclosure, Ruby Walsh's expert analysis in the ITV studio. The post-race interviews with Mullins, Elliott or de Bromhead are usually filmed at the bottom of the steps coming down from the stands, with the crowd's noise still palpable in the background.
Best Times to Watch Each Day
Each festival day follows a similar pattern. Plan your viewing around these key windows:
| Time | What's Happening | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00am – 1:00pm | Build-up shows, paddock tour, tips, betting markets | Racing TV |
| 1:00pm – 1:30pm | ITV opens main coverage, opening race build-up | ITV1 HD |
| 1:30pm — Race 1 | First race of the day | ITV1 HD + Racing TV |
| 3:30pm — Race 5 | Championship race (Champion Hurdle / Champion Chase / Stayers' / Gold Cup) | ITV1 HD + Racing TV |
| 4:30pm — Race 6 | Last competitive race of the day | ITV1 HD + Racing TV |
| 5:00pm – 7:00pm | Post-race analysis, interviews, day-in-review | Racing TV + RTÉ News |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Cheltenham Festival so important in Ireland?
Who is the most successful Cheltenham Festival trainer?
What is the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Can I watch Irish trainers at Cheltenham on RTÉ?
What time is the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Who is Rachael Blackmore?
Can I watch Cheltenham at the pub via IPTV?
Will IPTV work for the Grand National in April too?
Final Word: Don't Miss a Single Furlong
From Tuesday's Champion Hurdle through to Friday's Gold Cup, the Cheltenham Festival is four days of pure jump-racing intensity — and for Irish viewers, four days of national success on the world stage. Don't let geo-restrictions, expensive subscriptions, or unreliable streaming get between you and the action.
Start your free 24-hour IPTV trial in the week before the festival. Test it on Racing TV's pre-festival coverage. Make sure your broadband holds during a busy race window. Then sit back, pour the Guinness, and enjoy Cheltenham 2026 the way it deserves to be watched.
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