2008 - 2009 Horse Racing Fixtures at Cheltenham Racecourse

17 October - 18 October 2008 – The Showcase
The Showcase offers a stunning start to the new season at Cheltenham Racecourse with a two day meeting. Seven races each day, with almost every category of horse catered for, will allow you to get some early season pointers for the forthcoming fixtures at Cheltenham and elsewhere. Plenty of stars of the 2007/08 season were on display at this meeting last year, including Knowhere, Joe Lively, Maljimar and Marodima. Tickets from £9. Gates open 11.30am, first race 2.20pm.

14 November - 16 November 2008 – The Open
The Open represents three days of the best that racing has to offer and is the biggest and most important meeting of the first half of the Jumps season, with £750,000 in prize money up for grabs. It provides thrilling competition between many of the best Jump horses in Europe, large and enthusiastic crowds creating a special atmosphere and even the opportunity to spend your winnings in the tented village. The highlight of the meeting is Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup, a race that has been a high point of the Autumn racing calendar since 1960. The gates open at 10am, first race is on at 12.50pm and last race runs at 4pm. Tickets start from £9.


12 December - 13 December 2008 – Boylesports International
Boylesports International features two days of the highest class action, with many emerging and established equine stars on display. Saturday's card includes the £200,000 boylesports.com International, one of the most valuable hurdle races of the entire season in Britain or Ireland and the ultra competitive boylesports.com Gold Cup, a superb race in its own right and one of the series of 2 mile 5 furlong handicap chases that never fail to illuminate the season at Cheltenham. On Friday, take your second chance of the season to experience Cross Country Steeplechasing, along with the £100,000 boylepoker.com Handicap Chase, as a secong highlight on another outstanding card. In the evening on Friday, The Centaur hosts the Brightwells Bloodstock Sale, to which everyone is welcome.

1 January 2009 – New Year’s Day Racing
2009 horse racing at Cheltenham Racecourse starts with New Year's Day Racing. The New Year is kick started with some of the best horses, jockeys and trainers in the land. Gates open at 10.00am, first race is on at 12.25pm, last race at 3.55pm.

24 January 2009 – Festival Trials Day
This is arguably the best one day Jumps meeting of the entire season anywhere. Seven races give some final clues as to the destination of the big prizes at The Festival (Five Festival winners ran on this day last season), but this is a day of sporting drama that is far more than a prelude to four days in March. Highlights include the Letheby & Christopher Chase, Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle and the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase. Gates open at 10.30am, first race is on at 12.55pm, last race at 4.20pm.

10 March – 13 March 2009 – The Festival
The National Hunt Festival is the highlight of Cheltenham's horse racing calendar, with its importance in British racing, comparable to the World Cup in football. It features the famous Cheltenham Gold Cup, the tradition of which goes back to 1819 and which had its present form since 1924. The four-days of the best steeplechase and hurdle racing attracts thousands of visitors from Ireland, with a strong line-up of Irish horses challenging for the prizes on offer. The 20 races offer in excess of £2 million in prize money.

15 April – 17 April 2009 – The April Meeting
Since 2008 April Meeting, a Friday evening fixture has been added to the traditional two days. There is also another top class National Hunt sale organised by Brightwells in the Centaur on the evening following the first day of the meeting, which in 2008 produced a staggering £2.3 million in aggregate turnover.

6 May 2009 – Hunter Chase Evening
Hunter Chase Evening is a fixture where amateur jockeys take centre stage on the racecourse. Off the track, this ever-popular meeting provides an outstanding atmosphere in which to enjoy the last meeting of our season.