UK horse racing festivals: dates, odds and betting guides
From Cheltenham in March to Champions Day in October, and the Christmas jumps in between. Every big British festival, in date order, with a betting guide for each: odds, favourites, trends, each-way terms and the free bets worth claiming.
Photo: David Geneugelijk / UnsplashRacing festivals coming up
The next meetings first. Dates are taken from each racecourse; anything marked “expected” is pencilled in a year on from the last running and confirmed once the course publishes its fixtures.
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in 2 months · Saturday 26 December 2026
King George
Kempton’s Boxing Day Grade 1, the season’s second-biggest staying chase.
- Course
- Kempton Park
- Feature race
- King George
- 2025 winner
- The Jukebox Man (7/1)
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in 2 months · Monday 28 December 2026
Welsh Grand National
Chepstow’s Christmas stamina test, often in heavy ground.
- Course
- Chepstow
- Feature race
- Welsh Grand National
- 2025 winner
- Haiti Couleurs (5/1)
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in 5 months · Friday 19 March 2027
Cheltenham Festival
Four days of championship jumps racing, ending with the Gold Cup.
- Course
- Cheltenham
- Feature race
- Gold Cup
- 2026 winner
- Gaelic Warrior (11/4JF)
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in 6 months · Saturday 10 April 2027
Grand National
Aintree’s marathon: 34 runners, 30 fences and the biggest betting race of the year.
- Course
- Aintree
- Feature race
- Grand National
- 2026 winner
- I Am Maximus (9/2F)
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in 6 months · Saturday 17 April 2027
Scottish Grand National
Ayr’s four-mile handicap chase, a big-field each-way puzzle in April.
- Course
- Ayr
- Feature race
- Scottish Grand National
- 2026 winner
- Kap Vert (20/1)
-
in 6 months · Saturday 1 May 2027
Guineas
Newmarket’s first Classics of the season, over the Rowley Mile.
- Course
- Newmarket
- Feature race
- 2000 Guineas
- 2026 winner
- Bow Echo (9/2)
-
in 7 months · Saturday 5 June 2027
Derby
Epsom’s Classic over a mile and a half, with the Oaks the day before.
- Course
- Epsom
- Feature race
- Derby
- 2026 winner
- Christmas Day (7/1)
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in 8 months · Thursday 17 June 2027
Royal Ascot
Five days of Group 1 racing and huge handicaps at Ascot in June.
- Course
- Ascot
- Feature race
- Gold Cup
- 2026 winner
- Scandinavia (11/8F)
-
in 9 months · 27–31 July 2027
Glorious Goodwood
Five summer days on the Downs, with the Sussex Stakes the highlight.
- Course
- Goodwood
- Feature race
- Sussex Stakes
- 2026 winner
- Bow Echo (10/11F)
-
in 10 months · 18–21 August 2027
Ebor
Four days at York, with the Ebor and the Juddmonte International.
- Course
- York
- Feature race
- Ebor
- 2026 winner
- Daiquiri Bay (10/1)
-
in 11 months · 9–12 September 2027
St Leger
Doncaster’s four-day meeting and the oldest Classic of all.
- Course
- Doncaster
- Feature race
- St Leger
- 2026 winner
- Highwayman (11/1)
Dates to be confirmed
These festivals have just been run, or their next dates haven’t been published yet. Each guide keeps the latest result, trends and betting advice until the new dates are out.
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2027 dates to be announced
July Festival
Newmarket’s summer meeting, built around the July Cup sprint.
- Course
- Newmarket
- Feature race
- July Cup
- 2026 winner
- Comanche Brave (11/1)
-
2027 dates to be announced
Champions Day
Ascot’s October finale: five Group 1s in one afternoon.
- Course
- Ascot
- Feature race
- Champion Stakes
- 2026 winner
- Ombudsman (5/4F)
Betting on the big racing festivals
Festival week is when bookmakers compete hardest for your account. Expect price boosts, extra each-way places on the big handicaps and money back specials, on top of the usual welcome offers. The trick is to compare: the bookmaker with the best price on one race is rarely the best on the next.
For ante-post bets placed weeks or months ahead, look for non-runner no bet terms, which most bookmakers switch on for the biggest races. On the day, Best Odds Guaranteed means you can take an early price and still be paid the starting price if it is bigger. Our BOG sites guide shows which bookmakers offer it, and from what time.
Festival free bets
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Betfred
Best racing bonusesBet £10 Get £50- Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am
- Lucky 15, 31 and 63 bonuses up to 25%
- Sponsor of all five British Classics
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. 18+. GambleAware.org
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William Hill
Best high-street racing bookmakerBet £10 Get £30Promo Code S30- Best Odds Guaranteed on UK & Irish racing
- Extra places on selected big races
- WHTV streams of UK & Irish racing
18+. Play Safe. Online only. Ends 31.12.26. New UK customers only, registering with promo code S30. Make your first deposit of £10+, then place a £10 single bet from main balance at odds of EVS+ on any sports market (excluding Virtuals). Get £30 in Free Bets (3x£10) after settlement. Free Bets valid on any sports market excl. Virtuals, expire in 7 days, non-withdrawable and must be used in full (£10 each). Deposits via PayPal, Neosurf, Paysafe, Apple Pay, NETELLER, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay and WH PLUS Card excluded. One per customer. Full T&Cs apply. #ad GambleAware.org
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GS
Grosvenor Sport
Best for an odds boost on sign upBet £10 Get £30 + Double Your Odds- 100% odds boost token with the welcome offer
- Best Odds Guaranteed from 9am
- Free UK and Irish racing streams
New Customers. Min deposit £10 (Excl. paysafecard). 3x £10 Free Bets credited within 72 hours of settlement. 100% odds boost token. T&Cs apply. 18+. GambleAware.org
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bet365
Best all-round racing siteBet £10 Get £30 in Bet CreditsPromo Code 365GMBLR- Extra places paid in more races than any rival in our data
- Live streams of UK, Irish and French racing
- Best Odds Guaranteed on UK and Irish racing
New Bet365 Customers Only. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration Required. The bonus code 365GMBLR can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #AD 18+. GambleAware.org
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SBK
Best odds for horse racingBet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets- Top price more often than any bookmaker we track
- Exchange-powered prices from Smarkets
- Price+ shows when its odds are beaten
New UK customers. Min £10 first deposit. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 3.0 and get £40 in Free Bets within 48 hours. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. 18+. GambleAware.org
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Ladbrokes
Best for Extra Place racesBet £5 Get £30- Daily Extra Place Races
- Tote Guarantee on selected races
- Low £5 qualifying stake at 1/2
New UK+ROI Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stake not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. 18+. GambleAware.org
18+. New customers only. Gamble responsibly — GambleAware.org · National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Compare every sign up offer on our horse racing free bets page, or see our ranking of the best horse racing betting sites.
Racing festivals FAQs
What is the next big racing festival?
The Ladbrokes Christmas Festival at Kempton at Kempton Park, Saturday 26 December 2026.
Which is the biggest racing festival in the UK?
The Cheltenham Festival in March is the biggest jumps meeting, and Royal Ascot in June the biggest on the Flat. The Grand National at Aintree is the single race that attracts the most bets.
Can I use free bets on racing festivals?
Yes. Most welcome offers let you place the qualifying bet and use the free bets on horse racing, including festival races. Check the minimum odds and expiry in the terms.
What does non-runner no bet mean?
If your horse doesn’t run, your stake is returned. Bookmakers usually offer it on the biggest festival races in the weeks before, which takes most of the risk out of betting ante-post.
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