The 2025 Cheltenham November Festival runs from Friday, November 14th to Sunday, November 16th, offering three days packed with top-class jumps racing against a backdrop of autumnal Cotswold splendour.
Racegoers can look forward to a diverse schedule featuring established stars, up-and-coming novices, and fiercely competitive handicaps.
Below is a day-by-day guide to each card, the feature races, and notable contenders set to shape one of jump racing’s autumn highlights.
Friday 14th November 2025: November Festival Opening Day
Cheltenham’s track opens on ground described as good to soft, with some watering and minor rail adjustments to accommodate the challenging November weather.
Friday’s card is rich in competitive handicaps and key Festival trials, building to the high-class Shloer Chase.
1:10 Lycetts Insurance Brokers Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Nineteen runners contest the opener, with a typically wide-open betting heat for conditionals.
Novices looking to progress and experienced handicappers searching for early-season form will be worth following here.
1:45 Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase
This veterans’ series qualifier offers seasoned campaigners aged 10+ the chance to shine.
Expect crowd favourites and old stagers to feature, with stamina and jumping ability at a premium.
2:20 Sun’s “Save Our Bets” Novices’ Chase
A test for promising staying novice chasers, providing early clues for potential Festival candidates.
Training powerhouses often test their best here, and the field includes several with strong point-to-point and hurdle pedigrees.
2:55 Shloer Chase
Headlining Friday, the Shloer Chase serves as the season’s first British showdown for elite two-mile chasers.
Jonbon, trained by Nicky Henderson, bids for a third consecutive win in this race and is the odds-on favourite (2/5).
His main rival is L’eau Du Sud from Dan Skelton’s team, who heads a small but classy field.
Other notable challengers include Boothill and Edwardstone, both proven at graded level, and Liberty Hunter, who has previous Cheltenham form and a progressive profile.
3:30 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
A significant stepping-stone for future stayers, this Grade 2 draws attention from trainers with smart four and five-year-olds targeting the spring Festivals. Watch for leading Irish and British yards testing stayers’ credentials.
4:00 Valda Energy Novices’ Handicap Hurdle
The closing contest provides novice hurdlers another opportunity to stake a claim, generally producing tight finishes given the depth of unexposed talent.
Saturday 15th November 2025: Feature Day
The ground remains good to soft with rain in the air, and the Festival atmosphere reaches its peak on Saturday.
This is the meeting’s signature day, headlined by the ever-competitive Paddy Power Gold Cup.
12:35 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
A trial for March’s Triumph Hurdle, it features unexposed three-year-olds looking to announce themselves as serious contenders.
Winners here often become Festival market leaders.
1:10 Debenhams Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase
Amateur riders take the spotlight in this stamina-sapping handicap. With such competitive fields, skill and experience in the saddle often make the difference.
1:45 Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase
An early Arkle pointer, current talking horse Be Aware (10/1) is tipped to build on good form, while Jagwar, who ended last season on a steep upward curve, is the market leader for Paul Nicholls.
2:20 Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase
This is the centrepiece of the festival, delivering big field drama and attracting Britain’s top two-and-a-half milers.
Jagwar is the worthy favourite after winning at the Festival last season, although Thecompanysergeant (12/1) is fancied by some to reverse form at favourable weights.
Expect Burdett Road, last year’s runner-up, to be popular again, with past winners like Stage Star and Caid Du Berlais (both Paul Nicholls charges) reflecting the trainer’s enviable record in this race.
2:55 From The Horses Mouth Podcast Handicap Hurdle
Another competitive three-mile hurdle, often testing the resolve of improving hurdlers and experienced handicappers alike.
3:30 Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle
Mid-distance handicaps are a Cheltenham staple, and this contest traditionally delivers for each-way backers with closely-matched fields.
4:00 Cheltenham Guardians Safeguarding Team Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race
Amares and young bumper horses round off the Saturday card—keep an eye on unraced or once-raced sorts from strong jumping stables.
Sunday 16th November 2025: Finale Day
Sunday concludes the Festival with a quality card and another mix of testing handicaps and championship trials.
Conditions are again good to soft, with the going stick unchanged and ground likely to remain fair.
1:15 Mallard Jewellers Maiden Hurdle
An open maiden hurdle for novices, with powerful British and Irish connections often unveiling future winners.
1:45 Bottlegreen Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
Novice chasers compete for an early-season prize—market vibes often focus on progressive improvers with Festival ambitions.
2:20 Hine Solicitors Talking Sense Handicap Chase
A shorter chase rewarding speed and accuracy; look for horses with tactical pace and past course experience.
2:55 Oddschecker Handicap Chase
Stamina is the name of the game in this marathon, attracting established staying handicappers and big-field specialists.
3:30 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle
This Premier Handicap is one of the most prestigious hurdle handicaps of the early season, with a deep field likely including several real Festival dark horses.
Competitive and tricky for punters, front rankers and hold-up runners can both succeed depending on the race shape.
4:00 Three Counties Christmas Open National Hunt Flat Race
Round off the meeting with a Listed bumper, often the starting point for next season’s novice hurdle stars.
A Busy Weekend At Prestbury
The 2025 November Meeting is set to deliver a blend of competitive handicaps, enlightening novice contests, and championship tests, anchored by races like the Shloer Chase and Paddy Power Gold Cup.
Watch for possible Festival clues as established names like Jonbon aim to affirm their dominance while emerging talent seeks to make early headlines in front of Cheltenham’s passionate crowds.
BETFRED
