2025 was quite the ride in UK & Irish racing with plenty of twists, turns, and shock wins, and 2026 promises to be just the same.
With this in mind, here are the key racing events that deserve a spot in your diary come next year.
Cheltenham Festival – 10th to 13th March 2026
From Golden Ace landing a dramatic Champion Hurdle to Galopin Des Champs being denied a historic hat-trick in the Gold Cup, the 2025 Cheltenham Festival will live long in the memory for many racing fans.
Looking ahead, Inothewayurthinkin is currently the bookies’ favourite to retain his Gold Cup crown in 2026, with Galopin and Fact To File making up the top 3 contenders.
And as for the festival itself, changes will be made to the schedule for the 2026 edition, with the Grade One Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle set to be staged on St Patrick’s Thursday rather than its traditional Tuesday slot. In doing this, it’s hoped the race will receive greater attention with the schedule change also meaning there will be at least three Grade One contests on each of the four days.
There has even been talk of changes on a much grander scale, with the festival running from Wednesday to Saturday, mooted as a possibility for the future.
Irish Grand National – 6th April 2026
Taking place at Fairyhouse Racecourse on Easter Monday each year is the BoyleSports Irish Grand National, regarded as one of Ireland’s most prestigious racing events.
Last year’s race was won by 5/1 shot Haiti Couleurs, trained by Rebecca Curtis, who became the first UK trainer to win the race in over a decade.
I Am Maximus is the most recent horse to complete the Irish/English Grand National double, a feat that could also be on the cards for Haiti Couleurs, according to the best horse racing betting sites in Ireland.
On a side note, 2026 will also see racing take place on Good Friday for the first time, with the Curragh Racecourse set to stage a fixture on April 3rd.
Grand National – 11th April 2026
The 33/1 outsider Nick Rockett won the 2025 edition of the world’s greatest steeplechase. The shock result was even more surprising given that an amateur jockey led the horse home. Patrick Mullins, son of trainer Willie Mullins, is now a member of a very exclusive club of amateurs to lead his horse home in the showpiece event.
Last year’s winner is around 25/1 in the early betting odds to win the 2026 race, with I Am Maximus a contender to repeat its 2024 success at Aintree.
The iconic race has seen significant change in recent years, with race organisers introducing several safety measures to improve the welfare of the horses, including reducing the number of runners from 40 to 34 and shortening the run to the first fence to help slow horses down.
Punchestown Festival – 28th April to 2nd May 2026
Held at the iconic Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare, the five-day festival is not only a racing event but a major social occasion, drawing tens of thousands of visitors for racing, music, fashion and hospitality.
It’s considered the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival and features many of the same horses, trainers and jockeys who roll into Gloucestershire.
Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs romped home in the 2025 Punchestown Gold Cup to put the disappointment of Cheltenham behind him, while Marine Nationale won the Champion Chase on the opening day of last year’s event.
Royal Ascot – 16th to 20th June 2026
While Cheltenham and the Grand National capture the imagination of racegoers, punters and even casual racing fans, few racing events are as prestigious and elegant as Royal Ascot.
The five-day event, which begins with the Royal Procession at 2pm on each day, is staged in Berkshire during the heart of the British summer and is regarded as the jewel in the Flat racing calendar.
In addition to hosting the best flat horses in Britain and Ireland, Royal Ascot attracts runners from France, Australia, Hong Kong and the US, making it one of the most unique race meetings in the world; it has even been dubbed ‘The Olympics of Horse Racing’ by some.
Trawlerman won the 2025 Ascot Gold Cup, with jockey William Buick bouncing back from the disappointment of finishing as runner-up in 2024 by setting a new track record.