# Cheltenham November Meeting 2026: Paddy Power Gold Cup Race Times & Guide _Cheltenham's November Meeting, three days headed by the Paddy Power Gold Cup: dates, the day-by-day schedule, recent winners, trends and the raceday guide._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting/) · last updated 2026-10-08* # Cheltenham November Meeting 2026 The **November Meeting** is Cheltenham's three-day autumn fixture, following the two-day Showcase meeting in October: jumps racing from a Friday to a Sunday, with the **Paddy Power Gold Cup** on the Saturday. It is the first big handicap of the season at the course that hosts the Festival in March, and its form is read closely all winter. The 2026 meeting starts on **Friday 13 November 2026**. Racecards, off times and going are confirmed in the days before, and this page adds them as they are published. ## At a glance - **Course:** Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - **Days:** three, Friday to Sunday - **Feature race:** the Paddy Power Gold Cup, a Premier Handicap chase over 2m 4½f on the Saturday - **Sunday's feature:** the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle - **Paddy Power Gold Cup first run:** 1960, as the Mackeson Gold Cup Below: the day-by-day schedule, the Paddy Power Gold Cup's recent winners and trends, how to watch, and the day out. For tips on the meeting's big handicaps, read our [Cheltenham November Meeting tips](/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting-tips/). The [Cheltenham course guide](/uk-racecourses/cheltenham/) covers the track. ## The 2026 meeting, day by day # The 2026 meeting, day by day Cheltenham runs the meeting as three themed days. The course's own published schedule: | Day | Name | Feature | |---|---|---| | **Friday** | Countryside Day | The opening card | | **Saturday** | Super Saturday | The Paddy Power Gold Cup | | **Sunday** | Carnival Sunday | The Greatwood Handicap Hurdle | | Detail | Value | |---|---| | **Meeting starts** | Friday 13 November 2026 | | **First race** | TBA | | **Going** | TBA | Saturday is the big day, and the one to book early if you are going. The Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Greatwood are both handicaps, and they are the meeting's two main betting races. Results for every race go on our [racing results](/racing-results/) page each evening, and this page adds the feature-race results within 24 hours. ### What comes next Cheltenham races again at its December meeting, and the season's big Saturday races follow on every weekend from here: the [Betfair Chase](/racing-news/betfair-chase/) at Haydock, the Coral Gold Cup at [Newbury](/uk-racecourses/newbury/), the Tingle Creek at [Sandown](/uk-racecourses/sandown/) and the [King George VI Chase](/racing-news/king-george-vi-chase/) on Boxing Day. Our [festivals and big races board](/festivals/) has them all, soonest first. ## The Paddy Power Gold Cup # The Paddy Power Gold Cup The Paddy Power Gold Cup is a Premier Handicap chase over 2m 4½f on Cheltenham's Old Course, for horses aged four and over. It was first run as the Mackeson Gold Cup and later sponsored as the Thomas Pink Gold Cup (see the questions below). It is a fast, competitive handicap that asks a well-treated chaser to jump at speed and still see out the climb to the line. On the Saturday morning the [AI race predictor](/ai-race-predictor/) publishes its ratings and fair prices for every British race. The box below shows the model's top-rated runner in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and its fair price, and after the race how that runner finished. Every earlier box is listed with its result, losers included, and the [track record](/ai-race-predictor/track-record/) covers every race the model prices. ## What the recent winners have in common # What the recent winners have in common - **Age:** every winner from 2014 to 2025 was aged five to nine. - **Trainers:** Paul Nicholls has the strongest recent record, with Caid Du Berlais (2014), Stage Star (2023) and Il Ridoto (2024). - **The 2025 double:** Panic Attack, trained by Dan Skelton, won this race and then the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury a fortnight later. She was the first mare to complete that double, and the first horse to do it since Celestial Gold. Our [Cheltenham November Meeting tips](/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting-tips/) turns those patterns into a way of reading this year's field. ## How to watch and where to bet # How to watch and where to bet The television listings and off times for all three days are confirmed in the week of the meeting. This page shows the first race time above as soon as it is published. The Saturday and Sunday features are handicaps, where the bookmakers' terms make a real difference: - **Each-way places.** Some bookmakers pay extra places on big handicaps. Check how many places are on offer before you back anything each way; our [extra places guide](/bookmakers/each-way-extra-places-explained/) explains how they work. - **Best odds guaranteed.** Handicap markets move a lot in the last hour. A BOG bookmaker pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took. See our [best BOG bookmakers](/bookmakers/best-bog-bookmakers/). - **Cheltenham offers.** Our [Cheltenham betting offers](/bookmakers/cheltenham-offers/) page tracks the bookmakers' deals for Cheltenham racing. 18+. Bet only what you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, [BeGambleAware](https://www.begambleaware.org/) offers free, confidential help. ## Raceday at Cheltenham in November # Raceday at Cheltenham in November The November Meeting is far quieter than the Festival in March, which is a large part of its appeal: you can see the paddock, the parade ring and the finish without the March crowds. Saturday is the busiest of the three days, so book that one early. Dress for a cold afternoon on an exposed hillside course. For getting there, the enclosures and food, read our [day out at Cheltenham](/uk-racecourses/cheltenham/cheltenham-day-out-guide/) guide. The [Cheltenham betting guide](/uk-racecourses/cheltenham/cheltenham-betting-guide/) covers the course trends, and the [Cheltenham racecourse guide](/uk-racecourses/cheltenham/cheltenham-racecourse-complete-guide/) explains the Old and New Courses. ## Frequently asked questions # Frequently asked questions ### When is the Cheltenham November Meeting 2026? It starts on Friday 13 November 2026 and runs for three days, Friday to Sunday. The Paddy Power Gold Cup is on the Saturday. ### What is the main race of the November Meeting? The Paddy Power Gold Cup, a Premier Handicap chase over 2m 4½f on the Old Course. The Greatwood Handicap Hurdle is Sunday's feature. ### What was the Paddy Power Gold Cup called before? The Mackeson Gold Cup, from its first running in 1960 until 1995, then the Thomas Pink Gold Cup from 1996 to 2003. ### Who won the Paddy Power Gold Cup last year? The recent winners table above lists the winners back to 2014, with their trainer and jockey. ### Is there a Cheltenham November Meeting tips page? Yes. Our [Cheltenham November Meeting tips](/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting-tips/) covers what wins the Paddy Power Gold Cup and how to approach the meeting's big handicaps.