Want to know what makes a winner at the Cheltenham Festival? We've unearthed key Cheltenham Festival records and stats to ensure that you’re fully up to speed.
First held over a century ago, there is a catalogue of Cheltenham Festival records and statistics for horse racing fans to absorb. Below, we have collected some of the highest-profile Cheltenham Festival stats, including the most wins and the most successful Cheltenham jockey.
For a more general overview, check out our Cheltenham Festival guide covering everything you need to know!
Who has the most wins at Cheltenham?
There are multiple answers to this question. The most wins at Cheltenham could be referring to the trainer, jockey, owner, or the horse itself. As it turns out, trainer Willie Mullins has the most wins overall!
Who is the most successful Cheltenham trainer?
Willie Mullins is the most successful Cheltenham trainer with a total of 121 wins.
Mullins had 8 winners at the 2026 Festival, nearly matching his feat of 10 winners from the year prior. Impressively, the Irishman has nearly 40 more wins than any other trainer, with Nicky Henderson sitting in second place on 78.
The trainer with the most wins at a single Cheltenham Festival
Mullins holds the record for the most wins at a single Cheltenham Festival with 10. He first achieved this in 2022 and repeated the feat in 2025. Gordon Elliott is the only other trainer to win more than seven races in a single Festival; in 2018, Elliott-trained horses won eight races.
Who is the most successful Cheltenham jockey?
Ruby Walsh is the most successful Cheltenham jockey ever thanks to his staggering 59 wins.
Before he retired in 2019, Walsh was the leading jockey 11 times at Cheltenham Festival between 2004 and 2017. Meanwhile, Barry Geraghty is the second-most successful Cheltenham jockey with 43 wins, though Paul Townend is close behind with 42.
The jockey with the most wins at a single Cheltenham Festival
Walsh has the most wins at a single Cheltenham Festival, with a seemingly unbeatable record of seven wins – which he first achieved in 2009 and repeated seven years later.
In 2009, Walsh won the Gold Cup, the Vincent O’Brien Handicap Hurdle, the RSA Chase, the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle, the Stayers’ Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle.
Paul Townend is the only other jockey with more than five wins at a single Festival – notably riding six winners in 2024.
Who is the most successful Cheltenham horse?
Quevega tops the list of the most successful Cheltenham horses of all time. Winner of six races, Quevega pips Tiger Roll for top spot and holds one of the most impressive Cheltenham Festival records.
Trained by Mullins (surprise surprise!), Quevega was a dominant force at Cheltenham, just as she was in the World Series Hurdle in Punchestown.
To see who could become the next big-name winner, have a read about the best backed horses for Cheltenham Festival 2027.
The horse with the most consecutive Cheltenham Festival wins
Quevega has won the most consecutive Cheltenham Festival races. No one can match the dominance Quevega showed in the Mares’ Hurdle, winning the race in six straight seasons between 2009 and 2014.
A perennial favourite in the race, bettors were right to keep trusting the Mullins-trained horse. It’s worth noting, though, that Quevega never went off shorter than 4/7.
Who has the most wins at some of Cheltenham’s key events?
Cheltenham Festival features several Grade I races. And, while mainstream media attention is primarily on the Gold Cup, there are plenty of other iconic races to watch during the week.
Champion Hurdle
Five Champion Hurdle winners are tied for the honour of being the most successful: Hatton’s Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War, See You Then, and Istabraq, who have won the race three times apiece.
All of the quintet achieved their three wins in succession, too, with Hatton’s Grace completing a three-peat in 1951; while Istabraq is the most recent to join the group, winning in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Champion Chase
Trained by Michael W. Dickinson, Badsworth Boy is the most successful horse in the Champion Chase – winning the race in 1983, 1984, and 1985.
Six horses have won the Champion Chase in consecutive years since Badsworth Boy’s three-peat, but none have managed to win for a third straight year.
Stayers’ Hurdle
Big Buck’s is the best of all Stayers’ Hurdle winners, having won the race four times. Ridden by Walsh each time, the pair earned victory in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Inglis Drever is the only other horse to have won the Stayers’ Hurdle more than twice, winning in 2005, 2007, and 2008.
Gold Cup
Golden Miller is the greatest of all Gold Cup winners with five wins. Initially trained by Basil Briscoe before working with Owen Anthony, Golden Miller won the Gold Cup in 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936.
Owned by Dorothy Paget, Golden Miller also won the Grand National in 1934 – making him the only horse to win both the Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same year: an astounding feat!
How often does the favourite win at Cheltenham Festival?
Curiously, the win rate of favourites at Cheltenham Festival sits at just 29% since 2000 – suggesting there may be a case to back the outsider! However, it’s significant to note that opening day is the best time to back a short-priced winner, while the final day of the festival has been the least profitable for backing favourites. In fact, five of the last 26 Cheltenham Festivals have seen no favourites win on Friday.
Cheltenham Festival stats
Along with an array of Cheltenham Festival records, we’re going to take a quick look at some Cheltenham Festival stats to make sure you’re fully clued up on one of horse racing’s most lucrative weeks.
How many races are there across the festival?
There are a total of 28 races across the entirety of Cheltenham Festival. The Unibet Champion Hurdle is the headline event on opening day, followed by the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase on Wednesday.
With plenty of races to get stuck into, attendances for Cheltenham Festival over the years are always high.
What is the prize money across festival week?
The total Cheltenham Festival prize money was £4.93 million for the 2026 edition. As it will increase ahead of the next event, the prize pot is likely to break the £5 million mark in 2027.
How many horses have won the Gold Cup and the Grand National?
Two horses have won the Gold Cup and the Grand National. Golden Miller was the first to do so, winning the Gold Cup and the Grand National in 1934. L’Escargot won the Gold Cup in 1970 and 1971 and added the Grand National in 1975.
What is the longest race at the festival?
The National Hunt Novices’ Chase is the longest race at Cheltenham Festival. It is run over three miles and six furlongs, which works out at approximately six kilometres!
What is the shortest race at the festival?
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy, the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Grand Annual Chase, and the Champion Bumper are the shortest races at Cheltenham Festival.
Each race is run over two miles or two miles and 87 yards.
Who was the first female to win at Cheltenham?
Competing as an amateur, Caroline Beasley was the first of all female jockeys to win at Cheltenham when she rode Eliogarty to glory in the 1983 Foxhunters Chase.
A year later, Linda Sheedy became the first female jockey to ride in the Gold Cup. It took until 2018 for the first professional female jockey to win at Cheltenham.
Visit Betway’s Cheltenham betting page.
