Cheltenham Racecourse rang in the New Year with a landmark moment, selling out its New Year’s Day fixture for the first time and welcoming a crowd of more than 44,000 through the gates.
The official attendance of 44,151 did more than set a New Year’s Day record — it also eclipsed last year’s Wednesday crowd at the Cheltenham Festival, when 41,949 racegoers were present to watch Marine Nationale land the Champion Chase.

It marked a sharp rise from the 32,889 who attended the same fixture 12 months earlier, and comfortably surpassed the previous decade-high New Year’s Day figure of 38,374 recorded in 2023.

The Cheltenham numbers added further momentum to what has been an encouraging festive period for British racing attendances. Kempton Park also reported a strong uptick for its flagship Boxing Day meeting, with 17,195 spectators attending the King George VI Chase card, compared to 13,863 in 2024.

Those on course at Kempton were rewarded with a memorable renewal of the King George, where The Jukebox Man edged out Banbridge by a nose, with Gaelic Warrior finishing another nose away in third after a thrilling three-way battle to the line.
Back at Cheltenham, the sporting highlight of the seven-race New Year’s Day card came in the Relkeel Hurdle, where Kabral Du Mathan delivered a decisive performance. His win prompted an immediate market reaction, with bookmakers trimming him to a best-priced 8/1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Image Cheltenham Racecourse