What is the Prestbury Cup at Cheltenham? All you need to know about four-day battle between UK and Ireland

The latest edition of the Cheltenham Festival is coming up, which means you are going to hear all about the Prestbury Cup. 2025 is set to see four more days of top racing action take place at Cheltenham, with tens of thousands of spectators in attendance to watch. The Irish will be out in force at Cheltenham this yearPA:Press Association Of course, most people are there to earn some money and have a great time. However, there will be plenty of fans who take an interest in the Prestbury Cup. What is the Prestbury Cup? The Prestbury Cup is an annual award that is competed for at Cheltenham by horse trainers. It sees those from the Republic of Ireland go up against their counterparts from the United Kingdom. This means that Willie Mullins and co take on Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton. The cup is named after the village nearest to Cheltenham race course, and it starts on the first day of the four-day festival. A piece of the racecourse is placed into the trophy. GettyMullins was the king of Cheltenham last year, claiming nine winners[/caption] How does the Prestbury Cup work? To win the Prestbury Cup, Ireland or the UK have to reach 15 victories or more across Cheltenham. There are a total of 28 races, and a point is awarded for each winner. So, if it’s 14 all, the cup will be shared for that year. There are other trainers of other nationalities in attendance, so not every race could be won by an Irish or UK trainer. But it is usually Ireland who emerge victorious, winning last year’s 18-9. That made it four consecutive wins for the Irish. 2019 was a draw, and you have to go back to 2015 to find the last time the United Kingdom won. Overall, Ireland have won eight times since it was made official in 2014, and they have 184 winners to the UK’s 120. Prestbury Cup results 2024: Ireland 18-9 United Kingdom 2023: Ireland 18-10 United Kingdom 2022: Ireland 18-10 United Kingdom 2021: Ireland 23-5 United Kingdom 2020: Ireland 17-10 United Kingdom 2019: Ireland 14-14 United Kingdom 2018: Ireland 17-11 United Kingdom 2017: Ireland 19-9 United Kingdom 2016: Ireland 15-13 United Kingdom 2015: Ireland 13-14 United Kingdom 2014: Ireland 12-15 United Kingdom Cheltenham Festival 2025: Dates and start times This year’s Cheltenham Festival will start on Tuesday, March 11. There will be a full four days of racing before coming to an end on Friday, March 14. Each day of action is going to include seven races meaning there is a total of 28 throughout the week of the festival. Racing will begin at around 1:20pm on each day with 40-minute intervals between races. The biggest races of each day are usually scheduled for 4pm while the final races will be taking place at 5:20pm. Tuesday is traditionally known as Champion Day, Wednesday is Style Wednesday and Thursday is St Patrick’s Thursday. Then Friday is the biggest attraction – Gold Cup day. Cheltenham always deliversPA Cheltenham Festival 2025: talkSPORT coverage talkSPORT will have live coverage of all the action from Cheltenham. We will have commentators on the course each day, bringing you coverage of all the races throughout the festival. To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM. talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date with all the latest build-up and reaction too. If you want to watch the action on TV, you can tune in to watch free-to-air coverage on ITV.

Mar 4, 2025 - 13:59

The latest edition of the Cheltenham Festival is coming up, which means you are going to hear all about the Prestbury Cup.

2025 is set to see four more days of top racing action take place at Cheltenham, with tens of thousands of spectators in attendance to watch.

Of course, most people are there to earn some money and have a great time.

However, there will be plenty of fans who take an interest in the Prestbury Cup.

The Prestbury Cup is an annual award that is competed for at Cheltenham by horse trainers.

It sees those from the Republic of Ireland go up against their counterparts from the United Kingdom.

This means that Willie Mullins and co take on Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton.

The cup is named after the village nearest to Cheltenham race course, and it starts on the first day of the four-day festival.

A piece of the racecourse is placed into the trophy.

Mullins was the king of Cheltenham last year, claiming nine winners[/caption]

To win the Prestbury Cup, Ireland or the UK have to reach 15 victories or more across Cheltenham.

There are a total of 28 races, and a point is awarded for each winner.

So, if it’s 14 all, the cup will be shared for that year.

There are other trainers of other nationalities in attendance, so not every race could be won by an Irish or UK trainer.

But it is usually Ireland who emerge victorious, winning last year’s 18-9.

That made it four consecutive wins for the Irish.

2019 was a draw, and you have to go back to 2015 to find the last time the United Kingdom won.

Overall, Ireland have won eight times since it was made official in 2014, and they have 184 winners to the UK’s 120.

Prestbury Cup results

This year’s Cheltenham Festival will start on Tuesday, March 11.

There will be a full four days of racing before coming to an end on Friday, March 14.

Each day of action is going to include seven races meaning there is a total of 28 throughout the week of the festival.

Racing will begin at around 1:20pm on each day with 40-minute intervals between races.

The biggest races of each day are usually scheduled for 4pm while the final races will be taking place at 5:20pm.

Tuesday is traditionally known as Champion Day, Wednesday is Style Wednesday and Thursday is St Patrick’s Thursday.

Then Friday is the biggest attraction – Gold Cup day.

talkSPORT will have live coverage of all the action from Cheltenham.

We will have commentators on the course each day, bringing you coverage of all the races throughout the festival.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

talkSPORT.com will keep you up to date with all the latest build-up and reaction too.

If you want to watch the action on TV, you can tune in to watch free-to-air coverage on ITV.