The Cheltenham Racecourse New Season will begin on Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24, following a major overhaul of the drainage system on the home straight. The return will mark the start of a new campaign after extensive work was carried out during the summer to improve the track and prepare it for Jump racing.
The Jockey Club announced in April 2026 that Cheltenham’s previous season would end early, with the final three racedays cancelled to allow the drainage project to take place. The decision provided additional time for the racecourse team to complete the work and give the track a full recovery period before racing returned.
The main project involved the replacement of the 600-metre-long main drain running along the home straight. Work began in April, while other sections of the drainage infrastructure were also replaced as part of the wider project. More than 1,000 metres of drainage was replaced in total, with all the work completed in August.
Cheltenham Racecourse New Season Follows Major Drainage Upgrade
The track’s drainage network includes five main drains running down the course, with a wider network of drains feeding into them before reaching the outlet at the bottom of the straight. Sections of the home straight were opened during the project so that the team and specialists could investigate the system beneath the surface and identify areas that would benefit from improvement.
The main drain was replaced with a modern plastic drainage system, while drainage contractors D W Clark developed bespoke equipment to help preserve the existing turf. The approach allowed the racecourse to retain and reuse the turf during the subsequent recovery process.
The project represented a significant summer operation for Cheltenham, going beyond the scale of the routine work normally carried out during the break. The extended period without racing allowed the drainage improvements to be completed ahead of the new season.
The racecourse also conducted a full Ground Penetrating Radar Survey of both the Old Course and New Course. The results showed no immediate areas of concern and provided another assessment of the condition of the track ahead of the return of racing.
The summer recovery was carried out against a backdrop of prolonged dry weather. Temperatures frequently reached 30 degrees and above between June and August, creating additional challenges for the team responsible for maintaining the racing surface.
Watering began in August as part of the preparation process, with the racecourse continuing to monitor the turf closely as the return of racing approached. Despite the extended dry spell, the track was expected to recover well with continued maintenance and watering.
The summer conditions also meant that images of the track during the recovery period looked different from its usual appearance. However, the watering programme was expected to help the turf regain its strength and provide suitable conditions for the new Jump season.
Preparations will continue towards The Showcase meeting at the end of October, with the team monitoring the weather and watering the track when necessary. The priority will remain on maintaining a suitable and safe racing surface for the return of Jump racing.
The Cheltenham Racecourse New Season will therefore follow several months of drainage work, turf recovery and detailed preparation. With the upgraded drainage system now in place, the racecourse will welcome racing back on October 23 and 24 before moving into the wider programme of the new campaign.
The Cheltenham Racecourse New Season will begin on October 23 and 24 after more than 1,000 metres of drainage infrastructure was replaced, alongside extensive turf recovery and preparation work during the summer.
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