The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most iconic multi-day horse racing events in the world. The four-day festival is held annually in March at the Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, and since the festival originated in 1860 (although it was first held at Market Harborough), several royal-owned horses have competed.
On this page, we will reveal the names of three royal horses that have run at Cheltenham and look at some of the biggest winners from this year’s event, which ran from Tuesday, March 11, 2025, until Friday, March 14.
Which three royal horses have run at the Cheltenham Festival?
The royal family have owned several horses that have run at the Cheltenham Festival. The two of the most notable members of the royal family who watched their horses take part in races were the late Queen Mother and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Horses owned by The Queen have been so successful over the years that they have won over 1,600 races.
The three main horses owned by royalty that have achieved success are the following:
- Cleeve Hill
- Game Spirit
- Sunshade
The Queen’s horses have won all of the British horse racing classics apart from the Derby, and many of her horses have placed (finished in second, third, fourth or fifth). In 1987, at Cheltenham races, The Queen’s horse, Cleeve Hill, made the headlines by winning its race.
The Queen Mother also owned several National Hunt horses, one of which was called Game Spirit, which finished second in this race in 1976. More recently, in 2019, Her Majesty the Queen won at Cheltenham racecourse just days before her 93rd birthday.
Sunshade, ridden by Nico de Boinville and trained by Nicky Henderson, won the Catesby Estates PLC Mares’ Handicap Hurdle on the second day of the April Meeting. There was also Reach for the Moon, which was previously owned by the late Queen Elizabeth II and ran in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
Who were the biggest winners at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival?
The main spectacle at the Cheltenham Festival is the Gold Cup, and the winner of this year’s was a horse called Inothewayurthinkin, which was ridden by jockey Mark Walsh and trained by Gavin Cromwell.
What made this win so incredible was that it stopped two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs from winning the race for the third consecutive year.
The other notable winner from this year’s event was an outsider called Poniros, who was priced at 100/1 and ended up winning its race to make several lucky punters happy.
Are there any other major horse races still to come in 2025?
Yes. Don’t worry if you missed out on the Cheltenham Festival because the horse racing calendar is now in full swing, and there are lots of hotly anticipated races still to come in 2025 in the United Kingdom and across the globe.
The biggest upcoming horse races in the United Kingdom in 2025 are the Grand National at Aintree in April, the Epsom Derby Festival in June, and Royal Ascot, which is also in June.
Some of the biggest upcoming international race meetings that you might want to add to your calendar are the Dubai World Cup, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and The Everest, to name just a few.
Final thoughts
If you decide to place wagers on any of these upcoming horse racing events, remember to stick to betting on legally permitted sportsbooks that are fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
Also, to ensure you gamble responsibly, remember to take advantage of things like deposit limits, win/loss limits, session time reminders, and spending caps.
You may also want to consider setting a sensible spending budget before depositing and betting. Doing so keeps things safe and fun and will ensure you don’t overspend.
