Taunton Racecourse is delighted to announce an exciting new £50,000 bonus for the 2026/27 jumps season, offering owners the opportunity to turn success at Taunton into an even bigger prize at the 2027 Cheltenham Festival.
Under the new Taunton / Cheltenham Bonus, the owner or owners of any horse that wins one of a series of designated qualifying hurdle races at Taunton before going on to win one of six Novice Hurdle races at the 2027 Cheltenham Festival will receive a £50,000 cash bonus.
The initiative creates a direct link between success at Taunton and racing's most prestigious jumps meeting, while providing an additional incentive for owners and trainers to target the racecourse's programme of Novice, Mares' Novice and Juvenile Hurdles during the 2026/27 season.
The road from Taunton to Cheltenham
Qualifying races at Taunton will take place between November 2026 and mid-February 2027.
Six qualifying races have already been confirmed across three racedays in November and December, with up to four further qualifiers anticipated during January and February, subject to confirmation of the 2027 fixture list and race programmes.
The first opportunity comes at Taunton's Autumn Raceday on Thursday 26 November, with a £12,000 Class 4 Novice Hurdle over two miles and 104 yards.
Two further qualifying races will take place at the Christmas Sparkle Charity Raceday on Thursday 10 December, followed by three qualifiers at the BoyleSports New Years Raceday on Wednesday 30 December.
The latter meeting includes the prestigious £45,000 Byerley Stud Golden Ace Mares Novice Hurdle, a Listed contest over two miles and 104 yards.
Six chances at the Cheltenham Festival
Once a horse has won an eligible race at Taunton, connections will have six opportunities to secure the £50,000 bonus at the 2027 Cheltenham Festival.
The six Festival races currently included in the scheme are:
- Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle
- Turners Novices' Hurdle
- Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Hurdle
- Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
- McCoys Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Race sponsorship and titles remain subject to the published 2027 Cheltenham Festival programme.
Rewarding success at Taunton
The £50,000 bonus will be paid directly to the owner or owners of a qualifying horse that subsequently wins one of the six eligible races at Cheltenham.
Should more than one horse complete the Taunton and Cheltenham double during the season, the bonus will be shared between the successful owners.
With six races already confirmed and further qualifiers expected to be announced for January and February, the new initiative adds another compelling incentive for connections campaigning promising young hurdlers during the months leading into the Cheltenham Festival.
Full details of the qualifying races, eligibility and terms of the Taunton / Cheltenham Bonus are available on the Taunton Racecourse website.
Owners, trainers and agents with questions regarding entries or qualifying races are also invited to contact the Taunton Racecourse Racing Office on 01823 337172 (option 2) or by emailing [email protected].