2026 Cheltenham Festival looks exciting as ever
Majborough will be a short priced favourite to win the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday. Photo: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
It’s fair to say that the 2026 renewal of the Cheltenham Festival is one of the most open and exciting in years. So many star names, open contests and fields befitting of the Olympics of jumps racing tag - it promises to be one hell of a week at Prestbury Park.
From a local perspective, this year might not see Henry de Bromhead as mob-handed with superstars as was once the case, but still - with some well-handicapped runners, I’d be stunned if there wasn’t an occasion or two where the Knockeen handler finds himself in the winners’ enclosure.
As has become tradition by this point, here’s my thoughts on the week ahead. No hate in the post if they’re all duds!
In a strange way, the Supreme and the Arkle almost usurp the featured Champion Hurdle in the entertainment stakes this year. This is as exciting a renewal of the Supreme we’ve seen since the clash of Constitution Hill and Jonbon. Cases can be made for so many, but I’m siding with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Talk The Talk.
I’ve followed him since his first run at Limerick in October, a race he won with no business winning and I’ve been sweet ever since. As for the Arkle, it’s a match of sorts between rightful favourite Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes. Despite the latter having been kept in the shadows in recent weeks, if he turns up anywhere near his best, it’s hard to see him being beaten. As for the Champion Hurdle itself, my question remains whether or not Lossiemouth takes her chance. At the time of writing, that remains unclear - and I’m siding with the other mare in the field Brighterdaysahead to break her Cheltenham duck. The handicaps are wide open this year and will make for interesting viewing, but we’d lose all day going into the intricacies of those.
It doesn’t get any less entertaining on Wednesday with the Turners’, Brown Advisory and of course the Champion Chase to get stuck into. In the Turners’, I find it very hard to look past a local horse at higher odds, the Declan Queally-trained I’ll Sort That. A Grade 1 winner, he wouldn’t be 16/1 if he was trained by Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott.
Henry de Bromhead has a live contender for the Brown Advisory in the form of The Big Westerner, and everyone assumes Final Demand’s blip came at the Dublin Racing Festival - which landed me at Kaid D’authie as the value pick on form. As for the Champion Chase, I feel Majborough wins – especially with Marine Nationale now a non-runner after suffering a neck injury.
I love to watch the Cross Country, which is a Grand National precursor of sorts, and can’t see past Gordon Elliott’s Favori De Champdou. Willie’s in the bumper has become a rule of thumb - and it’s very hard to see past his Love Sign D’aunou once again.
The opening Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on Thursday looks a match between Bambino Fever and Oldschool Outlaw. I’d be drawn to the latter, while in the following Jack Richard’s - I won’t be so reluctant to nail my colours to the mast - Koktail Divin trained by Henry de Bromhead is the best chance of a local winner all week.
If Lossiemouth hits the Mares’ Hurdle, it’s hers to lose still despite Wodhooh’s progression, while the Stayers’ Hurdle is a complex one to make compelling cases out of - but it’s hard to look beyond Teahupoo with Jack Kennedy on his back. The ever reliable Bob Olinger might have something to say about that. It’s hard to see any even that doesn’t result in Fact To File winning the Ryanair, though I feel he should run in the Gold Cup and Gaelic Warrior in the Ryanair.
As for the Pertemps and Kim Muir, blind darts in my case though it’s a little bit more confidence inspiring than previous years.
Friday is all about the Gold Cup - but you’ve also got the Albert Bartlett, The Triumph, The County Hurdle, the Mares’ Chase, the Hunters’ Chase and the Martin Pipe. Traditionally, it’s been a good day to follow Willie Mullins and I think that’ll certainly be a profitable course of action again in 2026.
I was very taken by Doctor Steinburg at the DRF and thought he looked an Albert Bartlett type in waiting, while Narciso Has’ absence in the Triumph opens the door to another Mullins’ novice - it’s just a matter of who. For me, Selma De Vary looks smart and if she progresses any bit, she’s a star in the making. I think Panic Attack could well give Dinoblue work to do in the Mares’ Chase, and every festival throws up a big price winner - for me, Grimaud at 40/1 wont be a mile away if he takes his place in the closing race of the week, the Martin Pipe.
Enough of all that, the Gold Cup. I have made an argument for just about everyone in it - but I keep finding myself back at Haiti Couleurs. My heart wants Galopin Des Champs, but my head has led me the way of last year’s National Hunt Chase and Welsh Grand National winner. There hasn’t been a British winner since Native River in 2018, who incidentally won a Welsh Grand National too - so they are due one.
Whatever does happen, I can’t wait, so here’s my 28 - gamble safe and responsibly and I’ll see you the other side.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle - Talk The Talk Arkle Chase - Kopek Des Bordes Fred Winter - Glen To Glen Ultima: In D’Or Champion Hurdle: Brighterdaysahead Plate: Donnacha National Hunt Chase: Newton Tornado
Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle - I’ll Sort That Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase - Kaid d’Authie Coral Cup - The Yellow Clay Cross Country - Favori De Champdou Champion Chase - Majborough Grand Annual - Vanderpoel Champion Bumper - Love Sign D’Aunou
Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle - Oldschool Outlaw Jack Richards’ -Koktail Divin Mares’ Hurdle - Lossiemouth Stayers’ Hurdle -Teahupoo Ryanair Chase - Fact To File Pertemps - Bold Endeavour Kim Muir - Kim Roque
Triumph Hurdle - Selma De Vary County Hurdle - Karbau Mares’ Chase - Panic Attack Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle - Doctor Steinburg Cheltenham Gold Cup - Haiti Couleurs Hunters’ Chase - Panda Boy Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle - Grimaud
