Cheltenham Festival 2026: Gold Cup race analysis and preview

British racing’s showpiece event will take place in just over four weeks’ time, as the 2026 Cheltenham Festival gets underway. 

The 28 races will see champions crowned and history made as elite yards from Britain and Ireland go toe-to-toe for four days in March.   

Each day boasts a feature race and day four’s is the Gold Cup – the most valuable non-Handicap Chase in Britain. 

Runners and riders will embark on three miles and two furlongs of Prestbury Park, as they go in search of a share of £625,000 in prize money. 

The 22 scheduled fences stand between starters orders and the winning post, in a race that sees Galopin Des Champs  (8/1) go for the hat-trick. 

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Beaten favourite

He was the beaten favourite in last year’s race and was his third consecutive win in the race when he finished second to Inothewayurthinkin. 

Galopin Des Champs is an 11-time Grade One winning chaser, though he will arrive here off the back of two comprehensive defeats in both races this season. 

The Savills Chase saw him finish third on his seasonal debut, before he filled the same position in the Irish Gold Cup – at the Dublin Racing Festival. 

He is one of two horses at the top of the betting for 12-time Festival Champion Trainer Willie Mullins, with Gaelic Warrior helping to aid his chances. 

Two placed runs

Though he could ply his trade elsewhere, he remains entered into this and is priced at 7/1 following two placed runs so far this season. 

The first of which came in a thrilling finish to the King George at Kempton, before he finished ahead of Galopin Des Champs to trail Fact To File, in the Irish Gold Cup. 

Mullins’ son and jockey Patrick Mullins tipped Gaelic Warrior to win this race when he said: “I think he can win the Gold Cup. 

“When you look at Kempton and Aintree, where he ran very well, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup course, all of them have a constant inside running rail. 

“At Cheltenham, they have that strip of fresh ground, so everyone races very tight; that’s how you can get him to settle.

“I do think the softer the ground, the better for him. I wouldn’t have any worries about the track or undulations. 

“I thought at Leopardstown, after running a little keen, he picked up from the second-last all the way to the line, so I don’t see why stamina would be an issue.”

Irish challenge

Mullins leads the Irish challenge in this race, as the away side looks to retain this race for the eighth consecutive year. 

However, at the top of the market lies last year’s Arkle winner and the recent King George winner – both trained in Britain. 

Jango Baie (5/1) heads the market for trainer Nicky Henderson, as he looks to follow up his Arkle win from last season. 

He was beaten half a length into fourth by The Jukebox Man, on Boxing Day, following a Grade Two win on his seasonal reappearance. 

Not risked

Jango Baie could have run at Newbury two weeks ago, but Henderson ruled out further engagement until the Festival, when he told the Racing Post: “Jango Baie will not run at Newbury, I’m not going to risk him.

“I spoke to Tony [Barney, owner] last night and it doesn’t matter if it’s going to be soft, heavy, or heavy, soft, it’s going to be very hard work.

“He’s been very good fresh and his first run this season at Ascot was very good. On any other ground, he’d be there.”

The Jukebox Man is unbeaten in four runs over fences, two of which came this season after almost a year off the track. 

His trainer, Ben Pauling, told Racing TV: “He’s (The Jukebox Man) in particularly good form and has done his first serious piece of work now. 

“He’s had a lovely float round Haydock and then with the ground at Kempton, he hasn’t had to go too deep, so we’re in a good place.

“He handles anything quite clearly and his hurdling form was on heavy, but most of his chasing form has been on good.

“I think if it was good to soft or soft, even good, it doesn’t matter to him as he’s very versatile and that is a positive.

“I think he did very well to win at Kempton and I thought jumping three out, he was going to win by two or three lengths, and then they just quickened it up big time, and for him, I think he was flat out.

“I do believe that Cheltenham is going to suit him very well.”

Graded company

Welsh Grand National winner Haiti Couleurs is next in the betting at 9/1, having stepped up to Graded company with a win on his most recent start. 

His only run in Grade One company saw him pulled up in the Betfair Chase – behind Grey Dawning – though he bounced back to win Wales’ showpiece steeplechase, before winning the Denman Chase at Newbury, in Jango Baie’s absence. 

This race will be his toughest test yet, though with no stamina or ground concerns, he will look to follow up his win at last year’s Festival, which was his penultimate run of a campaign which ended with a win in the Irish Grand National. 

McManus also has Spillanes Tower and last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin still entered into this race, though they are priced at 14/1 and 16/1 respectively. 

Whilst 2024 Grand National winner I am Maximus – who carries the same colours – is out 28/1 to win this race. 

Grey Dawning is also in the betting at 16/1, given an outside shot to win this race for trainer Dan Skelton.

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