With the best four days of horse racing action now in touching distance – we look at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival favourites for ALL 28 races.
Did you know? There’s been NINE winning Cheltenham Festival favourites in each of the last two season – meaning a 33% strike-rate since 2024.
Cheltenham Festival Winning Favourites 2024 & 2025
See below the winning Cheltenham favourites by day from the last two Festivals.
With Tuesday being the best day for the market leaders – after seven jollies rewarded backers.
| Year | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Totals | Strike-Rate |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 33% |
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 32% |
| Totals | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 18/55 (races) |
Note: In 2025 there were 27 races with the Cross Country Chase abandoned
When Is The Cheltenham Festival 2026? 🗓️
The Cheltenham Festival 2026 date will see the four-day meeting run from Tuesday 10th March to Friday 13th March.
With the ITV Racing schedule showing the first six races each day.
While in 2026, there is a slightly NEW Cheltenham Festival 2026 running order – with some races having switched days.
- 🏇Tuesday 10th March 2026: Day 1 – Champion Day
- 🏇Wednesday 11th March 2026: Day 2 – Ladies’ Day
- 🏇Thursday 12th March 2026: Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday
- 🏇Friday 13th March 2026: Day 4 – Gold Cup Day
Cheltenham Festival Favourites 2026 – Day One (Tuesday 10th March 26): Old Course
Over the last two years Tuesday has been a top day for the Cheltenham Festival favourites – with seven landing since 2024.
And market leader backers will be hoping for more of the same, with the exciting Old Park Star well-touted in the curtain-raiser Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for trainer Nicky Henderson.
In fact, Hendo could have a great start to the 2026 Festival as he’s also got Lulamba, who is the jolly for the Arkle Novices’ Chase.
But with his 2023 Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill now missing the race, this leaves The New Lion as the favourite.
At this stage the British-trained runners are responsible for six of the seven Tuesday Cheltenham favourites.
With only the Padraig Roche-trained Saratoga flying the flag for the Emerald Isle in the Fred Winter.
| Time | Race Name & Class | Distance | FAVOURITE | Country | Trainer | Odds |
| 1:20pm | Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m | OLD PARK STAR | 🇬🇧 | Nicky Henderson | 9/4 |
| 2:00pm | Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) | 2m | LULAMBA | 🇬🇧 | Nicky Henderson | 15/8 |
| 2:40pm | McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Fred Winter) | 2m | SARATOGA | 🇮🇪 | Padraig Roche | 5/1 |
| 3:20pm | Trust Marque Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) | 3m 1f | JAGWAR | 🇬🇧 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero | 5/1 |
| 4:00pm | Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m | THE NEW LION | 🇬🇧 | Dan Skelton | 2/1 |
| 4:40pm | TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) | 2m 4f | MADARA | 🇬🇧 | Dan Skelton | 5/1 |
| 5:20pm | Princess Royal National Hunt Chase (Novices’ Handicap) (Class 2) | 3m 6f | BACKMERSACKME | 🇮🇪 | Emmet Mullins | 6/1 |
WATCH: Golden Ace Winning The 2025 Champion Hurdle
Cheltenham Festival Favourites 2026 – Day Two (Wednesday 11th March 26): Old Course
Onto day two and in contrast to Tuesday, the Cheltenham favourites are dominated by Irish-trained runners.
Willie Mullins, who has fired in 113 Cheltenham winners over the years, is currently responsible for four of the Wednesday market leaders.
These include Mighty Park (Turners) and Final Demand (Brown Advisory), plus the Closutton handler also has Majborough propping up the Champion Chase market – the big day two feature.
| Time | Race Name & Class | Distance | FAVOURITE | Country | Trainer | Odds |
| 1:20pm | Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 5f | MIGHTY PARK | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 7/2 |
| 2:00pm | Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) | 3m | FINAL DEMAND | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 4/1 |
| 2:40pm | Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) | 2m 5f | I STARTED A JOKE | 🇮🇪 | Charles Byrnes | 10/1 |
| 3:20pm | Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (A Limited Handicap) (Class 2) | 3m 6f | STUMPTOWN | 🇮🇪 | Gavin Cromwell | 11/4 |
| 4:00pm | BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) | 2m | MAJBOROUGH | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 7/4 |
| 4:40pm | Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase (Premier Handicap) | 2m | BE AWARE | 🇬🇧 | Dan Skelton | 9/1 |
| 5:20pm | Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) | 2m | LOVE SIGN D’AUNOU | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 9/2 |
WATCH: Marine Nationale Winning The 2025 Queen Mother Champion Chase
Cheltenham Festival Favourites 2026 – Day Three (Thursday 12th March 26): New Course
Day three on Thursday is a bit more of an even split of British and Irish-trained Cheltenham favourites – with four for the Irish and three for the UK handlers.
Last season’s Champion Bumper winner Bambino Fever will be looking to add the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle to her Festival CV in the opener. A prize trainer Willie Mullins has won five times.
Paul Nicholls will be hoping to win the Jack Richards Plate for a season year, having won the race with Caldwell Potter 12 months ago – he has the well-fancied Regents Stroll.
Lossiemouth will be all the rage to win a third Mares’ Hurdle and remain unbeaten at Cheltenham – but could also still run in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle.
However, will face a stern test from the improving Wodhooh, who landed the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the meeting last season.
The current Ryanair Chase favourite is last year’s winner Fact To File, but he could be supplemented for the Gold Cup – which would leave Jonbon as the market leader here.
While the 2024 Stayers’ Hurdle winner Teahupoo will be looking to win back his title – having lost it to Bob Olinger last year.
But both are owned by Robcour, so they won’t mind which one wins.
| Time | Race Name & Class | Distance | FAVOURITE | Country | Trainer | Odds |
| 1:20pm | Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) | 2m | BAMBINO FEVER | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 13/8 |
| 2:00pm | Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) | 2m 4f | REGENTS STROLL | 🇬🇧 | Paul Nicholls | 7/1 |
| 2:40pm | Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 4f | LOSSIEMOUTH | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 11/8 |
| 3:20pm | Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) | 2m 4f | FACT TO FILE | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 5/4 |
| 4:00pm | Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | 3m | TEAHUPOO | 🇮🇪 | Gordon Elliott | 2/1 |
| 4:40pm | Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) | 2m 7f | SUPREMELY WEST | 🇬🇧 | Dan Skelton | 15/2 |
| 5:20pm | Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Class 2) | 3m 2f | JERIKO DU REPONET | 🇬🇧 | Nicky Henderson | 9/2 |
WATCH: Fact To File Winning The 2025 Ryanair Chase
Cheltenham Festival Favourites 2026 – Day Four (Friday 13th March 26): New Course
Day four is the big one – Cheltenham Gold Cup day – and this year’s race looks set to be a crackerjack of a renewal.
The two-time winner Galopin Des Champs will be fancied by some to win his crown back – but the last 10 year-old to win the Gold Cup was Cool Ground in 1992, so he’s got this big trend to overcome.
King George 4th Jango Baie is heading the Gold Cup betting at the moment, but if Fact To File is rerouted here, this will certainly shake up the market.
On the Friday, though – we could see a good day for Willie Mullins – he’s currently got the first four 2026 Cheltenham Festival favourites on the afternoon.
Including Mares’ Chase hot-pot Dinoblue and Albert Barlett fancy Doctor Steinberg.
| Time | Race Name & Class | Distance | FAVOURITE | Country | Trainer | Odds |
| 1:20pm | JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m | PROACTIF | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 7/2 |
| 2:00pm | William Hill County Hurdle (Premier Handicap) | 2m | MURCIA | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 6/1 |
| 2:40pm | Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2) | 2m4f | DINOBLUE | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 15/8 |
| 3:20pm | Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | 3m | DOCTOR STEINBERG | 🇮🇪 | Willie Mullins | 3/1 |
| 4:00pm | Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1) | 3m 2f | JANGO BAIE | 🇬🇧 | Nicky Henderson | 5/1 |
| 4:40pm | St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase (Class 2) | 3m 2f | WONDERWALL | 🇮🇪 | S Curling | 9/2 |
| 5:20pm | Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) | 2m 4f | A PAI DE NOM | 🇬🇧 | Dan Skelton | 8/1 |
WATCH: Inothewayurthinkin Winning The 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Note: All Cheltenham Festival favourites and odds listed are subject to change – Correct 26th February 2026.
