All eyes will be on Prestbury Park for Friday’s feature race at the Festival, so check out the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup prize money – which has been increased once again.
2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup Prize Money
There’s no surprise that the Gold Cup winner will take home more prize money than any other horse at the festival. With it being the most valuable race of the entire meeting, £351,687 is up for grabs.
However, just placing in the race can win you plenty as well. But there are also worrying Gold Cup trends that could be against certain horses.
Full Gold Cup Prize Money Breakdown
- 1st = £351,687
- 2nd = £132,500
- 3rd = £66,312
- 4th = £33,125
- 5th = £16,625
- 6th = £8,312
- 7th = £4,125
- 8th = £2,125
Fun Fact: The Champion Hurdle prize money (for the winner) is £98,472 LESS than the Gold Cup.
Who’s Running In The 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Sure to be an absolute cracker once again, this year’s Gold Cup runners are hard to split.
Jango Baie has been kept fresh from the King George back in December, heading straight here and he currently heads the market at 5/1. He loves the Cheltenham hill and has to enter calculations, it’s hard to imagine him finishing out of the places. Extra couple of furlongs will suit.
King George winner The Jukebox Man is next in the betting and is unbeaten over fences. Will be popular with the punters for sure given his only other visit to Cheltenham was when he lost by a head to Stellar Story in the 2024 Albert Bartlett. Ben Jones and Ben Pauling are a combination to keep on side this Festival.
Gaelic Warrior is one of the most versatile horses in training right now and seems to have matured spectacularly in the last 18 months. He’s a Cheltenham Festival winner and has to rate the strongest chance for his trainer Willie Mullins – who also has dual-Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs in the race. It’s telling that connections have chosen this over the Ryanair Chase.
Last year’s surprise winner Inothewayurthinkin has attracted antepost support in the last week or so but it’s hard to see him recording back-to-back success in the biggest contest of the week. However, when running in the green and gold of JP McManus, anything can happen.
Leading British trainer Dan Skelton has Grey Dawning in here and there’s no reason why he can’t run a big race.
WATCH: Inothewayurthinkin Wins 2025 Gold Cup
2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Odds
- Jango Baie 5/1
- The Jukebox Man 11/2
- Gaelic Warrior 13/2
- Galopin Des Champs 8/1
- Inothewayurthinkin 8/1
- Haiti Couleurs 9/1
- Grey Dawning 16/1
- Spillane’s Tower 16/1
- 33/1 Bar
This year’s race can be watched on ITV Racing at 4:00pm on Friday 13th March
Last 10 Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners
- 2025 – Inothewayurthinkin (15/2) – Gavin Cromwell
- 2024 – Galopin Des Champs (10/11) – Willie Mullins
- 2023 – Galopin Des Champs (7/5) – Willie Mullins
- 2022 – A Plus Tard (3/1) – Henry De Bromhead
- 2021 – Minella Indo (9/1) – Henry De Bromhead
- 2020 – Al Boum Photo (100/30) – Willie Mullins
- 2019 – Al Boum Photo (12/1) – Willie Mullins
- 2018 – Native River (5/1) – Colin Tizzard
- 2017 – Sizing John (7/1) – Jessica Harrington
- 2016 – Don Cossack (9/4) – Gordon Elliott
