2026 Champion Chase Trends

The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner so check out the Champion Chase trends to help you pick your selections.

Well Fancied Majborough In Trouble As Odds-On Favs Have TERRIBLE record

Those wanting to back one of the hottest Cheltenham Festival favourites in MAJBOROUGH should look away now as market leaders have had a desperate record in the race in recent years.

Originally around a 13/8 chance, Majborough’s price has no collapsed completely after Marine Nationale was ruled out of the Festival.

Now, with the scratching of his main market rival, Willie Mullins‘ charge is now a general 5/6 shot.

But this doesn’t bode well for those looking to back the six-year-old as seven of the last eight Champion Chase favourites have been beaten.

However, Majborough backers may still keep the faith despite this trend. With uncertainty around his jumping since his Arkle loss last year, he looked the full package last time out when winning the Dublin Chase by 19 lengths.

WATCH: Majborough Bolts Up At Dublin Racing Festival

And there’s other Champion Chase trends that are against Majborough too…There’s only been three winners of the race aged six or younger. The last to do so was Master Minded in 2009 and he also won it a year earlier aged five, but he did have the assistance of Ruby Walsh in the saddle on both occasions.

Arkle winners also have a decent record in the Champion Chase. However, after mistakes cost him in that race last year, that’s another trend that goes against him.

And it gets worse, Majborough’s owner JP McManus has NEVER won the race, despite having 84 winners at the Cheltenham Festival over the years.

Recent Champion Chase Favourites That Lost

2025 – Jonbon (5/6, 2nd)
2024 – El Fabiolo (2/9, PU)
2022 – Shishkin (5/6, PU)
2021 – Chacun Pur Soi (8/13, 3rd)
2020 – Defi Du Seuil (2/5, 4th)
2017 – Douvan (2/9, 7th)
2016 – Un De Sceaux (4/6, 2nd)

Whoever you decide to back in the 2026 Champion Chase, it can be followed live on ITV Racing.

We also Cheltenham Festival day two trends for the other six races on the card.

Positive Champion Chase Trends

• 13 of the last 25 winners ran in the Tingle Creek Chase that season
• 4 of the last 13 winners won the Clarence House Chase (Ascot) that season
• 26 of the last 41 had won at the Festival before
• Paul Nicholls & Nicky Henderson have won 11 of the last 26 between them
• The last 5 winners were trained in Ireland
• Nicky Henderson has won 5 of the last 14
• 31 of the last 39 winners aged between 7-9
• 50% of the last 12 winners ran in the Shloer Chase (Cheltenham)
• 14 of the last 24 winners won last time out
• 15 of the last 20 winners had run in no more than 16 chases
• 20 of the last 23 winners had run that calendar year
• 42 of the last 44 winners returned 10/1 or shorter
• 18 of the last 26 winners returned 5/1 or shorter
• 9 of the last 19 winners were French-bred
• 13 of the last 23 winners were second season chasers
• 18 of the last 20 winners had run 2 or 3 times that season
• 23 of the last 27 winners came from the top 3 in the betting
• 18 of the last 26 winners ran in the previous season’s Arkle or Champion Chase
• 7 of the last 14 Arkle winners (previous season) to run have won
• Past champions do well – 14 horses have won the CC more than once

Negative Champion Chase Trends

• Only two winners priced 11/1 or bigger in the last 40 years
• Just 1 winner in last 21 had run 4+ times that season
• Horses that didn’t run in that calendar year have a bad record
• Top Irish trainer, Willie Mullins, has just 2 wins in the race (Energumene 2022 & 2023)
• Just 3 of the last 24 winners hadn’t won a Grade 1 Chase before
• Be wary of horses older than 10 – just 2 winners since 1977
• Dublin Chase winners are currently 0-from-6 (last 2 winners beaten in that DRF race)
• Only 3 winners aged 6 or younger in the last 50 years
• Just one 11 year-old winner in the last 46 years
• 7 of the last 8 odds-on favourites have lost (over the last 10 years)
• Just one mare has ever won the race (Put The Kettle On, 2021)

WATCH: Marine Nationale Wins 2025 Champion Chase

Could L’eau Du Sud Be The Bet In 2026 Champion Chase?

Despite not having the most attractive profile in paper, Dan Skelton‘s L’eau Du Sud could be the safest bet in this year’s Champion Chase. He arrives to the Festival fresh, and that’s when he runs best whilst also fitting the ideal age range at eight-years-old.