The 2026 Champion Hurdle: a guide to all the possible runners

Who will win the showpiece race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival on March 10? Andy Stephens weighs up the credentials of Constitution Hill, Brighterdaysahead, The New Lion and more. Plus don't forget our Cheltenham Festival betting offers.

Trainer: Joe Tizzard. Official Rating: 148. Festival form: --. Jump Index: 7.6. Odds: 40-1. 

Began life on the Flat in Germany and nobody was talking about him as being a Champion Hurdle contender after being beaten off a mark of 127 at Chepstow in October. The strong traveller has progressed since and followed his emphatic Greatwood Hurdle win, over course and distance, with a solid third at Ascot, but the County Hurdle would look more logical. 

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 156. Festival form: -. Jump Index: 9.1. Odds: 25-1. 

Reading between the lines, it doesn’t sound like he’s the most straightforward horse to have ever graced Closutton and his defeats this season - all in Grade One company -  have been a mixed bag. 

Tanked along in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle but could not finish the job off and then ran much too free at Leopardstown over Christmas. He settled much better in the Irish Champion but lacked a change of gear, although the ground on the hurdle track at the Dublin Racing Festival blunted plenty. The suspicion is that he’s got a bigger run in him. 

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 160. Festival form: 15. Jump Index: 6.9. Odds: 25-1. 

The horse who races with his head bowed amusingly low looked destined for the top when romping home in the Baring Bingham two years ago, but his subsequent path has not been smooth. 

Chasing was aborted after a hit-and-miss campaign and the decision to reinvent him as a staying hurdler this term hit a backward step when he faded to finish third in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas. 

The last time he ran in a 2m hurdle was when trouncing the opposition at the Dublin Racing Festival two years ago and his entry is probably speculative. But Willie Mullins is not adverse to pulling rabbits out of hats and the notion of Balyburn bowling along with the handbrake off, even for old times’ sake, is quite appealing. 

Trainer: Gordon Elliott. Official Rating: 152. Festival form: --. Jump Index: 7.6. Odds: 66-1. 

The front-runner was campaigned like a summer horse last year, finishing third in the Galway Hurdle before landing a decent pot at Listowel. 

He’s shown himself to be more than that, though, with bold bids in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (would have been placed but fell at the last) and the December Hurdle (third behind Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead). He would have run in the Irish Champion, too, had the ground not been so testing. 

It's difficult to envisage him winning, but not difficult to imagine him setting an honest gallop. 

Trainer: Nicky Henderson. Official Rating: 170. Festival form: 11F. Jump Index: 7.9. Odds: 11-2. 

The enthral guy has turned into the fall guy. And who knows what comes next. 

We are nearing the two-year anniversary of him missing the defence of his Champion Hurdle crown after that gallop at Kempton; and the year anniversary of his shock fifth hurdle fall in last year’s big race. 

Nobody needs reminding he’s also hit the deck in his two subsequent races in Britain, with a subdued spin in Ireland adding to a sudden downturn in fortunes for one of the sport’s greatest hurdlers of the modern era. 

His first ten races were all exhibitions but now some would have you believe he just belongs in one. Maybe with replays of his imperious eight Grade One triumphs spinning around on a loop behind him. 

I cannot be the only one who yearns to see the now nine-year-old get off the canvas and deliver at least one more virtuoso knockout.  It’s heart ruling head, of course, but he wouldn’t need to be anything like the force of old to take the spoils next month. Provided, of course, that his engine is still intact. And that he stands up. 

The plan is for him run on the Flat at Southwell on February 20. It’s a curious choice in an increasingly curious career, although Henderson routinely gives many of his Festival horses a spin on the all-weather as part of their preparations. This time, it’s just with some starting stalls and potentially winning a few quid into the bargain. 

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 154. Festival form: 1P. Jump Index: 8.1. Odds: 50-1. 

It says much for the Champion Hurdle’s muddied waters that El Fabiolo has emerged as a possible challenger. I had to look twice when seeing he was no bigger than 16-1 to win next month heading into the Irish Champion. 

Before this season, he had not run over hurdles since April 2022. He had spent the intervening years as a chaser, mixing notable victories with trying to bring fences home with him to Closutton. Mostly the latter in recent times. 

El Fabiolo threw his hat in the ring with a decisive win returned to hurdling at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, but he was unable to boss the Irish Champion in the same manner, fading to finish last of the five runners after setting strong fractions in the prevailing conditions. His days at the top table look behind him. 

Trainer: Nicky Henderson. Official Rating: 151. Festival form: 47. Jump Index: 7.3. Odds: 200-1. 

Went off second favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle last year but ran out of puff and faded to finish seventh. He has not got an entry this time. 

Conversely, it will be a big surprise if he’s got the speed – never mind ability – to make an impact in a Champion. He was fourth in the Coral Cup a couple of years ago and that would seem a better option, although he’s a stone higher in the weights now. The seven-year-old isn’t easy to place but the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on February 22 could be a good fit for him. 

Trainer: Kerry Lee. Official Rating: 151. Festival form: 6P. Jump Index: 7.5. Odds: 50-1. 

Kerry Lee’s admirable flagbearer briefly threatened to win the Unibet Hurdle last month before The New Lion managed to master him in the closing stages of an unsatisfactory contest run at a crawl. He was conceding the winner 3lb, so actually came out the best horse at the weights. 

The nine-year-old was also a close third to Golden Ace in the Fighting Fifth but his overall form points to that also being a red herring. 

He helped make up the numbers when sixth in the Champion Hurdle two years ago and last year went down the Stayers’ Hurdle path but was pulled up. Nemean Lion won the National Spirit at Fontwell last season and that looks an obvious next move for him. 

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 149. Festival form 1. Jump Index: 7.6. Odds: 20-1. 

Produced one of the biggest shocks seen at The Festival last year when pouncing late to win the Triumph Hurdle at 100-1 on his hurdling debut.  That was an astonishing effort, for all that he was a smart middle-distance performer on the Flat. 

Poniros showed that was no fluke when subsequently runner-up at Punchestown (Lulamba turned the tables on him) and he caught a few eyes when a keeping-on third on his belated return in the Irish Champion last month. 

He was never in contention but did plug on to pinch a place. The indications afterwards were that he would miss Cheltenham and instead head to Aintree. 

Trainer: Dan Skelton. Official Rating: 159. Festival form: 1. Jump Index: 7.8. Odds: 11-4. 

The Dublin Racing Festival was dominated by the green and gold of JP McManus and the leading owner is building a formidable team for Cheltenham with The New One his Champion Hurdle candidate. 

His only blemish in seven starts has been when falling two out in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November. Would he have won that day? We will never know. 

I’m not sure any of us know exactly how good The New Lion is as Harry Skelton has made a habit of smuggling him to the front late on in his races (the Newcastle front-running tactics were surely a one-off). 

Equally, a best price of 11-4 does not exactly set the pulse racing. His form as a novice last season lacks substance as time has shown us that he was either beating ordinary opposition or rivals who are now established as stayers. 

Two miles on the Old Course also seems unlikely to show him to best advantage. His career best was over 2m 5f in last year’s Turners and his pedigree points to intermediate trips, or further, suiting him best. 

He had a fight on his hands when exiting at Newcastle and his narrow defeat of Nemean Lion (gave 3lb) and 138-rated Brentford Hope (received 3lb) over 2m 1f on soft ground on the New Course last time is impossible to read. Dan Skelton said he proved he had the necessary speed for a Champion that day, but that’s not the case. He won a dawdle against one rival (giving weight) who usually runs over further and another at least 2st short of what is required to win a Champion. 

Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill. Official Rating: 144. Festival form: --. Jump Index: 8.6. Odds: 100-1. 

Upwardly mobile in valuable handicaps, winning one at Ascot just before Christmas before finding one too good at Windsor last time. 

He’s an extremely ambitious entry, though, and I’d imagine he will be sticking with the handicap route. 

Trainer: Henry De Bromhead. Official Rating: 143. Festival form: 0. Jump Index: 7.4. Odds: 250-1. 

This time last year he looked an exciting novice, having dished out a seven-length drubbing to William Munny at Leopardstown over Christmas. He went off at only 15-2 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the back of that run but stopped quickly and trailed home last of 11 finishers behind Kopek Des Bordes. Meanwhile, William Munny was beaten only a length and a half. 

The lightly raced eight-year-old must have been amiss and did not run again last term, eventually resurfacing in the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas in late January. He was a considerately handled fourth but, equally, hardly looked a Champion Hurdle winner in waiting. 

His handicap rating is intriguing. William Munny is sitting on a mark of 156. 

Trainer: Gordon Elliott. Official Rating: 159. Festival form: 24. Jump Index: 8.4. Odds: 11-4. 

We all know this bruiser of a mare is top notch, so let’s get straight to the point: can Brighterdayshead cut it at Cheltenham or is the outlook for her there always going to be gloomy? 

She suffered an odds-on defeat when runner-up to Golden Aace in the Mares’ Novices Hurdle two years ago and bombed out badly when a weary fourth behind the same horse in the Champion last year. She lined up with a rating of 161 and the BHA handicapper had her running to a mark of 132, so she was 2st below her best. 

It's going to be a stick that people keep beating her with. But it might not be that straightforward. 

The Mares’ Novices was slowly run and developed into a sprint. It played more into the hands of the winner. Tactics, not the track, looked the issue. The intervening period has shown us that Brighterdayshead excels in strong-run contests. 

Last year was simply too bad to be true and her connections said afterwards she had a “small issue”. It’s transpired that “small issue” was a knee problem, that has since been rectified. So in my book she gets a pass. 

This season we had been told she was going chasing. But her debut in that sphere, planned for mid-November, was delayed when “she was a little bit tight after schooling” and then put on complete hold. Setbacks for State Man, William Munny and Sir Gino, plus the big races failing to yield a standout candidate, have no doubt helped concentrate minds at Cullentra and Gigginstown. 

She was a decisive winner of the Irish Champion last time, when too strong for Lossiemouth, and who can forget her relentless performance at Leopardstown the Christmas before when winning by 30 lengths? If she brings her A Game to the Cotswolds, then she will take some stopping.

Trainer: Jeremy Scott.  Official Rating: 152. Festival form: 11. Jump Index: 7.9. Odds: 8-1. 

It’s unlikely her breeders had the Champion Hurdle in mind for her. She’s a daughter of Golden Horn out of a Dubawi mare with her only sibling to go near an obstacle being well beaten in a novice hurdle at Bangor. 

But the racing wheel spins in many directions and Golden Ace will line up as the defending champ in March, having subsequently won a Fighting Fifth Hurdle and been runner-up in the Christmas Hurdle, beating all bar Sir Gino. 

She got lucky last year with the principals either crashing out or being below-par, but she was there to pick up the pieces. Ditto Newcastle in November. 

In an unpredictable landscape, she’s become a source of reliability. You can certainly mark up her effort at Kempton last time as the combination of a sharp track and lively ground did not show her to best advantage. 

But a two-time Champion Hurdle heroine? More good fortune will likely be needed. 

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 159. Festival form: 111. Jump Index: 8.0. Odds: 6-1. 

Will she, or won’t she? We’ve been here twice before, of course, and the answer for the past two years has been “she won’t”. 

Instead, Lossiemouth has headed for the Mares’ Hurdle, over half a mile further, and won with authority each time, having also won the Triumph Hurdle in 2023. That has done little to appease those who want to see a horse who clearly relishes Cheltenham (she’s 4-4 at the track) in the big one. 

Those closest to her seem adamant that the longer trip brings out the very best in the nine-time Grade One winner. But there cannot be much in it, can there? 

In 12 races over 2m1f or less, she has won eight and been second three times, plus fallen mid-race on the other occasion. One of those defeats came when very badly hampered, when she somehow almost got back up. Some metrics will suggest her best performances have been over the shorter distance. 

What of those two defeats? One was behind Constitution Hill in the 2024 Christmas Hurdle; the other when failing to get to grips with Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion last time. On both occasions she simply lacked her usual verve from an early stage. Was it a speed thing? I’m not convinced. 

She is 5/5 when running over 2m 4f, twice when taking on the boys. 

In previous years, Willie Mullins has had other leading Champion Hurdle players to rely on. Not this time. She’s head and shoulders his No 1. 

The Champion Hurdle carries a first prize of £253,215; the second gets £95,400, and the third £47,745. Meanwhile, the Mares’ Hurdle winner will receive £70,337; the second £26,500, and third £13,262. 

So, Lossiemouth could be beaten in the Champion Hurdle and still earn her owner, Rich Ricci, considerably more than if landing a third Mares’ Hurdle. 

An, should she win the one that really counts, she will have won three-and-a-half Mares’ Hurdles in one go. And that’s how most fans of the sport would balance the races in terms of their prestige and importance.