The 2026 Cheltenham Festival: super stats and facts for all four days
By Andy Stephens
Last Updated: Sun 8 Feb 2026
It’s been said that it’s easy to lie with statistics, but that it’s hard to tell the truth without statistics.
Perhaps you are caught somewhere in the middle.
Racing is full of them, so here’s a few to chew on ahead of the Cheltenham Festival. Well, quite a lot.
They are not meant to steer you one way or another, but may help or inform your decision making.
DAY ONE: Tuesday March 10
Six of the best for Nicky?
1.20 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Nicky Henderson will seek to land his sixth Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 40 years after River Ceirog gave him his first victory in the race.
That 1986 edition was notable for being the first live televised race to be shown legitimately in licenced betting offices since they were legalised in 1960.
However, not many shouted the 40-1 winner home. He had been beaten in his first three starts over hurdles and there were far more obvious contenders among his 28 rivals.
Henderson’s other winners have been Flown (1992), Altior (2016), Shishkin (2020) and Constitution Hill (2022).
The blinkered Flown had only made his hurdling debut 17 days earlier, when winning the Dovecote at Kempton, but that did not stop him romping home at Cheltenham by ten lengths under Jamie Osborne.
Kopek Des Bordes became the first horse since Flown to win wearing headgear when successful in a hood last year. The 42 horses to wear headgear in the intervening years had all been beaten.
Lulamba aims to strike for young guns
2.00 Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (Grade 1)
Lulamba, runner-up in the Triumph last year, is a hot favourite to belatedly give the five-year-olds another success.
Half of the winners between 1998 and 2006 were from that age group courtesy of Champleve, Flagship Uberalles, Well Chief and Voy Por Ustedes. They might have had a fifth had Frozen Groom not fallen three out when moving well, in the lead, in the 2000 renewal, and Twist Magic was also bang in contention when departing in the closing stages in 2007.
The quartet who won were blessed with plenty of ability but also benefited from significant weight-for-age allowances, designed to compensate younger horses for their immaturity when taking on their elders.
Racing’s rulers grew uncomfortable and believed the scales had been tipped disproportionately in favour of the youngest runners. Consequently the weight-for-age allowance in the Arkle was scrapped in 2007.
Since then, only 11 five-year-olds have run in the race and all of them have been beaten, with Fakir D’Oudairies, the runner-up in 2020, faring best.
They have had several well-fancied contenders over that time, especially last year when Majborough went off 1-2 favourite. But he made costly errors and could finish only third.
Majborough was the first Triumph Hurdle winner since Made In Japan, in 2004, to go straight over fences. That horse finished eighth in the Arkle.
There were only five runners 12 months ago but there was no shortage of drama. Only The Night, the runner-up, traded at 1.3 in-running on Betfair, while Majborough touched 1.33. And the fourth, L’Eau Du Sud was matched at 1.5. The winner, Jango Baie, hit 299-1 before producing his unlikely late surge.
Mullins has yet to land the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Mullins brigade come up short
2.40 Hallgarten And Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
Irish-trained runners have scooped the past eight editions of the race but it would be wrong to assume they have triumphed through weight of numbers.
They have had 83 runners in the race during this time, whereas British trainers have been responsible for 82. Ireland enjoyed a 1-2-3-4 in 2023 and went one better when responsible for the first five home a year later.
It is a race that has taunted Willie Mullins. Since Clear Ripose trailed home thirteenth under David Casy in the 2006 renewal for him, the master trainer has had 24 more runners and they all have been beaten – including three successive favourites between 2021 and 2023.
His beaten market leaders famously include Gaelic Warrior, who had his first run for Mullins off a mark of 129 in 2022. Suggestions that the French recruit was a handicap snip led to him going off 13-8 but he was beaten a short head by Brazil, a Ballydoyle cast off. It will be of no consolation to those who backed Gaelic Warrior that his present ratings over hurdles and fences are 153 and 172 respectively.
The Naas novice hurdle won by Highland Crystal at Naas on Saturday (February 6) has yielded four winners in the past seven years.
Intriguingly, the past four winners all made their hurdling debuts between November 15 and November 27. Highland Crystal made her hurdling bow on November 13.
Headgear runners in profit
3.20 Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
Nine of the past 14 runnings of the Ultima have been won by a horse wearing some form of headgear (never a visor) at prices ranging between 15-2 and 28-1. On four occasions they’ve enjoyed a 1-2, and in 2016 a spectacular 1-2-3 (the Trifecta paid £2,025).
In 2018, one of the two years they missed out, the visored Shantou Flyer was beaten a neck at 14-1.
A total of 128 horses have worn headgear in the race since 2012. Meanwhile, 181 have worn none. If you’d put £10 on all those wearing headgear since 2012, you would be showing a profit of £55. Had you put £10 on all the horses without headgear, you would have lost £1,415.
Girl power on the rise
4.00 Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
The Champion Hurdle was first run almost a century ago, but only seven mares have won it: African Star (1939), Dawn Run (1984), Flakey Dove (1994), Annie Power (2016), Epatante (2020), Honeysuckle (2021 & 2022) and Golden Ace (2025).
So, between 1927 and 2015 only three mares prevailed, yet five of the past ten renewals have been scooped by the female of the species, plus they had a 1-2 in 2022.
What has changed?
For a long while the racing programme offered little incentive for owners to campaign fillies/mares in the National Hunt arena.
There was no specific programme for them and had to compete on level weights. Consequently, they were something of a novelty when appearing on a racecard. The introduction of a 5lb weights allowance for mares in the 1980s helped change the scenery a little and, soon after, Dawn Run became only the second of her sex to win the Champion Hurdle.
The weight allowance was increased to 7lb in 2004 and in recent years that has clearly been a factor. If they keep winning, then perhaps their allowance will be reviewed, much as it was for the five-year-olds in the Arkle.
When hot favourite Constitution Hill fell last year, having previously never been beaten under Rules, he was ending an incredible sequence for his trainer, Nicky Henderson, whose previous 101 runners at the meeting had not fallen, unseated or been brought down. He'd had no faller since Precious Cargo took a tumble in the novices’ handicap chase on the first day of the 2020 Festival.
Golden Ace cashed in and became the first winner since Jezki in 2014 to win despite being beaten earlier in the campaign. The previous ten winners before her – Faugheen (111), Annie Power (11), Buveur D’Air (111), Buveur D’Air (111), Espoir D’Allen (111), Epatante (11), Honeysuckle (11), Honeysuckle again (111), Constitution Hill (11) and State Man (111) all lined up having not been beaten that season.
No horses in this year’s line-up have had a blemish-free campaign, which is highly unusual. Thirty-one of the past 35 winners of the race won on their most recent start. Only The New Lion and Brighterdaysahead qualify on that count this year.
They head the betting but remember that last year's Trifecta paid £4,332 to a £1 stake.
Golden rating band
4.40 TrustATrader Plate (Premier Handicap Chase)
Jagwar became the 12th successive winner to have a rating between 139 and 149 when taking the spoils last season. Seven of those have been novices or second-season chasers.
He is a leading fancy to win again at this year’s Festival, but the last Plate winner to return and win again at the Festival was Elfast, who won a second Plate back in 1997, having scooped it two years earlier.
Moreover, the past seven winners have since gained just one subsequent win over fences between them.
Elliott runners worth second look
This race has been tinkered with in recent years and this season, for the second time, it’s a handicap and open to professional jockeys.
Gordon Elliott had 15 runners in the National Hunt Chase in its former guise, having four winners and twice being responsible for the runner-up. His winners have been Chicago Grey (5-1), Cause Of Causes (8-1), Tiger Roll (16-1) and Ravenhill (12-1) so you would be showing a healthy profit if you had backed him blind.
And five years ago, he prepared Galvin, who won, and Escaria Ten, who was third, but they ran under the name of Denise Foster for well-documented reasons.
The best of his three runners last year was Will Do, who finished.
DAY TWO: Wednesday March 11
Nicholls tries again with another Challow winner
1.20 Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
The New Lion stopped the rot for Challow Hurdle winners when triumphing last year.
Before he completed the double, the record of Challow winners in this race stood at zero from 20, with Stage Star Bravemansgame and Hermes Allen being the past three to come up short. That trio were all trained by Paul Nicholls, who this time is responsible for the well-fancied No Drama This End who, you guessed it, won the Challow last time. If at first, you don’t succeed . . .
Before The New Lion came along, the last Challow winner to win at the Festival in the same season was the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Wichita Lineman, who went on to win the Albert Bartlett in 2007. He would also land the Ultima two years later, too, under an inspired AP McCoy.
Naming horses after Glenn Campbell songs has been a good tactic. Wichita Lineman reached No 7 in the UK charts for him in 1969, while Rhinestone Cowboy peaked at 38 in 1975. The equine Rhinestone Cowboy, also trained by O’Neill, reached the frame in three Festival races between 2002 and 2007. Look out for Galveston, a useful stayer on the Flat for Aidan O’Brien, should he ever be switched to Jumps.
Runners unbeaten over fences
2.00 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
This century, there have been only five Brown Advisory victors to return to the winner’s enclosure with an unblemished record over the larger obstacles – Denman, Don Poli, Monkfish, L’Homme Presse and The Real Whacker.
Denman would also remain unbeaten the next season, with the highlight being his defeat of Kauto Star the 2008 Gold Cup.
The last horse to complete the Brown Advisory-Gold Cup double was Bobs Worth in 2013. Fact To File, who won the 2024 renewal, might belatedly have something to say about that this time.
There were zero British-trained runners in the race last year, so Ireland had a "walkover". It must have been the first time the home team had not been represented (even more remarkable given the Turners had been scrapped).
It was only in 2019 that Britain had ten challengers. Thankfully, the home team will be back this time.
Unexposed runners hold key
2.40 The Cup (Premier Handicap Hurdle)
What used to be the Coral Cup is now the Cup, until another sponsor steps in.
Novices have a poor record but lightly raced, second-season hurdlers tend to thrive. Jimmy Du Seuil was a prime example when winning last year as he was having his first start outside novice company.
Since 2000, only six winners have run more than ten times over hurdles. The message is clear: seek out unexposed runners in the Cup.
Irish dominance
Watch how Balthazar King won for a second time in 2014
This is a race Ireland have dominated with Philip Hobbs the only British trainer to have saddled the winner. He won with Balthazar King in 2012 and 2014.
Martin Keighley was also responsible for the first past the post in 2016 in Any Currency, but the 13-year-old gelding was disqualified five months later when it was revealed he had tested positive for a prohibited substance. The luckless Keighley, who has also twice had the runner-up, was cleared of any wrongdoing.
There have been 122 British-trained runners, with Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson, Ben Pauling, Nigel Twiston-Davies, Alan King, David Pipe, Jonjo O’Neill, Venetia Williams, Kim Bailey, Sam Thomas, Colin Tizzard, Nicky Richards and Tom George among those to have beaten runners. Nicholls had 16 runners in the race between 2005 and 2016 but has since looked the other way.
Ireland have had 16 winners, while France have had one from 26 runners. Sweden also came to the party one year. Sixteen of the 20 winners had run at the track earlier in the season.
Thirty-two obstacles must be negotiated but this is not the jumping test some might imagine. There have been 297 runners but only seven runners have ever fallen, including two in the first running. All 16 runners completed in 2010.
Hot favourites often fluff lines
4.00 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
The late Alastair Down recall the majesty of Master Minded
There have been 13 odds-on favourites this century but just three have won. Master Minded delivered at 4-11 in 2009, as did Altior at the same price a decade later. In between Sprinter Sacre (2013) breezed home at 1-4.
But on numerous occasions horses seemingly destined to be crowned king have fluffed their lines, giving us a stark reminder that no Festival races are a formality.
Perhaps the most notable was Douvan (2017) who trailed home seventh at 2-9. He had looked invincible beforehand, having won his previous 14 races, but never recovered after making an early blunder.
El Fabiolo (2024) went off the same price after seven wins on the spin but was pulled up after a calamitous error at the fifth.
The others have been: Moscow Flyer (unseated rider at 5-6 in 2004); Master Minded (fourth at 4-5 in 2010); Sizing Europe (second at 4-5 in 2012); Un De Sceaux (second at 4-6 in 2016); Defi Du Seuil (fourth at 2-5 in 2020); Chacun Pour Soi (third at 8-13 in 2021); Shishkin (pulled up at 5-6 in 2022); and Jonbon (second at 5-6 in 2025).
Douvan and Jonbon are brothers, but probably avoid any chat about the race at family gatherings.
Another notable beaten favourite in the race was Kauto Star, who fell early in the 2006 renewal before going on to win two editions of the Gold Cup plus five King Georges.
In the past 34 years, ten winners had landed the Arkle Chase 12 months earlier. They have been: Remittance Man (1992), Klairon Davis (1996), Moscow Flyer (2003), Azertyuiop (2004), Voy Por Ustedes (2007), Sizing Europe (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2013), Altior (2018) and Put The Kettle On (2021). The SPs have included 10-1, 9-1 and 17-2, so it’s been a profitable route to follow, but Jango Baie will not be improving the record this time as he’s heading for the Gold Cup.
Only one horse older than 10 (Moscow Flyer) has won since 1978. That does not augur well for Captain Guinness.
Record of Henderson runners
4.40 Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
The race has been run in memory of Nicky Henderson’s late father since 2005. With the help of other Jockey Club members, Johnny Henderson raised £260,000 to purchase Cheltenham (as Racecourse Holdings Trust) and safeguard it from property developers.
Nicky struck with Greenhope (20-1) in 2006 and enjoyed a 1-2 in the 2012 renewal when Bellvano (also 20-1) and beat Tanks For That.
Overall, Henderson has had 39 runners in the race since 2005, with 34 of those being between 2005 and 2014. He’s not had a runner in it since Theinval, running in the race for a third time, finished fifth at 50-1 in 2020.
Eleven of the past 15 winners have had an official rating of between 138 and 147. During the same time, 16 horses in that band have finished second or third.
Since 2005, just four runners rated 150 higher have finished in the first three.
Global Citizen was a rare older horse to prevail in 2022 - only the third winner since 1998 to be ten or older – but was not typical of his age group, given he was having only his sixth start over fences.
Mullins gives punters a puzzle
5.20 Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
Watch how Champagne Fever won at fancy odds
Willie Mullins has had the winner 14 times since it was first run in 1992 – plus plenty of near-misses – and rode his 1996 conqueror, Wither Or Which, himself.
However, punters looking to cash in on his dominance should note the market often gets his runners wrong.
Facile Vega, Jasmin De Vaux and Bambino Fever have been recent “first strings” to deliver but five of his previous six winners were returned at 12-1 (Cousin Vinny), 16-1 (Champagne Fever), 25-1 (Briar Hill), 25-1 (Relegate) and 11-1 (Ferny Hollow).
The shortest-priced Mullins runners in those races finished sixth, third, eighth, fifth and second. So, don’t rely on the market telling you accurately who the best of the Mullins brigade might be.
Perhaps the most beloved of Mullins’ Bumper winners has been Champagne Fever, who had such as The New One, Jezki and Many Clouds behind when winning in 2012.
The grey returned a year later to beat My Tent Or Yours in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before being edged out in the 2014 Arkle. He was also well fancied for the 2015 Champion Chase but was a late non-runner after being bitten on the lip by a stablemate when travelling over from Ireland.
DAY THREE: Thursday March 12
Blackmore was top Festival Jockey in 2021
Blackmore's parting gift
1.20 Ryanair Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Willie Mullins was responsible for the first five winners of this race – all of them French-breds who started their careers in France. But he’s lost his grip in the past five years.
The first ten winners have all been aged five or six, with six of them having previously won or been placed in a Graded race.
Rachael Blackmore won last year’s renewal on Air Of Entitlement and had one more win up her sleeve that day but she will not return after retiring in May of last year. She rode 18 Festival winner and became the first woman to be leading jockey at meeting with six victories in 2021.
Blackmore’s glittering triumphs included the Cheltenham Gold Cup on A Plus Tard in 2022; the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle (2021 and 2022); Champion Chase on Captain Guinness (20240); Stayers’ Hurdle on Bob Olinger (2025); plus Ryanair Chase on Allaho (2021) and Envoi Allen (2023).
Mullins and handicap chases
The Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase has replaced the Grade One Turners Novices’ Chase.
Willie Mullins had lost the knack of winning the now defunct race. He scooped four of the first six renewals but in the last seven years of its existence he was out of luck with his 17 runners finishing 4P60U235836F34679 despite a number being leading fancies.
So perhaps it is good news for Mullins that he no longer has to worry about how to crack the race. Or is it?
The champion trainer, with a record 113 Festival winners in the bag, has peculiarly has still yet to scoop a handicap chase at the meeting. Cheltenham added two more last year, giving Mullins more opportunities to get that monkey off his back.
It can only be a matter of time before he puts the record straight. But we've been saying that for a good while now.
Normal service resumed
2.40 Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Lossiemouth has won the past two renewals (Healy Racing)
Willie Mullins didn’t have a runner in the first renewal, in 2008. Since then, he has saddled 11 of the 17 winners (admittedly Quevega won six of them) and it would have been 12 had Benie Des Dieux not fallen at the final flight in 2019 with victory at her mercy.
He’s also been responsible for the runner-up on four of the occasions when failing to hit the target. None of his trio in 2023 finished in the first three but normal service has been resumed in the past couple of years courtesy of Lossiemouth. He also fielded the runner-up 12 months ago and his third challenger was going well when exiting three out.
Henry De Bromhead’s runners are also worth noting. He won the race with Honeysuckle in 2020 and 2023, plus fielded the second, third and fourth two years ago at 22-1, 40-1 and 18-1.
Galmory the Irish saviour
3.20 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Seven horses have won two renewals or more. They are: (1912-13), Crimson Embers (1982 and 1986), Galmoy (1987-88), Baracouda (2002-03), Inglis Drever (2005, 2007-08), Big Buck’s (2009-2012) and Flooring Porter (2021-22).
Irish-trained runners have dominated recent Cheltenham Festivals but it was not always the case.
Galmoy, trained by John Mulhern, was notable for being the only Irish-trained winner at the meeting in 1987 and 1988. He was also second in the 1989 renewal when Ireland suffered a whitewash for the first time since 1947. You can get any price you like on the same happening this year.
The record of the sponsor
4.00 Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
Flashback: O'Leary reflects on the victory of Balko des Flos
This will be the 20th year that Ryanair have sponsored this Grade One event and, naturally, Michael O’Leary, the CEO of Ryanair, likes to have a runner via his horse racing arm of Gigginstown Stud (the 2005 race was backed by The Daily Telegraph).
Between 2006 and 2012, O’Leary’s sole runner was Mossbank, runner-up in the 2008 edition.
It was a different story between 2013 and 2024, when he had at least one runner in every renewal, hitting the jackpot with Balko Des Flos in 2018. He’s had seven other runners finish second or third.
Overall, the record of Gigginstown horses in the Ryanair reads 227323241437P6PF63. Last year, they were unrepresented for the first time since 2012, and Croke Park is their only entry this time.
Seventeen of the 21 Ryanair Chase winners have boasted at least one previous win at Cheltenham. The four exceptions have been Riverside Theatre, Balko Des Flo, Min and Allaho, although they all had at least some experience of the track.
Dismal record of horses to win qualifiers
4.40 Pertemps Network Final (Listed) (Premier Handicap)
A top-four finish in one of the qualifiers has been required to be eligible in the past three years, whereas it had been a top-six finish before that.
None of the past 11 winners have won a qualifier. And only one, Doddiethegreat last year, has finished second in one.
The last horse to win a qualifier and then land the Final was Fingal Bay, back in 2014.
This year’s qualifiers in Britain and Ireland (there are also a couple in France) have been won by Ma Shantou (Cheltenham in October); Haiti Couleurs (Newbury in November); Impose Toi (Aintree in November); Idy Wood (Kempton in November); Staffordshire Knot (Punchestown in November); Devon Skies (Market Rasen in November); Kikijo (Sandown in December); Nab Wood (Carlisle in December); Absolutely Doyen (Wincanton in December); Duke Silver (Leopardstown in December); Ace Of Spades (Huntingdon in January) and Red Risk (Musselburgh in February).
There are two more to come at Haydock on February 14 and Chepstow a week later.
None of the past eight winners had won in the previous eight months, so don’t worry if your fancy is enduring a lean spell (you could even view it as a positive).
The last to buck the trend was Presenting Percy in 2017, but he needed to as otherwise his rating would have been too low to make the cut. Presenting Percy was the middle leg of a remarkable treble for Davy Russell, who also won the renewals in 2016 (Mall Dini) and 2018 (Delta Work).
Avoid recent winners!
5.20 The Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (Sponsored by The JRL Group) (Handicap Chase)
Just four winners since 1992 have been aged ten or older. Increasingly, this is a race for younger legs with seven of the past 13 renewals won by horses aged no older than seven.
Only two of the past 21 winners won on their most recent start, while nine of the past 15 winners have worn some form of headgear. Daily Present, last year’s 12-1 winner, was sporting blinkers.
The race is restricted to horses rated no higher than 145. Four of the last seven victors have been rated 141 or higher, so don’t dismiss those up near the top of the weights.
Many racing fans drop the reference to Fulke Walwyn and refer to the race as the Kim Muir.
It was established in 1946 and originally known as the Kim Muir Amateur Riders' Steeplechase, remembering a cavalry officer who lost his life during World War II.
The name of Fulke Walwyn was added to the title in 1991. He was a legendary trainer whose 40 Festival triumphs included four Gold Cups.
DAY FOUR: Friday March 13
Poniros was a shock winner (focusonracing.com)
Don't dismiss busy horses on the Flat
1.20 JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
Poniros was a shock 100-1 winner last year when making his hurdling bow. Changes to the rules in the interim mean that can never happen again.
He had run on the Flat eight times beforehand for Ralph Beckett, making no impression in the Cambridgeshire off a mark of 91 on his previous outing.
Flicking back through the past two decades reveals only four winners – Tiger Roll (2014), Quilixios (2021), Lossiemouth (2023) and Majborough (2024) – had not run on the level (either on the Flat or in a French bumper). They all had different profiles, but busy horses on the Flat should not be overlooked. Katchit ran 17 times on the Flat; Countrywide Flame 16 times; and Pentland Hills 11 times.
Six winners since 2006 began their careers in France and eight winners during that period have been French-bred.
No fewer than nine of the past 13 winners had run in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in February, with Quilixios and Vauban doing the double in recent years. This season’s renewal was won by Narciso Has, a French-bred trained by Willie Mullins who has not run on the Flat (like Lossiemouth and Majborough).
If one Mullins doesn't beat you . . .
2.00 William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
Arcti Fire won after a lengthy absence
Ten of the past 19 winners have been trained by a member of the Mullins family (Willie x 8, Thomas x 1 and Tony x 1), while Dan Skelton, who has had four winners of the race during this time, seems to enjoy lining one up for this contest.
Can we find a common links with the Mullins winners?
All bar one have been aged five or six with a rating between 134 and 141.
The odd one out was eight-year-old Arctic Fire, who took the spoils in 2017 off a mark of 158 after 13 months off. Mullins took last year’s Coral Cup with Jimmy Du Seuil after that horse had been off a year, so ignore such runners at your peril.
Arctic Fire is one only two winners this century have scored off a rating in the 150s.
French breds and McManus on a roll
2.40 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2)
It’s only the sixth running of the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase, so we don’t have many stats or trends to play with.
But it is worth recognising that 18 of the 33 races run at the Festival exclusively for mares in recent years have been won by French-breds.
This year’s favourite, Dinoblue, was herself bred in France. She took the spoils last year after looking an unlucky runner-up in this last year and, like the past four winners, is owned by JP McManus.
Outsiders to the fore
3.20 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Stellar Story became the tenth of the past 12 winners to go off at double-figure odds two years ago.
The SPs have been 50-1, 33-1 (three times), 18-1 (twice), 16-1, 14-1 (twice) and 11-1. It is safe to say that it has been a bookmaker benefit with At Fisher Cross (2013) being the last favourite to oblige.
Among the 20 winners of the race, Monkfish and The Nice Guy are the only victors not to have won or been placed in a Graded novice hurdle beforehand, although the former had won his previous two starts and the latter was unbeaten.
And last year’s winner, Jasmin De Vaux, had finished foyrth in two Grade One races before triumphing.
Will the Irish Gold Cup hold the key to what happens at Cheltenham?
Galopin towards history?
4.00 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
Golden Miller won the Gold Cup five years in succession (1932-1936) when it was regarded as the main trial for the Grand National.
Cottage Rake (1948-50), Arkle (1964-66) and Best Mate (2002-04) have been triple winners and Galopin Des Champs will join this elite band if he triumphs for a third time, having been runner-up last year.
Cottage Rake subsequently lost his form, Arkle was injured in the King George later in the year and was retired, while Best Mate ran on just three more occasions.
Before Galopin Des Champs, Al Boum Photo, also trained by Willie Mullins, was the last horse to bid for three Gold Cup wins. He finished third, when 9-4 favourite, in his hat-trick attempt.
Fact To File is the ante-post favourite, having won the Brown Advisory in 2024 and Ryanair Chase in 2025. He was also runner-up in the Champion Bumper in 2023.
Imperial Commander landed the Gold Cup in 2010 a year after the landing the Ryanair, while Don Cossack was third in the 2015 Ryanair before scooping the Cheltenham Gold Cup a year later. The 2013 Ryanair victor, Cue Card, was travelling strongly in the 2016 Gold Cup when falling three out.
Envoi Allen, the 2023 Ryanair Chase winner, is also on course to run. The 12-year-old, trained by Henry De Bromhead, will apparently be having his final run and his efforts at the Festival deserve recognition.
He won the 2019 Champion Bumper plus the Turners Novices’ Hurdle a year later; fell in the 2021 Marsh Chase when 4-9; was third in the 2022 Champion Chase; won the 2023 Ryanair Chase plus been second and third in the past two renewals. So, his Festival form figures read 11F3123.
From humble beginnings
Perhaps appropriately, 31 of the past 37 winners began their careers in point-to-points or hunter chases.
Seven of the past 16 winners had finished in the first five in a previous year’s renewal, so don’t rule out Its On The Line making it fourth time lucky after being runner-up in the past three editions.
The most unfortunate horse never to have run at the Festival?
There are plenty of candidates but Get Me Out Of Here is a must for any shortlist.
He was beaten a head in the 2016 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before being beaten a nose by Final Demand in the County Hurdle a year later (caught on the line). Twelve month later he finished runner-up in the Coral Cup and then, in 2014, he was beaten a short head in the same race.
Get me Out Of Here, indeed.
David Pipe's quest
Last, but not least.
Ten of the past 15 renewals have been plundered by Irish runners, with all bar three of them having their first run in a handicap.
None of Willie Mullins’ four winners had previously run over hurdles more than three times but a rule change means all runners must now have had a minimum of five runs over obstacles.
David Pipe has yet to win the race that honours his father, the 15-time champion trainer who enjoyed 34 winners at the Festival.
Since the first running, in 2009, Pipe has had 23 runners and got no closer than third. Big Eared Fran (third in 2009 at 7-2); Ashkazar (seventh in 2010 at 9-2) and Gevrey Chambertin (pulled up at 9-4) all went off favourite, while he has had four other runners beaten at single-figure odds.
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