Cheltenham Festival on The Race Lab

Cheltenham 2026 in Numbers: The Year the Formbook Burned

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

If you left Cheltenham on Friday evening with money in your pocket, you’re in a very small minority.

The 2026 Festival was, by the numbers, the worst for favourites backers in over a decade. We pulled every winner’s starting price from our database going back to 2015, and this year’s average winning SP of 14.50 is comfortably the highest we’ve recorded. For context, 2024 — a year widely considered punter-friendly — averaged just 7.70.

Five Seconds, Then Five Wins: How Mullins Finally Mastered the Gold Cup

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

For the best part of a decade, the Gold Cup was the race that tortured Willie Mullins. Five times between 2006 and 2016, he sent out the runner-up. On His Own was beaten by a short head — 0.06 lengths — in 2014. Djakadam finished second in consecutive years. Sir Des Champs had every chance at the last in 2013 before being outpaced. Hedgehunter plugged on into second back in 2006.

Heart Wood Wins the Ryanair Chase: De Bromhead's Quiet Cheltenham Dominance

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Heart Wood won the 2026 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham this afternoon, giving Henry de Bromhead his first winner of this year’s Festival. Jonbon, stepping up from two miles, couldn’t land the blow, and the absence of last year’s winner Fact To File — withdrawn on the morning of the race — reshaped the whole contest.

It was a result most people didn’t see coming. But if you’d been tracking de Bromhead’s record in this specific race, you might have.

Il Etait Temps Wins the Champion Chase: Four Festival Runs, One Fall, and Finally a Cheltenham Winner

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Il Etait Temps won the Queen Mother Champion Chase this afternoon, beating Libberty Hunter under Paul Townend. The eight-year-old nearly threw it away with a mistake at the last fence, but held on to give Willie Mullins a third winner of the day.

The headline result is compelling enough. What makes it extraordinary is everything that came before it.

Three Festivals, No Cigar

Before today, Il Etait Temps had run at the Cheltenham Festival three times. He’d never won.

Lossiemouth Makes It Six From Eleven: The Champion Hurdle Has Become a Mares' Race

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Lossiemouth bolted up in the Champion Hurdle this afternoon, beating Brighterdaysahead by six and a half lengths under Paul Townend. A proper demolition job that extended her perfect Cheltenham record to five wins from five starts.

But the bigger story isn’t about one horse. It’s about what’s happened to the Champion Hurdle over the past decade.

The Numbers Are Stark

We pulled every Champion Hurdle result since 2003 from our database. In the first 13 runnings (2003-2015), zero mares won. Not one. A handful ran, none troubled the judge.

Sean Bowen's Festival Hoodoo: 52 Rides, Zero Winners, and the Numbers Behind Racing's Great Anomaly

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Sean Bowen heads to the Cheltenham Festival tomorrow as champion jockey. He’s ridden 1,252 career winners. He’s banging in winners at a 23% clip this season — 212 from 911 rides. He’s won Grade 1s at Aintree, Sandown, and beyond.

And yet from 52 rides at the Cheltenham Festival, he has precisely zero winners.

The Numbers Don’t Make Sense

We pulled Bowen’s complete Festival record from our database, and it makes for painful reading. Here’s every year since his first ride in 2015:

Galopin Des Champs Out: The Gold Cup Has No Obvious Winner

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Willie Mullins confirmed it on Sunday morning: Galopin Des Champs is out for the season. Worked well on Thursday, wasn’t right on Friday. That’s racing.

But the timing — five days before the Gold Cup — turns what was already a fascinating renewal into something genuinely unusual. We went through 20 years of Gold Cup data in SmartForm, and there’s no modern comparison for a field this open.

The favourite problem

Since 2006, the Gold Cup favourite has won nine times from 20 runnings. That’s a decent 45% strike rate. But look at the winners: Galopin Des Champs (twice, at 7/5 and 10/11), Kauto Star (5/4 and 7/4), A Plus Tard (3/1), Long Run (7/2). Proven, dominant horses at the peak of their powers.

Henderson's Supreme Factory: 61 Grade 1 Wins and Counting

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Idaho Sun’s withdrawal from Tuesday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle grabbed the headlines this week. A Grade 1 winner ruled out with lameness four days before the Festival — rotten luck for Harry Fry and connections.

But if you’re looking at who benefits most, the answer isn’t complicated. Nicky Henderson’s Old Park Star was already 9/4 favourite. Now the path looks even cleaner. And when Henderson targets this race, the alumni list reads like a Hall of Fame.

Brighterdaysahead and the Cheltenham Problem: Can She Crack It at the Third Attempt?

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Eddie O’Leary doesn’t do fake optimism. So when he appeared on Nick Luck’s podcast this week and said he was “nervous, not excited” about Brighterdaysahead’s Champion Hurdle chances, it was worth paying attention. He used the word “hoodoo” — and the numbers back him up.

Two runs at the Cheltenham Festival. Two disappointments. In the 2024 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, she went off the 5/6 favourite and finished second, beaten 1¾ lengths by Lossiemouth. Ran keenly early, couldn’t quicken when it mattered. Last March in the Champion Hurdle itself, she was sent off 5/2 favourite, led before three out, and weakened to finish fourth — beaten 19½ lengths by 25/1 shot Golden Ace.

El Fabiolo and the Chasing Dropouts: Do Horses Who Quit Fences Actually Win Over Hurdles?

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

El Fabiolo won by 21 lengths at Leopardstown yesterday. Twenty-one lengths. Over hurdles. After a chasing career that ended with three falls in his last five starts over fences, including a grim sequence at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown last spring.

The nine-year-old looked like a different horse. Paul Townend barely moved on him. And the obvious question now is whether he turns up at the Festival in a couple of weeks, maybe in the Champion Hurdle or the County, and whether anyone should take the switch seriously.

The Age Wall: Why History Is Against Galopin Des Champs

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

There’s a genuine debate this week about whether Fact To File will be supplemented for the Gold Cup, with Willie Mullins pointing out that JP McManus sees the situation differently to the press and the punters. That’s an interesting storyline. But the bigger question — the one that doesn’t get asked enough — is whether Galopin Des Champs can actually win a third Gold Cup at the age of ten.

Dan Skelton Is Having His Best Season Ever — And the Festival Hasn't Even Started

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Protektorat’s win in the Premier Chase at Kelso yesterday was the kind of result that barely registers as a surprise anymore. A year ago, Dan Skelton saddled Protektorat to win the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Now the horse is picking up Listed prizes as a warm-up. Business as usual.

But zoom out and there’s a bigger story here. Skelton’s 2025-26 season is comfortably the best of his career, and there are still four months of it left — including a certain four days in mid-March.

Haiti Couleurs and the Handicap Route to Gold Cup Glory

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Rebecca Curtis hasn’t had a runner in the Cheltenham Gold Cup before. In a couple of weeks, Haiti Couleurs will change that, and he’ll arrive via a route that most Gold Cup contenders wouldn’t touch: handicaps.

We pulled every Gold Cup winner since 2003 from our database and checked which ones had won a handicap chase in the 12 months before their crowning moment. Five had: Denman (Hennessy 2007), Bobs Worth (Hennessy 2012), Minella Indo (a Grade 3 handicap), Al Boum Photo (Savills New Year’s Day Chase), and last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin, who’d won the Kim Muir at the previous Festival.

The Champion Hurdle Nobody Wanted to Win: Constitution Hill's Exit Leaves Racing's Most Cursed Race Wide Open

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Michael Buckley called it “heartbreaking.” Ed Chamberlin called it “absolutely the right decision.” The numbers call it something else entirely: inevitable.

Constitution Hill’s official withdrawal from the 2026 Champion Hurdle — confirmed today, 13 days before the Festival — ends one of the most spectacular declines in Championship racing history. But here’s what makes this story truly extraordinary: he’s not the only star this race has broken.

Three Falls, One Flat Win, Zero Cheltenham

Let’s lay out Constitution Hill’s last five competitive runs over hurdles:

The King George Curse: Why No Horse Has Done What The Jukebox Man Is Trying Since 2011

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

The Jukebox Man won the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. He’s being aimed at the Gold Cup in three weeks. Sounds like a logical next step. The data says it’s anything but.

No horse has completed the King George–Gold Cup double in the same season since Long Run in 2011. That’s fifteen years of failure.

The Numbers Are Brutal

We pulled every King George winner since 2003 and tracked what happened when they turned up at Cheltenham in March. The results are grim.

Five From Six: Mullins' Stranglehold on the Triumph Hurdle

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Willie Mullins has won the Triumph Hurdle five times in the last six years. Read that again. Five from six. Vauban, Lossiemouth, Majborough, Burning Victory, and last year’s 100/1 shock Poniros. The only year he missed out was 2021, when Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios took it.

That record would be remarkable in any race. In a Grade 1 at the Cheltenham Festival, where British trainers send their best juveniles every March, it’s borderline absurd.

Klub De Reve Wins Dovecote — But History Says Steady On

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Klub De Reve put in a tidy performance to win Saturday’s Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton, beating Kocktail Bleu by three lengths with the well-backed Mustang Du Breuil back in third. Harry Derham’s horse has improved with every run this season and the step up to Grade 2 level didn’t faze him at all.

Bookmakers trimmed him into around 12/1 for the Supreme. On Racing Post comments, he’s already being talked up as a live outsider. And look, he might be. But before anyone gets carried away, we pulled the Dovecote form since 2012 and the Festival record of its winners is, well, not great.

Panic Attack's Grand National Dream: The Numbers For and Against

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

No horse had ever won both the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup in the same season. Then Panic Attack did it inside a fortnight.

We went through every winner of both races in the SmartForm database. Not one horse had doubled up in a single campaign — until this ten-year-old mare rattled off victories at Cheltenham on November 15th and Newbury on November 29th, improving from a rating of 135 to what is now 147 after her stroll in a Listed mares’ chase at Newbury in January.

The Numbers Behind Dan Skelton's Trainers' Championship Charge

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Dan Skelton doesn’t do press conferences. He doesn’t cultivate mystique. He just sends out horses — a lot of them — and an increasingly alarming percentage of them win.

With the season entering its business end, Skelton sits clear in the Trainers’ Championship race, and SmartForm data shows why: 127 winners from 762 runners this season at a 16.7% strike rate, with an extraordinary 43.3% of his runners finishing in the first three.

Lucinda Russell's Ultima Dynasty: Can King of Answers Make It Four From Five?

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Lucinda Russell doesn’t just have a good record in the Ultima Handicap Chase. She owns it.

Three wins from the last four runnings — Corach Rambler in 2022 and 2023, then Myretown last March — puts Russell alongside David Pipe as the race’s most prolific modern trainer. But here’s the difference: Pipe’s four wins came across 14 runners over a decade. Russell has managed three from just seven runners in four years, a 43% strike rate that borders on absurd for a 24-runner handicap chase.

Pure Steel Joins Mangan's Growing Cheltenham Arsenal

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Jimmy Mangan doesn’t train many horses. He doesn’t need to. The Kerry handler runs a yard of just 12 active runners — and yet he keeps finding himself in the winner’s enclosure at the highest level.

Pure Steel’s 12-length demolition of his rivals in Sunday’s Rated Novice Chase at Punchestown was the latest reminder that Mangan’s small operation continues to punch absurdly above its weight.

The Numbers That Matter

Since the start of 2024, Mangan has sent out 12 runners in graded or listed company and won four of them — a 33% strike rate. For context, Willie Mullins, with the largest and most powerful yard in training, manages around 24% in equivalent races at Gowran Park, his local track.

Mullins' Gowran Park Four-Timer Shows the Cheltenham Machine Is Firing

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Willie Mullins sent four winners home from Gowran Park on Saturday — and if you’ve been paying attention to his record at the Kilkenny track, that shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest.

Impaire Et Passe, Storm Heart, Madness D’Elle, and King Alexander all obliged on Red Mills Day. It was a clean sweep that underlined both the depth of the Closutton operation and Mullins’ particular fondness for a course that sits just over the hill from his Carlow base.

Edwardstone Swerves Cheltenham for Aintree — But History Is Against Him

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Alan King confirmed after the Ascot Chase on Saturday that Edwardstone will bypass the Cheltenham Festival entirely. The Ryanair entry stays in the drawer. Instead, the 12-year-old will head to Aintree for the Melling Chase in April, a race King won back-to-back with Voy Por Ustedes in 2008 and 2009.

It’s a sensible move. Edwardstone ran a solid fourth in the Ascot Chase, chasing the pace and not quite getting home over an extended two and a half miles. King was characteristically honest afterwards: “He jumped super and it was a proper horse race. It was nice to see a ten, eleven and twelve year old fighting it out.”

Ben Pauling's Ascot Treble Caps His Best Ever Season — And Cheltenham Is Next

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Ben Pauling saddled a treble at Ascot on Saturday that underlined just how far his Bourton-on-the-Water operation has come. The Jukebox Kid took the Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase by five and a half lengths, Mondoui’boy landed a novice hurdle, and Fiercely Proud — a 8/1 shot — completed the haul in a handicap hurdle.

It was a statement afternoon from a trainer having comfortably his best season.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Pauling has saddled 68 winners from 363 runners this term — a 18.7% strike rate that puts him firmly in the top tier of National Hunt trainers. More importantly, four of those wins have come in graded company:

Impaire Et Passe Returns From 291 Days Off to Win Gowran — Where Next?

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000

When a horse wins on its first start in 291 days, you pay attention. When that horse is a former Cheltenham Festival winner with entries in the Ryanair Chase, Gold Cup, and Grand National, you pay very close attention.

Impaire Et Passe returned to action in Saturday’s Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park and got the job done in the style that has defined his career — held up, travelling sweetly, then finding plenty when asked. Held up in rear, he made a mistake at two out but kept on well to lead close home, winning the Grade 2 on heavy ground.

Alexei Joins an Exclusive Kingwell Club — But Is He Good Enough for the Champion Hurdle?

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Three Kingwell Hurdle winners have gone on to take the Champion Hurdle this century. Golden Ace did it just last year. Katchit managed it in 2008. Hors La Loi III in 2002. So when Alexei ground out a length-and-a-quarter victory over Rubaud in Saturday’s Grade 2 at Wincanton, it was natural to wonder whether he could be the fourth.

The honest answer? Probably not. But there’s enough in his profile to make things interesting.

The Numbers That Explain Why Jonbon Should Swerve the Champion Chase

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Here’s a stat that should settle the Jonbon debate once and for all.

At two miles and below over fences, Jonbon’s record reads 14 wins from 21 completed starts — a 67% strike rate. Excellent, but not flawless. At two miles and four furlongs or beyond? Three runs, three wins. Perfect.

Now consider this: at Cheltenham, across all distances, he’s 0 from 5.

Put those two numbers together and the conclusion is obvious. The Ryanair Chase, run over two miles and four furlongs at the Festival on Thursday March 12, isn’t just a viable alternative to the Champion Chase. It might be his best chance of finally winning at Prestbury Park.

Grand Geste's Haydock Love Affair: Sue Smith's First National Trial Winner in 26 Years

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Grand Geste had every excuse to have a quiet afternoon. Pulled up at Doncaster last time, a novice chaser in a Premier Handicap against seasoned stayers, sent off 13/2 in a race the jolly Myretown was supposed to put to bed. Nobody would have blamed connections for lowering expectations.

Instead, the seven-year-old grey stayed on like a horse who’d been doing this for years, seeing off Top Of The Bill by 1¾ lengths in the William Hill Grand National Trial to hand Sue Smith her first win in this race since The Last Fling in 2000.

Jonbon's 12th Grade One: Only Kauto Star Stands Above Him Over Fences

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Jonbon broke hearts on Valentine’s Day — specifically, Pic D’Orhy’s.

The pair jumped the last together in the Ascot Chase, and for a stride or two Harry Cobden’s drive on the defending champion looked like it might be enough. It wasn’t. Nico de Boinville dug deep on the 4-9 favourite and Jonbon pulled clear to win by a length and a half, clinching a 12th Grade One victory over fences.

Tutti Quanti: Can Nicholls' Rapidly Improving Hurdler Gatecrash the Champion Hurdle?

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Paul Nicholls doesn’t do things quietly. After Tutti Quanti demolished a strong field in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury last Saturday, the 14-time champion trainer dropped a bombshell: the Champion Hurdle is under serious consideration.

“We’re going to really consider the Champion Hurdle if it keeps on raining and the ground is on the slow side,” Nicholls wrote in his Betfair blog this week. “The way he won last Saturday suggests he’s rapidly improving and when they’re improving you never know where their ceiling might be.”

Pic D'Orhy's Ascot Love Affair Makes Him the Danger to Jonbon in Saturday's Grade 1

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Jonbon is the story everyone wants to tell on Saturday. With 11 Grade One victories already in the bank after his remarkable Clarence House revival last month, Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old is chasing history at Ascot.

But history has a habit of repeating itself in jump racing — and at Ascot, the history belongs to Pic D’Orhy.

The Ascot Specialist

Paul Nicholls’ ten-year-old has turned the Ascot Chase into his personal fiefdom. He’s won it twice — in 2024 at 13/8 and again in 2025 at 9/5 — and the manner of those victories tells you everything.

Barry Connell's Cheltenham Numbers Are Quietly Absurd

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Barry Connell trains a handful of horses on 45 acres in Kildare. He doesn’t have 250 in the yard. He doesn’t have a conveyor belt of six-figure store horses arriving each autumn. What he does have is a Cheltenham record that makes no statistical sense for an operation his size.

Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Connell has sent 56 runners to Cheltenham across all meetings. Three of those have won at the Festival itself: Marine Nationale in the 2023 Supreme (9/2), Seddon in the Plate that same week (20/1), and Marine Nationale again in last year’s Champion Chase (5/1). That’s a 5.4% win rate at the track overall, which sounds modest until you consider the calibre of races he’s targeting.

Teahupoo's Cheltenham Record Makes Him the One to Beat in the Stayers' Hurdle

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Gordon Elliott doesn’t do ambiguity. Asked about his Stayers’ Hurdle team during the Sporting Life stable tour this week, the Cullentra handler was blunt: “Teahupoo probably sets the standard for me. Honesty Policy is the young one coming behind him, but I wouldn’t swap him.”

That’s a significant statement when you consider Honesty Policy won a Grade 1 at Aintree last spring and has been the subject of plenty of ante-post interest. But Elliott is right to back his older warrior — and the numbers make the case emphatically.

Dinoblue Heads Strong Mares' Chase Entry — But It's McManus Who Really Owns This Race

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

The entries for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival have been revealed, with 24 possibles declared — a stronger numerical entry than the previous two renewals combined. Defending champion Dinoblue heads the market at 7/4, with stablemate Spindleberry next at 7/2.

But look past the individual horses and a bigger pattern emerges. JP McManus hasn’t just had success in this race — he’s owned it.

Four From Five

Since the Mares’ Chase was introduced to the Festival card in 2021, McManus has won it four times from five attempts. Elimay (2022), Impervious (2023), Limerick Lace (2024), and Dinoblue (2025) all carried the famous green and gold hoops past the post first. The only year he didn’t win — 2021 — Elimay still finished second behind Colreevy.

Dinoblue and the McManus Monopoly: Why the Mares' Chase Is His Race to Lose

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

There are monopolies in racing, and then there’s JP McManus in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.

Since the race was introduced to the Cheltenham Festival in 2021, McManus has owned four of the five winners. That’s not a trend. That’s ownership of the race in all but name.

Impervious, Elimay, Limerick Lace, and Dinoblue — all carried the famous green and gold hoops past the post first. The only year McManus missed out was the inaugural running, when Colreevy won for the Flynns. Even then, Elimay finished second for him.

The Numbers Behind Walsh's Ryanair Hunch: Why the Data Backs a Gold Cup Swerve

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Ruby Walsh doesn’t do throwaway lines. So when he says one of Gaelic Warrior or Fact To File will “definitely” end up in the Ryanair Chase rather than the Gold Cup, it’s worth pulling the form book apart to see what the numbers say.

Speaking on the Paddy Power ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast, Walsh drew a comparison with Florida Pearl — a horse who dominated at Leopardstown but never quite got the Gold Cup trip. His conclusion: the extra two furlongs and a couple of yards at Cheltenham’s 3m2½f might just find one of them out.

Gordon Elliott's Cheltenham Arsenal: The Numbers Behind His 2026 Festival Assault

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Gordon Elliott had to wait until the very last race of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival to get on the scoreboard. Wodhooh’s victory in the Martin Pipe at 9/2 saved an otherwise frustrating week, but one winner from a yard that had 30-plus runners felt like underperformance from a man with 41 Festival victories to his name.

Four weeks out from the 2026 renewal, the mood at Cullentra House is markedly different.

Ireland's Cheltenham Charge: The Numbers Behind the Green Tide

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Less than four weeks from the first race at Prestbury Park, the battle lines are being drawn. The Guardian’s Greg Wood fired the latest salvo this morning, warning British yards that Ireland’s battalions are “ready to roll” — and the numbers back him up completely.

Fewer Runners, More Winners

Over the last three Cheltenham Festivals (2023–2025), Irish-trained runners have been outnumbered roughly two-to-one. They’ve turned up with 414 runners across those three meetings compared to 920 from British yards. Yet their win tallies have been remarkably close: 33 Irish winners to 50 British.

Oscars Brother: The Two-Horse Yard Taking Aim at Cheltenham's Brown Advisory

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Connor King has 22 career runners in his database. Not 22 this season — 22 total. Five of them have won. That’s a 22.7% strike rate from a man who operates with just two horses in his yard.

On Sunday, his stable star Oscars Brother made it three wins from five chase starts when romping home by six lengths in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan, a race that has historically pointed runners towards the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

Marine Nationale's Champion Chase Defence: Can Connell's Hero Overturn a 19-Length Dublin Drubbing?

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Barry Connell doesn’t do things by half. The former stockbroker who never sat on a horse until he was 30 has built a state-of-the-art yard at Boherbaun, complete with open barns designed around airflow and horse welfare. At the centre of it all stands Marine Nationale — two-time Cheltenham Festival winner and the horse whose Champion Chase victory last March carried an emotional weight that went far beyond racing.

That 18-length romp at Prestbury Park came just weeks after the tragic death of Michael O’Sullivan, the jockey who’d been instrumental in Marine Nationale’s early career. It was a day nobody at Cheltenham will forget in a hurry.

Cheekpieces In The Mix For Galopin Des Champs As He Bids To Reclaim Gold Cup Crown

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Willie Mullins is considering fitting cheekpieces to Galopin Des Champs for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup next month — and if he does, the two-time champion would join a surprisingly short list of horses to tackle jump racing’s biggest prize with headgear on.

The news, confirmed by assistant trainer Patrick Mullins, comes after a disappointing third in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 2, where Galopin Des Champs was beaten eight and a half lengths. It was his second consecutive third-place finish at the Dublin track, following a similar effort in the Savills Chase over Christmas.

Marine Nationale vs Majborough: The Cheltenham Rematch That Really Matters

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:15:00 +0000

The 19-length beating Majborough handed Marine Nationale at Leopardstown three weeks ago should have settled the Champion Chase argument. It hasn’t.

Barry Connell isn’t backing down. Neither is the formbook, which paints a very different picture when you filter for Prestbury Park.

The Cheltenham Factor

Marine Nationale is 2-for-2 at the Festival. Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2023. Champion Chase defence last March. Two Grade 1s, two wins, two different types of ground — soft for the Supreme, good to soft for the Champion Chase.

Elliott's One-Two-Three Signals Cheltenham Intent as Staffordshire Knot Hits Form

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Gordon Elliott sent a message to the rest of the Irish training ranks on Sunday: he means business this spring.

The Cullentra House handler swept the first three places in the Grade 2 William Hill Boyne Hurdle at Navan, with Staffordshire Knot justifying 11/10 favouritism to lead home stablemates Better Days Ahead and Maxxum. The only other runner, Henry De Bromhead’s Hiddenvalley Lake, finished tailed off in last.

It was a statement performance from the winner, who has rediscovered his form in handicaps this winter after a frustrating 2024/25 campaign over hurdles.

Constitution Hill's Champion Hurdle Gamble: The Numbers Behind Henderson's Biggest Risk

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:15:00 +0000

The speculation has reached fever pitch. Will Constitution Hill line up in the Unibet Champion Hurdle? Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old superstar is pencilled in for a Flat race at Southwell on February 20 — a “glorified bumper” as Charlie Johnston described it — with the Cheltenham Festival potentially following three weeks later.

Ben Pauling, Henderson’s assistant, stoked the flames on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday: “I would [run him in the Champion Hurdle]. He’s just so talented, and he’s got so much left to give.”

Lulamba Joins Elite Company: Can He Follow the Game Spirit-Arkle Trail?

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:30:00 +0000

Lulamba didn’t so much win the Game Spirit Chase as survive it. For three-quarters of the race at Newbury on Saturday, Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten novice looked anything but a 11/8 Arkle favourite. He was off the bridle early, not entirely foot perfect at his fences, and turning in you could have got decent odds about him seeing it out.

Then, between the third and second last, Nico De Boinville squeezed and Lulamba responded like a proper racehorse. The acceleration was instant, the jumps at the final two fences assured, and the six-and-a-half-length margin over Saint Segal at the line barely reflected his superiority.

Tutti Quanti's 12st Triumph: The Heaviest Weight Ever in the William Hill Hurdle

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 21:15:00 +0000

Harry Cobden barely had to move. Tutti Quanti simply galloped his rivals into submission at Newbury on Saturday, hitting the line fifteen lengths clear with theCommentary barely breaking stride. But it wasn’t just the margin that raised eyebrows—it was the weight he was lumping around.

Twelve stone. In a fiercely competitive two-mile handicap hurdle. First time ever.

According to SmartForm data, no horse in the modern history of the William Hill Hurdle (formerly the Betfair Hurdle) has won carrying 168lbs. The previous benchmark was 162lbs—a mark shared by five different winners including Glory And Fortune (2022), Iberico Lord (2024), and Paul Nicholls’ own Pic D’Orhy (2020).

Lulamba Follows Altior's Path: Does the Game Spirit-Arkle Double Still Work?

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:15:00 +0000

Lulamba kept his unbeaten record over fences intact with a six-and-a-half length win in the William Hill Game Spirit Chase at Newbury on Saturday, but it was the way he won that caught the eye — and the way he matches a pattern that has produced two of the greatest two-mile chasers of the modern era.

Nico de Boinville’s mount was giving weight to seasoned handicappers, jumped sketchily at times on the heavy ground, and was even off the bridle turning in. Yet when the serious business started between the third and second last, he found lengths his rivals simply couldn’t match. The market has reacted accordingly: Lulamba is now 11/8 favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

Wilful's Champion Hurdle Bid Faces Kingwell Test: Is 142 Enough?

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:05:00 +0000

Jonjo and AJ O’Neill will learn exactly where they stand with Champion Hurdle hopeful Wilful this Saturday, when the progressive hurdler steps into Grade 2 company for the BetMGM Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

The six-year-old has been a model of consistency this season, reaching the frame in all four starts and climbing from a handicap mark of 121 to his current rating of 142. That Windsor second last month — carrying top weight in a competitive Class 2 handicap — convinced connections the gelding had earned his shot at better company.

Tutti Quanti's 15-Length Annihilation: A Champion Hurdle Supplementary Shock in the Making?

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Paul Nicholls knows a thing or two about extracting championship performances from handicap stars. Saturday’s demolition job at Newbury suggested he might have another on his hands.

Tutti Quanti didn’t just win the William Hill Hurdle — he brutalised the opposition. Fifteen lengths clear carrying 12 stone on heavy ground, the French-bred seven-year-old became the first horse to lift this prize under such a crushing burden. The record books didn’t stand a chance.

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 race over 3 miles on the Friday of the Festival. It’s the stamina test for the novice hurdlers and frequently produces future Gold Cup contenders — Bobs Worth, Monkfish and Minella Indo all won this before going on to chase glory.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Jasmin De Vaux	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	6/1
2024	Stellar Story	Gordon Elliott	Sam Ewing	7	33/1
2023	Stay Away Fay	P F Nicholls	H Cobden	6	18/1
2022	The Nice Guy	W P Mullins	S F O’Keeffe	7	18/1
2021	Vanillier	Gavin Cromwell	M P Walsh	6	14/1
2020	Monkfish	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	5/1
2019	Minella Indo	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	6	50/1
2018	Kilbricken Storm	C L Tizzard	H Cobden	7	33/1
2017	Penhill	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	16/1
2016	Unowhatimeanharry	Harry Fry	N D Fehily	8	11/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Six-year-olds have won 10 of 18 renewals — more than half. Seven-year-olds have won 6 times. A single five-year-old (Very Wood in 2014) and a single eight-year-old (Unowhatimeanharry in 2016) have managed it. The 6-year-old profile makes sense for a staying novice hurdle.

Arkle Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Arkle Chase is a Grade 1 novice chase over about 2 miles on the Tuesday of the Festival. It’s the championship race for the quickest novice chasers and has been won by some absolute machines — Sprinter Sacre, Douvan, Altior and Shishkin all took this en route to Champion Chase glory.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Jango Baie	N Henderson	N de Boinville	6	5/1
2024	Gaelic Warrior	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	3/1
2023	El Fabiolo	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	11/10
2022	Edwardstone	A King	Tom Cannon	8	5/2
2021	Shishkin	N Henderson	N de Boinville	7	4/9
2020	Put The Kettle On	Henry de Bromhead	A Coleman	6	16/1
2019	Duc Des Genievres	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	5/1
2018	Footpad	W P Mullins	R Walsh	6	5/6
2017	Altior	N Henderson	N de Boinville	7	1/4
2016	Douvan	W P Mullins	R Walsh	6	1/4

Key Trends

Age profile: Six-year-olds have won 10 of 23 renewals, seven-year-olds 9. Just 2 five-year-olds (Voy Por Ustedes and Well Chief) and 2 eight-year-olds (Edwardstone and Sizing Europe) have won. The sweet spot is clearly 6 or 7.

Ballymore Novices' Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 race over about 2 miles 5 furlongs on Wednesday of the Festival. It’s the intermediate-distance championship for novice hurdlers, sitting between the Supreme (2m) and the Albert Bartlett (3m). Recent winners like Envoi Allen, Bob Olinger and Sir Gerhard have all gone on to bigger things over fences.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2023	Impaire Et Passe	W P Mullins	P Townend	5	5/2
2022	Sir Gerhard	W P Mullins	P Townend	7	8/11
2021	Bob Olinger	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	6	6/4
2020	Envoi Allen	Gordon Elliott	D N Russell	6	4/7
2019	City Island	Martin Brassil	M P Walsh	6	8/1
2018	Samcro	Gordon Elliott	J W Kennedy	6	8/11
2009	Mikael D’haguenet	W P Mullins	R Walsh	5	5/2
2008	Fiveforthree	W P Mullins	R Walsh	6	7/1
2007	Massini’s Maguire	P J Hobbs	R Johnson	6	20/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Six-year-olds have won 6 of 9 renewals. Five-year-olds account for 2 wins and there’s a single seven-year-old winner in Sir Gerhard (2022). The standard profile is a six-year-old with a solid novice campaign behind them.

Boodles Juvenile Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (formerly the Fred Winter) is run over about 2 miles 1 furlong on the Friday of the Festival. It’s a handicap for four-year-old hurdlers and routinely produces big-priced winners — it’s one of the hardest races of the week to find the winner.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Puturhandstogether	J P O’Brien	M P Walsh	4	19/2
2024	Lark In The Mornin	J P O’Brien	J J Slevin	4	9/1
2023	Jazzy Matty	Gordon Elliott	M O’Sullivan	4	18/1
2022	Brazil	Padraig Roche	M P Walsh	4	10/1
2021	Jeff Kidder	Noel Meade	S W Flanagan	4	80/1
2020	Aramax	Gordon Elliott	M P Walsh	4	17/2
2019	Band of Outlaws	J P O’Brien	J J Slevin	4	7/2
2018	Veneer Of Charm	Gordon Elliott	J W Kennedy	4	33/1
2017	Flying Tiger	Nick Williams	R Johnson	4	33/1
2016	Diego Du Charmil	P F Nicholls	S Twiston-Davies	4	15/2

Key Trends

Age profile: All 21 winners have been four-year-olds — the race is restricted to that age group.

Champion Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the 2-mile chasing championship, run on Wednesday of the Festival. It’s routinely the fastest, most thrilling race of the week — Moscow Flyer, Master Minded, Sprinter Sacre and Altior all lit up Prestbury Park in this race.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Marine Nationale	Barry Connell	S W Flanagan	8	5/1
2024	Captain Guinness	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	9	19/2
2023	Energumene	W P Mullins	P Townend	9	6/5
2022	Energumene	W P Mullins	P Townend	8	5/2
2021	Put The Kettle On	Henry de Bromhead	A Coleman	7	19/2
2020	Politologue	P F Nicholls	H Skelton	9	6/1
2019	Altior	N Henderson	N de Boinville	9	4/11
2018	Altior	N Henderson	N de Boinville	8	Evs
2017	Special Tiara	Henry de Bromhead	N D Fehily	10	11/1
2016	Sprinter Sacre	N Henderson	N de Boinville	10	5/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Nine-year-olds have the best record with 8 wins from 23 renewals. Eight-year-olds have won 5 times, seven-year-olds 4 times. Notably, two ten-year-olds have won (Sprinter Sacre in 2016 and Special Tiara in 2017), and Moscow Flyer won aged 11 in 2005. These seasoned two-milers can keep going.

Champion Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Champion Hurdle is the 2-mile hurdling championship, run on Tuesday of the Festival. It’s produced some of the most memorable moments in jumps racing — Hurricane Fly’s two wins, the dominance of Honeysuckle, and Constitution Hill’s devastating display in 2023.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Golden Ace	J Scott	L Williams	7	25/1
2024	State Man	W P Mullins	P Townend	7	2/5
2023	Constitution Hill	N Henderson	N de Boinville	6	4/11
2022	Honeysuckle	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	8	8/11
2021	Honeysuckle	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	7	11/10
2020	Epatante	N Henderson	B J Geraghty	6	3/1
2019	Espoir D’Allen	Gavin Cromwell	M P Walsh	5	16/1
2018	Buveur D’Air	N Henderson	B J Geraghty	7	4/6
2017	Buveur D’air	N Henderson	N D Fehily	6	5/1
2016	Annie Power	W P Mullins	R Walsh	8	5/2

Key Trends

Age profile: Seven-year-olds have the best record with 9 wins from 23 renewals. Six-year-olds have won 6 times, eight-year-olds 4 times, and five-year-olds twice (Espoir D’Allen and Katchit). Two nine-year-olds have won — Hurricane Fly and Rooster Booster.

Cheltenham Festival 2026 - Race Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Cheltenham Festival 2026 runs from Tuesday 10th March to Friday 13th March. We’ve pulled the historical data for every race on the programme and run the numbers. Below you’ll find links to the trend analysis for each race, organised by day.

These aren’t predictions — they’re what the data shows. Some trends are strong and consistent, others are based on small samples and should be treated with appropriate caution. We’ll flag which is which.

Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase was run over about 2 miles 4 furlongs on the Wednesday of the Festival. It provided a handicap option for novice chasers. The race appears to have been replaced or restructured after 2020, so this data covers 16 editions from 2005 to 2020. A Plus Tard won this in 2019 before going on to win the Gold Cup.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2020	Imperial Aura	K C Bailey	David Bass	7	4/1
2019	A Plus Tard	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	5	5/1
2018	Mister Whitaker	M R Channon	B Hughes	6	15/2
2017	Tully East	A Fleming	D F O’Regan	7	8/1
2016	Ballyalton	Ian Williams	B Hughes	9	12/1
2015	Irish Cavalier	Rebecca Curtis	P Townend	6	11/1
2014	Present View	Jamie Snowden	B Powell	6	8/1
2013	Rajdhani Express	N Henderson	Mr S Waley-Cohen	6	16/1
2012	Hunt Ball	Keiran Burke	N Scholfield	7	15/2
2011	Divers	Ferdy Murphy	G Lee	7	10/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Seven-year-olds have won 8 of 16 renewals, exactly half. Six-year-olds have 4 wins, five-year-olds 2. A single eight-year-old and nine-year-old complete the picture. The seven-year-old profile fits a novice chaser with a bit of experience.

Coral Cup - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Coral Cup is a handicap hurdle over about 2 miles 5 furlongs on Wednesday of the Festival. It regularly attracts fields of 26+ runners and is one of the most competitive races of the week. Finding the winner from a big field is the challenge.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Jimmy Du Seuil	W P Mullins	D E Mullins	6	16/1
2024	Langer Dan	Dan Skelton	H Skelton	8	15/2
2023	Langer Dan	Dan Skelton	H Skelton	7	9/1
2022	Commander Of Fleet	Gordon Elliott	S Fitzgerald	8	50/1
2021	Heaven Help Us	Paul Hennessy	R J Condon	7	33/1
2020	Dame De Compagnie	N Henderson	B J Geraghty	7	5/1
2019	William Henry	N Henderson	N de Boinville	9	28/1
2018	Bleu Berry	W P Mullins	M P Walsh	7	20/1
2017	Supasundae	Mrs J Harrington	R Power	7	16/1
2016	Diamond King	Gordon Elliott	D N Russell	8	12/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Seven-year-olds have won 8 of 23 renewals, making them the strongest age group. Five and six-year-olds have 4 and 5 wins respectively, with eight-year-olds on 4 and nine-year-olds on 2.

County Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The County Hurdle is a premier handicap over about 2 miles 1 furlong on the Friday of the Festival. It’s traditionally one of the last races of the meeting and typically draws a field of 25+, making it fiercely competitive.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Kargese	W P Mullins	P Townend	5	3/1
2024	Absurde	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	12/1
2023	Faivoir	Dan Skelton	B Andrews	8	33/1
2022	State Man	W P Mullins	P Townend	5	11/4
2021	Belfast Banter	Peter Fahey	K C Sexton	6	33/1
2020	Saint Roi	W P Mullins	B J Geraghty	5	11/2
2019	Ch’tibello	Dan Skelton	H Skelton	8	12/1
2018	Mohaayed	Dan Skelton	B Andrews	6	33/1
2017	Arctic Fire	W P Mullins	P Townend	8	20/1
2016	Superb Story	Dan Skelton	H Skelton	5	8/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Five-year-olds have the best record with 9 wins from 22 renewals. Six-year-olds have 7, eight-year-olds 4, and there’s one win each for a seven-year-old and a nine-year-old. Youth tends to win out.

Cross Country Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Cross Country Chase is one of the Festival’s most distinctive races, run over about 3 miles 6 furlongs on the unique cross-country course with its banks, ditches and varied obstacles. It’s been a specialist’s race, with Tiger Roll and Delta Work among recent winners.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Stumptown	Gavin Cromwell	K M Donoghue	8	5/2
2023	Delta Work	Gordon Elliott	K M Donoghue	10	11/10
2022	Delta Work	Gordon Elliott	J W Kennedy	9	5/2
2020	Easysland	D Cottin	J Plouganou	6	3/1
2019	Tiger Roll	Gordon Elliott	K M Donoghue	9	5/4
2018	Tiger Roll	Gordon Elliott	K M Donoghue	8	7/1
2017	Cause Of Causes	Gordon Elliott	Mr J J Codd	9	4/1
2016	Any Currency	M Keighley	A Coleman	13	11/1
2011	Sizing Australia	Henry de Bromhead	A E Lynch	9	15/2
2009	Garde Champetre	Enda Bolger	N Carberry	10	7/2

Key Trends

Age profile: Nine-year-olds have the most wins with 5 from 14 renewals. Ten-year-olds have won 3 times. Two winners were aged 12 (Native Jack and Spot Thedifference), and Any Currency won at 13. This is a race for experienced, older horses — the youngest winner was Easysland at 6.

Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle was run over about 2 miles 1 furlong for four-year-olds. The race ran from 2007 to 2018 before being replaced by the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. The data here covers the 12 editions of the Fred Winter specifically.

Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2018	Veneer Of Charm	Gordon Elliott	J W Kennedy	4	33/1
2017	Flying Tiger	Nick Williams	R Johnson	4	33/1
2016	Diego Du Charmil	P F Nicholls	S Twiston-Davies	4	15/2
2015	Qualando	P F Nicholls	N Scholfield	4	25/1
2014	Hawk High	T D Easterby	B Hughes	4	33/1
2013	Flaxen Flare	Gordon Elliott	D J Condon	4	25/1
2012	Une Artiste	N Henderson	J McGrath	4	40/1
2011	What A Charm	A L T Moore	P Townend	4	9/1
2010	Sanctuaire	P F Nicholls	R Walsh	4	4/1
2009	Silk Affair	M G Quinlan	T J O’Brien	4	11/1
2008	Crack Away Jack	Miss E C Lavelle	P Carberry	4	14/1
2007	Gaspara	D E Pipe	Mr A Glassonbury	4	9/2

Key Trends

Age profile: All winners were four-year-olds — it was a restricted race.

Gold Cup - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the blue riband of National Hunt racing — a Grade 1 chase over about 3 miles 2½ furlongs on the Friday of the Festival. Best Mate, Kauto Star, Denman and Galopin Des Champs have all had their names etched into the race’s history.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Inothewayurthinkin	Gavin Cromwell	M P Walsh	7	15/2
2024	Galopin Des Champs	W P Mullins	P Townend	8	10/11
2023	Galopin Des Champs	W P Mullins	P Townend	7	7/5
2022	A Plus Tard	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	8	3/1
2021	Minella Indo	Henry de Bromhead	J W Kennedy	8	9/1
2020	Al Boum Photo	W P Mullins	P Townend	8	100/30
2019	Al Boum Photo	W P Mullins	P Townend	7	12/1
2018	Native River	C L Tizzard	R Johnson	8	5/1
2017	Sizing John	Mrs J Harrington	R Power	7	7/1
2016	Don Cossack	Gordon Elliott	B J Cooper	9	9/4

Key Trends

Age profile: Eight-year-olds have an outstanding record — 10 wins from 20 renewals, exactly half. Seven-year-olds have won 5 times and nine-year-olds 4 times. Long Run’s win at 6 in 2011 is the youngest in our dataset. Nothing older than 9 has won since Best Mate’s third victory in 2004.

Grand Annual Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Grand Annual Handicap Chase is run over about 2 miles on the Friday of the Festival. It’s a fast, frenetic handicap chase that typically draws a field of 20+, and it has a long history stretching back to 1834. The pace is relentless and fallers are common.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Jazzy Matty	Cian Collins	D J Gilligan	6	17/2
2024	Unexpected Party	Dan Skelton	H Skelton	9	12/1
2023	Maskada	Henry de Bromhead	D J O’Keeffe	7	22/1
2022	Global Citizen	Ben Pauling	K Woods	10	28/1
2021	Sky Pirate	Jonjo O’Neill	N Scholfield	8	14/1
2020	Chosen Mate	Gordon Elliott	D N Russell	7	7/2
2019	Croco Bay	B I Case	K Woods	12	66/1
2018	Le Prezien	P F Nicholls	B J Geraghty	7	17/2
2017	Rock The World	Mrs J Harrington	R Power	9	10/1
2016	Solar Impulse	P F Nicholls	S Twiston-Davies	6	28/1

Key Trends

Age profile: The spread is remarkably wide. Nine-year-olds lead with 6 wins, but seven and eight-year-olds have 5 each, six-year-olds 3. There have been two ten-year-old winners and even a twelve-year-old (Croco Bay in 2019). Age is barely a factor.

Hunters' Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Foxhunter Chase (Hunters’ Chase) is run over about 3 miles 2½ furlongs on Friday of the Festival, exclusively for hunter chasers ridden by amateur jockeys. The Gold Cup course, amateur riders, and big fields make this a uniquely unpredictable race.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Wonderwall	S Curling	Mr R James	9	28/1
2024	Sine Nomine	F Needham	Mr J Dawson	8	8/1
2023	Premier Magic	Bradley Gibbs	Mr B Gibbs	10	66/1
2022	Billaway	W P Mullins	Mr P W Mullins	10	5/2
2021	Porlock Bay	Will Biddick	L Williams	10	16/1
2020	It Came To Pass	E M O’Sullivan	Miss M O’Sullivan	10	66/1
2019	Hazel Hill	Philip Rowley	Mr A Edwards	11	7/2
2018	Pacha Du Polder	P F Nicholls	Miss H Tucker	11	25/1
2017	Pacha Du Polder	P F Nicholls	Miss B Frost	10	16/1
2016	On The Fringe	E Bolger	Ms N Carberry	11	5/2

Key Trends

Age profile: Ten-year-olds lead with 7 wins from 22 renewals. Nine-year-olds have 5 wins, eleven-year-olds 3, and eight-year-olds 3. Earthmover won at 13 in 2004. This is a race for seasoned, older horses — the youngest winner was Kingscliff at 6 back in 2003.

Kim Muir Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Kim Muir Challenge Cup is a handicap chase over about 3 miles 2 furlongs on Thursday of the Festival, restricted to amateur riders. It’s a race that produces its share of upsets, though the bigger professional yards still target it despite the amateur restriction.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Daily Present	Paul Nolan	Mr B T Stone	8	12/1
2024	Inothewayurthinkin	Gavin Cromwell	Mr D O’Connor	6	5/2
2023	Angels Dawn	S Curling	Mr P A King	8	10/1
2022	Chambard	Venetia Williams	Miss L Turner	10	40/1
2021	Mount Ida	Denise Foster	J W Kennedy	7	3/1
2020	Milan Native	Gordon Elliott	Mr R James	7	9/1
2019	Any Second Now	T M Walsh	Mr D O’Connor	7	6/1
2018	Missed Approach	W J Greatrex	Mr N McParlan	8	8/1
2017	Domesday Book	Stuart Edmunds	Miss G Andrews	7	40/1
2016	Cause Of Causes	Gordon Elliott	Mr J J Codd	8	9/2

Key Trends

Age profile: Seven-year-olds lead with 7 wins from 19 renewals (37%). Eight-year-olds have 4 wins, nine-year-olds 5. A single six-year-old (Inothewayurthinkin in 2024), one ten-year-old, and one twelve-year-old complete the set.

Mares' Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Mares’ Chase is one of the newest races at the Festival, a Grade 2 event over about 2 miles 4 furlongs on the Wednesday. It was introduced in 2021 to give female chasers their own championship race. With only 5 renewals, the sample size is small, but some patterns have already formed.

Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Dinoblue	W P Mullins	M P Walsh	8	5/2
2024	Limerick Lace	Gavin Cromwell	K M Donoghue	7	3/1
2023	Impervious	C A Murphy	B Hayes	7	11/4
2022	Elimay	W P Mullins	M P Walsh	8	13/4
2021	Colreevy	W P Mullins	P Townend	8	13/4

Key Trends

Age profile: Three winners have been eight-year-olds, two have been seven-year-olds. No other ages have won.

Mares' Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Mares’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 race over about 2 miles 4 furlongs on the Tuesday of the Festival. It’s the championship for female hurdlers and has been won by some outstanding mares including Honeysuckle, Lossiemouth and Annie Power (who fell at the last when odds-on in 2015 before the race gained Grade 1 status).

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Lossiemouth	W P Mullins	P Townend	6	4/6
2024	Lossiemouth	W P Mullins	P Townend	5	8/13
2023	Honeysuckle	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	9	13/4
2022	Marie’s Rock	N Henderson	N de Boinville	7	18/1
2021	Black Tears	Denise Foster	J W Kennedy	7	11/1
2020	Honeysuckle	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	6	13/4
2019	Roksana	Dan Skelton	H Skelton	7	10/1
2018	Benie Des Dieux	W P Mullins	R Walsh	7	9/2
2017	Apple’s Jade	Gordon Elliott	B J Cooper	5	7/2
2016	Vroum Vroum Mag	W P Mullins	R Walsh	7	4/6

Key Trends

Age profile: Seven-year-olds have the most wins with 6 from 11 renewals. Five-year-olds have won twice, six-year-olds twice, and there’s one nine-year-old winner (Honeysuckle’s farewell in 2023).

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle is run over about 2 miles 4 furlongs on the Friday of the Festival. It’s restricted to conditional (apprentice) jockeys, which gives it a distinctive character. The race has developed a reputation for producing future stars — Galopin Des Champs and Sir Des Champs both won this before going on to the highest level.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Wodhooh	Gordon Elliott	D J Gilligan	5	9/2
2024	Better Days Ahead	Gordon Elliott	D J Gilligan	6	5/1
2023	Iroko	O Greenall & J Guerriero	A P Kelly	5	6/1
2022	Banbridge	J P O’Brien	M M McDonagh	6	12/1
2021	Galopin Des Champs	W P Mullins	S F O’Keeffe	5	8/1
2020	Indefatigable	P R Webber	Rex Dingle	7	25/1
2019	Early Doors	J P O’Brien	Jonjo O’Neill Jr.	6	5/1
2018	Blow By Blow	Gordon Elliott	D Meyler	7	11/1
2017	Champagne Classic	Gordon Elliott	J J Slevin	6	12/1
2016	Ibis Du Rheu	P F Nicholls	Jack Sherwood	5	14/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Six-year-olds have won 9 of 17 renewals (53%), followed by five-year-olds with 6 wins. Two seven-year-olds complete the picture. Youth dominates — nothing older than 7 has won.

Pertemps Final - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Pertemps Network Final is a handicap hurdle over 3 miles on the Thursday of the Festival. To qualify, horses must have run in one of the qualifying rounds during the season. The qualification system adds an extra layer to the puzzle.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Doddiethegreat	N Henderson	B S Hughes	9	25/1
2024	Monmiral	P F Nicholls	H Cobden	7	25/1
2023	Good Time Jonny	A J Martin	L McKenna	8	9/1
2022	Third Wind	H Morrison	T J O’Brien	8	25/1
2021	Mrs Milner	Paul Nolan	B J Cooper	6	12/1
2020	Sire Du Berlais	Gordon Elliott	B J Geraghty	8	10/1
2019	Sire Du Berlais	Gordon Elliott	B J Geraghty	7	4/1
2018	Delta Work	Gordon Elliott	D N Russell	5	6/1
2017	Presenting Percy	Patrick G Kelly	D N Russell	6	11/1
2016	Mall Dini	Patrick G Kelly	D N Russell	6	14/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Eight-year-olds lead with 7 wins from 22 renewals. Six-year-olds have 6 wins, seven-year-olds 3. Nine-year-olds have 4 wins, and there are single wins from a five-year-old and a ten-year-old. A wide spread.

Plate Chase (Festival Handicap Chase) - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Plate Chase (formerly the Festival Handicap Chase, also sometimes known as the Brown Advisory Plate) is run over about 2 miles 4½ furlongs on the Thursday of the Festival. It regularly draws big fields and is one of the more wide-open handicap chases of the week.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Jagwar	O Greenall & J Guerriero	Jonjo O’Neill Jr.	6	3/1
2024	Shakem Up’arry	Ben Pauling	Ben Jones	10	8/1
2023	Seddon	John C McConnell	B Harvey	10	20/1
2022	Coole Cody	Evan Williams	Adam Wedge	11	22/1
2021	The Shunter	Emmet Mullins	J C Gainford	8	13/4
2020	Simply The Betts	Harry Whittington	G Sheehan	7	100/30
2019	Siruh Du Lac	Nick Williams	L Kelly	6	9/2
2018	The Storyteller	Gordon Elliott	D N Russell	7	5/1
2017	Road To Respect	Noel Meade	B J Cooper	6	14/1
2016	Empire Of Dirt	C A Murphy	B J Cooper	9	16/1

Key Trends

Age profile: The age spread is unusually wide. Six-year-olds and eight-year-olds both have 4 wins, seven-year-olds 3. But ten and eleven-year-olds have combined for 5 wins, including Mister McGoldrick at 11 in 2008 and Coole Cody at 11 in 2022. Older horses perform better here than in most Festival races.

Ryanair Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 race over about 2 miles 5 furlongs on the Thursday of the Festival. It sits between the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in terms of distance and tends to attract high-class chasers who are either too slow for two miles or lack the stamina for the Gold Cup trip.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Fact To File	W P Mullins	M P Walsh	8	6/4
2024	Protektorat	Dan Skelton	H Skelton	9	19/2
2023	Envoi Allen	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	9	13/2
2022	Allaho	W P Mullins	P Townend	8	4/7
2021	Allaho	W P Mullins	R Blackmore	7	3/1
2020	Min	W P Mullins	P Townend	9	2/1
2019	Frodon	P F Nicholls	B Frost	7	9/2
2018	Balko Des Flos	Henry de Bromhead	D N Russell	7	8/1
2017	Un De Sceaux	W P Mullins	R Walsh	9	11/4
2016	Vautour	W P Mullins	R Walsh	7	Evs

Key Trends

Age profile: Seven-year-olds lead with 6 wins, followed by eight and nine-year-olds with 5 each. Three ten-year-olds have won (Albertas Run twice and Fondmort). Taranis at 6 is the youngest winner. The race suits experienced chasers rather than novice types.

Stayers' Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Stayers’ Hurdle (sponsored by Paddy Power) is a Grade 1 race over 3 miles on Thursday of the Festival. It’s the championship for the staying hurdlers, and repeat winners are a feature — Flooring Porter, Baracouda and others have won this more than once.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Bob Olinger	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	10	8/1
2024	Teahupoo	Gordon Elliott	J W Kennedy	7	5/4
2023	Sire Du Berlais	Gordon Elliott	M P Walsh	11	33/1
2022	Flooring Porter	Gavin Cromwell	D E Mullins	7	4/1
2021	Flooring Porter	Gavin Cromwell	D E Mullins	6	12/1
2020	Lisnagar Oscar	Rebecca Curtis	Adam Wedge	7	50/1
2019	Paisley Park	Emma Lavelle	A Coleman	7	19/8
2018	Penhill	W P Mullins	P Townend	7	12/1
2017	Nichols Canyon	W P Mullins	R Walsh	7	10/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Seven-year-olds have won 7 of the 11 renewals in our dataset, a truly dominant record. Beyond that, winners have come at 6, 8, 10 and even 11. But if you’re looking for one number, 7 is it.

Supreme Novices' Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 race over about 2 miles that opens the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday. It’s the first chance for the novice hurdlers to prove themselves at the highest level, and it regularly produces future champions — Altior, Constitution Hill, Douvan and Vautour all started their Festival careers here.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Kopek Des Bordes	W P Mullins	P Townend	5	4/6
2024	Slade Steel	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	6	7/2
2023	Marine Nationale	Barry Connell	M O’Sullivan	6	9/2
2022	Constitution Hill	N Henderson	N de Boinville	5	9/4
2021	Appreciate It	W P Mullins	P Townend	7	8/11
2020	Shishkin	N Henderson	N de Boinville	6	6/1
2019	Klassical Dream	W P Mullins	R Walsh	5	6/1
2018	Summerville Boy	T R George	N D Fehily	6	9/1
2017	Labaik	Gordon Elliott	J W Kennedy	6	25/1
2016	Altior	N Henderson	N de Boinville	6	4/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Five and six-year-olds dominate. From 23 renewals, 9 winners were aged five and 12 were aged six. Only 2 seven-year-olds have won (Appreciate It in 2021 and Captain Cee Bee in 2008). Nothing older has managed it.

Triumph Hurdle - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 race over about 2 miles 1 furlong on Friday of the Festival, exclusively for four-year-old hurdlers (juveniles). It’s the championship race for the youngest jumpers, and past winners include Defi Du Seuil, Tiger Roll and Lossiemouth.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Poniros	W P Mullins	Jonjo O’Neill Jr.	4	100/1
2024	Majborough	W P Mullins	M P Walsh	4	6/1
2023	Lossiemouth	W P Mullins	P Townend	4	19/8
2022	Vauban	W P Mullins	P Townend	4	5/2
2021	Quilixios	Henry de Bromhead	R Blackmore	4	3/1
2020	Burning Victory	W P Mullins	P Townend	4	12/1
2019	Pentland Hills	N Henderson	N de Boinville	4	20/1
2018	Farclas	Gordon Elliott	J W Kennedy	4	9/1
2017	Defi Du Seuil	P J Hobbs	R Johnson	4	5/2
2016	Ivanovich Gorbatov	A P O’Brien	B J Geraghty	4	9/2

Key Trends

Age profile: Every single winner has been a four-year-old — that’s the age restriction, so no surprises there. All 23 winners, aged 4.

Ultima Handicap Chase - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Ultima Handicap Chase is run over about 3 miles 1 furlong on the Tuesday of the Festival. It’s the first handicap chase of the meeting, typically drawing a field of 20+ runners. Corach Rambler’s back-to-back wins in 2022-23 proved this race can produce a star.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Myretown	Lucinda Russell	P W Wadge	8	15/2
2024	Chianti Classico	K C Bailey	David Bass	7	6/1
2023	Corach Rambler	Lucinda Russell	D R Fox	9	6/1
2022	Corach Rambler	Lucinda Russell	D R Fox	8	10/1
2021	Vintage Clouds	Mrs Sue Smith	R Mania	11	28/1
2020	The Conditional	D G Bridgwater	B Powell	8	17/2
2019	Beware The Bear	N Henderson	J McGrath	9	10/1
2018	Coo Star Sivola	Nick Williams	L Kelly	6	5/1
2017	Un Temps Pour Tout	D E Pipe	T Scudamore	8	9/1
2016	Un Temps Pour Tout	D E Pipe	T Scudamore	7	11/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Eight-year-olds have won 5 of 11 renewals (45%). Seven and nine-year-olds have 2 wins each. The oldest winner was Vintage Clouds at 11 in 2021, and the youngest Coo Star Sivola at 6 in 2018.

Weatherbys Champion Bumper - Cheltenham Festival Trends & Statistics

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Weatherbys Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt Flat Race over about 2 miles on Wednesday of the Festival. It’s the championship for bumper horses — young, unraced-over-hurdles types who are at the start of their careers. Envoi Allen, Cue Card, Facile Vega and Sir Gerhard all launched their Festival careers here.

Recent Winners

Year	Winner	Trainer	Jockey	Age	SP
2025	Bambino Fever	W P Mullins	Miss J Townend	5	4/1
2024	Jasmin De Vaux	W P Mullins	Mr P W Mullins	5	9/2
2023	A Dream To Share	John E Kiely	Mr J L Gleeson	5	7/2
2022	Facile Vega	W P Mullins	Mr P W Mullins	5	11/4
2021	Sir Gerhard	W P Mullins	R Blackmore	6	9/4
2020	Ferny Hollow	W P Mullins	P Townend	5	11/1
2019	Envoi Allen	Gordon Elliott	Mr J J Codd	5	3/1
2018	Relegate	W P Mullins	Ms K Walsh	5	25/1
2017	Fayonagh	Gordon Elliott	Mr J J Codd	6	7/1
2016	Ballyandy	N A Twiston-Davies	S Twiston-Davies	5	5/1

Key Trends

Age profile: Five-year-olds have won 12 of 20 renewals (60%). Six-year-olds have won 7, and there’s a single four-year-old winner in Cue Card (2010). The five-year-old profile is clearly dominant.