Cheltenham Festival 2026 Day 1: Champion Hurdle Highlights Intriguing Card

Britain’s most popular horse racing event for bettors has arrived. The four-day Cheltenham Festival brings punters from both sides of the Irish Sea together and generates immense turnover; though the Grand National at Aintree is the biggest betting race in Britain, the next nine on this list last year were all at the Cheltenham Festival.

Day one is highlighted with the Champion Hurdle – third on the nationwide list for 2026 – and features two other Grade 1 events. Here are some suggestions for getting in on the fun.

Race 1, 9:20 a.m. ET: Supreme Novice Hurdle (G1), 2 1/16 miles, novice hurdlers, $201,000

• $10 win/$30 show: #8 Old Park Star ($40)
• $1 trifecta: 6, 8 with 6, 8, 11 with 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 ($16)

As seems to often be the case in this contest, it looks like it’s the Irish versus English trainer Nicky Henderson. Irish chances look strongest with #3 El Cairos, #6 Mighty Park, and #11 Talk the Talk. 

Mighty Park was highly impressive when winning a maiden at Fairyhouse, but it’s hard to know how good the opposition was, and he hasn’t been tested against this company. El Cairos has won once and fallen once, while Talk the Talk has beaten Grade 1 company, albeit narrowly.

Henderson, however, has an exciting type in #8 Old Park Star. He looked very good when winning at Haydock last start, and he comes from a stable that has won this race with horses such as Altior, Shishkin, and Constitution Hill. Whether Old Park Star is as good as that trio is yet to be seen, but he looks good enough to win here. Others for exotics include #5 Leader d’Allier and #7 Mydaddypaddy.

Race 2, 10:00 a.m. ET: Arkle Steeplechase (G1), 2 miles, novice steeplechasers, $268,000

• $10 win/$30 show: #4 Lulamba ($40)
• $1 trifecta: 5, 6 with 5, 6, 9 with 2, 5, 6, 9, 11, 14 ($16)

The story for the Arkle Steeplechase is similar to that of the Supreme Novice. This time, the best Irish hope, #3 Kopek Des Bordes, and the Henderson representative, #4 Lulamba, are going to contest favoritism, and quite possibly the race.

Once again, the Irish chance comes in without having taken on top company in this class of race; however, Kopek Des Bordes has at least beaten top company in jumps races, having won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last year. He deserves plenty of respect.

Lulamba was the hot four-year-old hurdler last year, but was surprisingly beaten in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham. Since going over fences, he’s been unstoppable, winning all three of his races by big margins. His big query is how well he can handle the Irish invaders.

Among the other chances, #9 Romeo Coolio and #7 Kargese were a close 1-2 in the Irish Arkle (G1) Feb. 2; Romeo Coolio had earlier beaten #2 Irish Panther in the Racing Post Novice Chase (G1). England also has a decent second chance in the form of #6 Steel Ally, unbeaten in three starts.

The top two do look best here. I’m going to stick with Lulamba to take the honors here, but I’d put both on top in exotics.

Race 3, 10:40 a.m. ET: Fred Winter Hurdle, 2 1/16 miles, 4-year-old hurdlers, $107,000

• $10 win/$20 show: #9 Saratoga ($30)
• 50c trifecta: 9, 11 with 9, 11, 13 with 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14 ($10)

This 4-year-old handicap hurdle is unsurprisingly one of the most difficult races on the card, given the lack of exposed form. This is reflected in the local market, where the favorite is around 11-2 and the rest of the 22-strong field all at 7-1 or longer. So if you get this right, you’ll probably do well.

Races like this are made for major owner and leviathan punter JP McManus, and he has three in this race: #8 Manlaga, #9 Saratoga, and #11 Mustang Du Breuil. All have prospects; Mustang Du Breuil was third against older Grade 2 novices last start, while Manlaga impressed at Haydock, but Saratoga is the most unexposed of them all and was a good horse on the flat.

#7 Winston Junior is the favorite but may find it difficult to lead all the way, as is his preference. The Irish kings Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have #3 Madness d’Elle and #13 Hardy Stuff, respectively, and both deserve respect. I also have a sneaky suspicion #14 Ammes will run well; he hasn’t run over hurdles since October, but had a nice blowout on the flat a month ago.

Race 4, 11:20 a.m. ET: Ultima Handicap Chase, 3 1/8 miles, open steeplechasers, $201,000

• $10 win/$20 show: #16 Quebecois ($30)
• 50c trifecta: 4, 16 with 1, 4, 16 with 1, 4, 7, 12, 13, 14, 16 ($10)

The favorite here is the McManus-owned #4 Jagwar, and it’s hard to imagine him running a bad race. He’s got a great record at Cheltenham, and doesn’t look badly handicapped. McManus also starts the well-performed topweight #1 Iroko; fourth in the Grand National last year and second to Gold Cup prospect The Jukebox Man in November, he’s not too badly off at the weights for a horse with his record.

Last year’s winner #14 Myretown is back; he won this very easily last year but has failed to complete in two of his three runs this season. #12 Blow Your Wad has been running in good company and may well appreciate three miles. But I’m going to support #16 Quebecois; a good three-mile hurdler, he has taken to chasing well and ran nicely last start over a two-mile trip, probably too short for him. He looks a great option at this journey. I’d also consider #7 Johnnywho and #13 Hyland for exotics.

Race 5, 12:00 p.m ET: Champion Hurdle (G1), 2 1/16 miles, open hurdlers, $604,000

• $10 win/$30 show: #4 The New Lion ($40)
• $2 trifecta: 4, 9 with 4, 8, 9 with 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 ($32)

The big story of this year’s Champion Hurdle is around who isn’t here. The biggest star of hurdle racing in Britain, 2023 winner Constitution Hill, has fallen three times in the last year and, at nine years of age, is moving towards a Melbourne Cup campaign on the flat – something he showed he could excel at with an exciting debut flat victory at Southwell. Don’t be surprised if he’s the next Ethical Diamond.

The next-best hurdler, 2024 winner State Man, is injured, as is Constitution Hill’s stablemate and brief 2026 Champion Hurdle favorite Sir Gino.

It took the defection of this trio to convince Mullins to put #9 Lossiemouth in this race instead of the Mares Hurdle, and she could well start as the favorite ahead of the mare that beat her in the Irish Champion Hurdle (G1), #7 Brighterdaysahead. Lossiemouth had beaten Brighterdaysahead in the December Hurdle (G1); the pair are generally evenly matched, though Lossiemouth has a better record at Cheltenham.

#8 Golden Ace, last year's winner, is back again; on talent, she’s a less likely winner, but she has the rather important virtue of being likely to complete the course. She won last year when Constitution Hill and State Man fell, and did the same when Constitution Hill and #4 The New Lion fell in the Fighting Fifth (G1) in November. 

Barring that fall, The New Lion is unbeaten over hurdles, and he redeemed himself with victory in the International Hurdle (G2) Jan. 24. He’s now won two major prizes at Cheltenham, having taken the Turners (G1) for novices last year. This race often goes to a horse on the way up, so despite the Fighting Fifth fall, I’m in his camp.

I’d also include #1 Alexei and #5 Tutti Quanti in exotics.