The latest ante-post Cheltenham betting odds for the 2026 Festival championship races.
Champion Hurdle Odds 2026
| HORSE | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Sir Gino | 6/4 |
| Lossiemouth | 9/2 |
| The New Lion | 5/1 |
| Brighterdaysahead | 16/1 |
| Golden Ace | 16/1 |
| Constitution Hill | 16/1 |
| El Fabiolo | 25/1 |
| Wodhooh | 33/1 |
| Kargese | 33/1 | Ballyburn | 33/1 |
| Anzadam | 33/1 |
Sir Gino jumped to the head of the Champion Hurdle 2026 betting after landing the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton following a year-long layoff.
The unbeaten five-year-old had been a hot favourite for the Arkle Novices’ Chase at the 2025 Festival before being admitted to an equine hospital with an infected leg wound.
He was also withdrawn on the eve of the 2024 Triumph Hurdle amid wider concerns over the health of Nicky Henderson’s horses at the time.
However, he roared back to action on Boxing Day, comfortably beating last year's Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace by six lengths.
Next in the betting is Lossiemouth, who was parachuted into the two-mile hurdling division after State Man was ruled out for the season.
The three-time Festival winner recently won the December Hurdle at Leopardstown ahead of fellow mare Brighterdaysahead.
Back in October, The New Lion, winner of last season’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle, was a clear favourite for the Champion Hurdle.
But following his dramatic exit in the Fighting Fifth at the end of November, he is now only third in the betting.
Constitution Hill also fell in that Newcastle race and, with three falls in his last four starts, it is now far from certain the Champion Hurdle will be his target come March.
Champion Chase Odds 2026
| HORSE | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Marine Nationale | 5/2 |
| Il Etait Temps | 3/1 |
| Majborough | 8/1 |
| Sir Gino | 10/1 |
| L'Eau du Sud | 16/1 |
| Sir Gino | 16/1 |
| Solness | 25/1 |
| Jonbon | 25/1 |
| Quilixios | 33/1 |
Marine Nationale is the favourite to retain his Champion Chase crown despite finishing second in a thrilling Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown in December.
The defending champion made a huge error at the second fence, but jockey Sean Flanagan produced a remarkable recovery to stay on board and get back into contention.
Despite losing several lengths, he rallied bravely to press the Joseph O’Brien-trained winner Solness all the way to the line, with Majborough finishing third.
Il Etait Temps is next in the betting following his impressive victory in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, ahead of Jonbon and L’Eau Du Sud.
Sir Gino is now out to as big as 16/1, with the Champion Hurdle his likely target.
Stayers’ Hurdle Odds 2026
| HORSE | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Teahupoo | 2/1 |
| Honesty Policy | 5/1 |
| Impose Toi | 7/1 |
| Bob Olinger | 10/1 |
| Ballyburn | 16/1 |
Teahupoo dominates the betting for the 2026 Stayers' Hurdle following recent victories in both the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse and the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Gordon Elliott’s stable star won the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2024 and finished second in 2025, subsequently landing the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown on both occasions.
Two JP McManus-owned horses follow in the market, headed by Honesty Policy, who won the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last year.
Meanwhile, Impose Toi has three consecutive victories at Aintree, Newbury and Ascot this season, finishing ahead of Honesty Policy in the last of those, the Long Walk Hurdle.
Defending champion Bob Olinger, now aged 11, boasts a flawless Festival record, having also won the 2021 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and 2022 Turners Novices’ Chase.
The veteran finished seven lengths behind Teahupoo in that Christmas Hurdle, with the Willie Mullins-trained Ballyburn a further seven lengths back in third.
Ryanair Chase Odds 2026
| HORSE | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Fact To File | 2/1 |
| Gaelic Warrior | 8/1 |
| Jango Baie | 8/1 |
| Majborough | 10/1 |
| Heart Wood | 16/1 |
| Banbridge | 16/1 |
| Jonbon | 16/1 |
| The Jukebox Man | 20/1 |
| Romeo Coolio | 20/1 |
| Grey Dawning | 20/1 |
| Il Etait Temps | 25/1 |
| Impaire Et Passe | 25/1 |
| Solness | 25/1 |
| Kalif Du Berlais | 25/1 |
Fact To File is the clear favourite for the 2026 Ryanair Chase after romping to victory in this contest last year.
The JP McManus-owned horse hasn’t won any of his three starts since that success, including a disappointing effort in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.
But he boasts a tremendous Festival record, having won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase in 2024 and finished runner-up in the Champion Bumper in 2023.
It is the only race he is entered for at this year's Festival, which cannot be said for many of the 32 Ryanair entries.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Odds 2026
| HORSE | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Inothewayurthinkin | 6/1 |
| Galopin Des Champs | 6/1 |
| Jango Baie | 8/1 |
| The Jukebox Man | 8/1 |
| Gaelic Warrior | 10/1 |
| Grey Dawning | 12/1 |
| Haiti Couleurs | 14/1 |
| Affordale Fury | 16/1 |
| I Am Maximus | 33/1 |
The 2026 Gold Cup market is wide open with defending champion Inothewayurthinkin and dual winner Galopin Des Champs both at 6/1.
The first two home in last year’s showpiece met again in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December, but neither showed their best form
Inothewayurthinkin never looked to be jumping or travelling with much fluency and finished a long way back.
However, he is unbeaten in his two starts at Cheltenham, having also landed the Kim Muir Chase in 2024.
Galopin Des Champs, on his first outing since April, looked in need of the run and finished behind Affordable Fury and I Am Maximus.
The market leaders could meet again in the Irish Gold Cup at the end of January, a race likely to play a major role in shaping the betting in the run-up to the Festival.
They might face a stronger British challenge in March, including King George winner The Jukebox Man and Jango Baie, who was a close fourth at Kempton.
Both are now 8/1 for the Gold Cup, but it is the latter of the two - winner of last year's Arkle Chase - who looks the more progressive.
Gaelic Warrior, third in that incredible King George, is next in the Gold Cup betting at 10/1.
The 2024 Arkle winner previously narrowly got the better of his stablemate, Ryanair Chase favourite Fact To File, in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.
Grey Dawning follows at a tempting 12/1 after his impressive victory in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.
Winner of the now defunct Turners Novices' Chase two years ago, the Dan Skelton-trained grey has always looked a top-class staying chaser in the making.
Haiti Couleurs is now 14/1 having enhanced his reputation with a heroic Welsh National success in December, defying a weight of 11st 13lb.
Last year's National Hunt Chase winner has a "serious chance" in the Gold Cup according to his trainer Rebecca Curtis.
Meanwhile, Affordable Fury was cut from 50/1 to 16/1 after that Savills Chase success.
He prevailed despite repeatedly jumping out to his right and trainer Noel Meade will need to iron out that tendency if he is to be a serious Gold Cup contender.
Cheltenham Festival Favourites
In 2025, nine of the 28 Festival races were won by the favourite (including one joint-favourite). That's 32% won by the market leader.
That figure matches the totals from both 2024 and 2023, while there were 12 winning favourites in 2022 (43%) and eight in both 2021 and 2020 (29%).
Across this six-year period, fewer than half of the odds-on favourites were successful, with just 16 of 35 winning.
Beaten odds-on favourites at the 2025 Festival included Majborough at 1/2 (Arkle Chase), Constitution Hill at 1/2 (Champion Hurdle), Ballyburn at 4/7 (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase), Jonbon at 5/6 (Champion Chase) and Galopin Des Champs at 8/13 (Gold Cup).