The main event of March in the National Hunt calendar is the Cheltenham Festival, held at Cheltenham Racecourse in England from Tuesday, March 10 through Friday, March 13. This year’s edition once again brings four days of high-class racing, where the best National Hunt horses compete against one another.
The recently concluded Dublin Racing Festival (DRF) provided several important clues about horses to follow heading into Cheltenham.
Among the Grade 1 races scheduled during the week are the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Arkle Chase, and the highly anticipated Champion Hurdle. As mentioned in the previous article about Constitution Hill, trainer Nicky Henderson and his connections have already confirmed that the star hurdler will not run in the Champion Hurdle, as the horse’s main focus will now shift toward flat racing.
The current favorite for this year’s Champion Hurdle is The New Lion, owned by the well-established JP McManus and trained by Dan Skelton. The New Lion has won six of his seven starts, with his only defeat coming in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle in November, where he fell when holding every chance. That race was ultimately won by Golden Ace, the mare who stunned the racing world when capturing the 2025 Champion Hurdle at odds of 25-1.
At the time of writing, the familiar rivals Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth also hold entries in both the Champion Hurdle and the Mares’ Hurdle, which will be run on the festival’s third day. The last time they faced each other was in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, where Brighterdaysahead defeated Lossiemouth by 3¼ lengths.
The question now remains: Can Golden Ace defend her crown for a second consecutive year? Or will victory go to The New Lion, the horse with the nearly flawless record?
Key Races on Day Two
On Wednesday, the second day of the festival, the Grade 1 program includes the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, and the prestigious Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase winner and current favorite Marine Nationale will not run due to neck discomfort. His owner and trainer Barry Connell confirmed that the horse is currently receiving veterinary treatment.
This development leaves Majborough as the likely favorite after his dominant 19-length victory over Marine Nationale in the Dublin Chase during the DRF.
Another major storyline involves Jonbon, who recently recorded his 12th Grade 1 victory (two of which were later reallocated this season). Jonbon currently holds entries in both the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase, scheduled for the third day of the festival. At the time of writing, trainer Nicky Henderson has not yet confirmed which race he will target.
If Jonbon runs in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday, he will likely face Fact To File, who will attempt to win the race for the second consecutive year.
It is also worth mentioning Gaelic Warrior, who holds an entry as well. In his most recent start—the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival (3 miles and ½ furlong)—he finished second to Fact To File, beaten five lengths.
The Week’s Grand Finale: Cheltenham Gold Cup
The festival concludes on Friday, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious races in the world of National Hunt racing.
At present, Gaelic Warrior is considered the favorite, as the 3 miles and 2½ furlongs distance of the Gold Cup is expected to play to his stamina.
Other notable entries include:
- Inothewayurthinkin, last year’s winner
- Galopin Des Champs, the Gold Cup champion from two years ago
- Nick Rocket, who proved his jumping ability by winning the Aintree Grand National last year
Additional Resources
For more information, visit the official website of the Jockey Club:
Cheltenham Festival 2026 | The Jockey Club
Additional previews for those interested in learning more about the races and contenders include:
- 2026 Cheltenham Preview Night LIVE | attheraces.com
- The Ultimate Cheltenham 2026 Preview – Tony Mullins, Johnny Dineen, Lydia Hislop & Ruby Walsh
Author: Josefina Posada for Agentes 305
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