Cheltenham Champion Chase Tips 2026: Preview and Best Bet for Day Two Feature

The Champion Chase is the centrepiece on day two of the Cheltenham Festival and the 2026 renewal already looks to revolve around one horse. Majborough has taken the two-mile chasing division by storm this season and arrives as a strong odds-on favourite for the championship contest.

However, from a betting perspective Billy Grimshaw believes the smarter play may lie in the each-way market rather than trying to oppose the favourite outright. If Majborough runs to form he could simply be too good, but there is an intriguing Henry de Bromhead runner in behind him who is value to at least hit the frame and makes it into our editor's squad of Cheltenham Tips...

Although in my through the card tips for Day Two piece I reiterated how implausible it is to see Majborough beaten in the 2026 Champion Chase, especially with 2025 hero Marine Nationale ruled out, that does not mean there are not punting opportunities to be had in Wednesday's showpiece race. This race has been a bit of a graveyard for red hot favourites over recent seasons, but with Majborough I cannot see that pattern continuing. There was something definitive about his awesome Dublin Chase win, a real statement that he'd finally put it all together and was ready to begin a long, successful career as the top chaser around in whatever division he likes.

Still only six, the world is his oyster and I'd not be surprised to see him gradually step up in distance as his career unfolds, but first he should dispatch this field with minimal fuss to give Willie Mullins a third Champion Chase. Back to those aforementioned opportunities though, QUILIXIOS looks a knocking each-way bet. Thistle Ask was taken out of the field at the final confirmations stage and looked likely to be the only true pace rival for Henry De Bromhead's nine year old, who was running the race of his life in this contest one year ago.

Sadly, at the last when in a battle with eventual wide margin winner Marine Nationale he took a tumble. Booked for a minimum of a second place finish, and certainly not out of the realms of possibility that he'd have won the race, the only horse with a piece of form as strong in his career in this field is actually another De Bromhead runner, the now eleven year old Captain Guinness who won the race in 2024. I could put no one off backing him at the huge prices available either, but surely his best days are behind him now and even De Bromhead's Cheltenham wizardry cannot get him back to the winners' enclosure.

Quilixios feels like a veteran just as much as his stablemate but is actually still only a nine year old, which is widely regarded as a steeplechaser's prime years. He won the Triumph Hurdle all the way back in 2021 so has good Festival form when coupled with his stellar run in this race last season and with Cheltenham chases - both graded and handicaps - suiting frontrunners I can see him being the last one not broken by Majborough's looming presence.

L'Eau Du Sud is the clear second favourite now Marine Nationale has been ruled out and he was very close to Majborough in last season's Arkle, but given Majborough whacked almost every fence in that novice chase and yet still finished ahead of the Skelton runner it's tough to see that form being reversed. L'Eau Du Sud is certainly a strong traveller and may look like the most likely winner at some stages of the race, but I cannot see him having the speed to go catch Quilixios if in peak form.

A worry with many horses would be that Quilixios has not been sighted since this race last year, but his trainer is a master of priming them for this time of year and has been reporting his big hope for this race to be in rude health. Il Etait Temps is the only other horse shorter in the market than the ones I've already mentioned, but his Cheltenham record and flagging performance when an odds-on favourite at Ascot last time raise alarmbells for me when debating backing such a fragile horse.

I am confident Quilixios will hit the frame and with my confidence behind Majborough I wouldn't be surprised if at the off more profit would be on the table backing the De Bromhead runner each-way and him grabbing second or third than just a win only play on the hotpot. Bets in the without market or top 2 finish would also be of interest for Wednesday's showpiece occasion.