Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026: Key Runners to Watch at the Festival

Legends are made all week at the Cheltenham Festival, but the Gold Cup is widely regarded as the crown jewel of the meeting. Should a horse do nothing of note in its career but then win a Cheltenham Gold Cup, that horse is an immortal. Now just a fortnight out from the showpiece event, we cast our eye across the key runners for this year's event...

Jango Baie

If you want a proper “Gold Cup horse” who has earned his shot rather than being talked into it, Jango Baie ticks plenty of boxes. Nicky Henderson’s Arkle winner from last season has taken the exact route you would hope to see from a top-class novice chaser: win at Cheltenham, step up in trip, and prove he belongs in the deep end against seasoned Grade 1 stayers. The big turning point for him has been that move up in distance, because for all he had speed in the Arkle, his best work now seems to come when the tempo is strong and stamina starts to matter.

His Ascot Grade 2 success in November was a proper performance and it set him up for Kempton on Boxing Day, where he ran a huge race in the King George to finish fourth in a blanket finish, only around half a length off the winner The Jukebox Man. That sort of form is exactly why he is jousting for favouritism for the big day, particularly with his fast finish at Kempton the archetypal run of a horse more suited to Cheltenham and its stamina test then Kempton's speedy King George. If the Gold Cup turns into a truly-run test, which Haiti Couleurs and others will make it, his finishing effort could be a serious weapon up the hill.

The Jukebox Man

For much of the winter, The Jukebox Man has looked like the horse bringing the strongest single piece of staying form into the race. Ben Pauling’s charge announced himself as a genuine Gold Cup player when landing the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day, digging deep in the closing stages to fend off a tightly packed group that included Jango Baie and Gaelic Warrior. It was not flashy, which had been his style, but it was tough and that willingness to battle is often what separates contenders from champions over three and a quarter miles at Cheltenham.

He had already hinted at his ability last season, shaping like a top stayer in the making, but this term has been about proving he belongs at the very top table. The King George win showed he can travel at championship pace and still find off the bridle, which is a crucial trait in the Gold Cup. The question, as ever, is whether Kempton form translates seamlessly to Prestbury Park, where the undulations and relentless climb to the line expose any weakness in stamina. His heart breaking defeat when long odds-on in running in the 2024 Albert Bartlett will put plenty off, as he was swallowed up in the mud by a more dour stayer, but his trainer is certain his toughness has improved and he'll handle the test.

If he settles into a rhythm and jumps as fluently as he did at Christmas, he will not be far away turning for home.

Gaelic Warrior

Few horses bring as much raw ability into the Gold Cup as Gaelic Warrior, and the debate is not about talent but about whether everything will fall into place on the day. Willie Mullins’ charge has long been held in the highest regard at Closutton and, at his best, he has shown a cruising speed that can put rivals under pressure a long way from home. His Grade 1 victories over fences underlined that he is not simply a flashy two-miler stepping up in trip, but a high-class chaser capable of mixing it with the elite over any trip they chuck at him.

This season has been about proving he can sustain that brilliance over an extended three miles against hardened stayers. When his jumping holds up, he travels like a dream and can quicken off a strong gallop, which is not a common trait in this division. The lingering doubt, as ever, centres on consistency. He has occasionally made the odd mistake under pressure, and the Gold Cup does not forgive even minor lapses in concentration. If he gets into a smooth rhythm and whoever rides him can delay the challenge until after the last, he has the class to make a serious impact. With Fact To File the only horse ahead of him in the Irish Gold Cup and that rival heading elsewhere, he deservedly heads the Irish challenge.

Galopin Des Champs

When you are dealing with a dual Gold Cup winner, the conversation changes. Galopin Des Champs is not trying to prove he belongs at this level; he has already defined it in recent seasons. Willie Mullins’ stable star has become synonymous with this race, his blend of relentless galloping and accurate jumping carrying him to back-to-back victories that will be remembered long after the form lines fade. Few horses arrive at a Gold Cup with his combination of experience, class and Festival nous. What he needs to prove is; has he still got it?

This season has not always been quite as straightforward as those peak campaigns, but the core of the horse remains the same. At Leopardstown he showed once again that when the tempo lifts and others begin to feel the pinch, he can grind and then quicken, but in both the Savills and the Irish Gold Cup he was seen off by younger rivals. The Gold Cup trip holds no fears, the undulations hold no fears, and he knows exactly what is required on that long run-in. The only question, at this stage of his career, is whether age has taken even a marginal edge off his brilliance. Paul Townend is expected to continue the partnership out of loyalty to a partner who has given him some wonderful days, even if stablemate Gaelic Warrior is shorter in the betting.

Haiti Couleurs

If there is one horse in the market who feels slightly under the radar compared to the bigger stable names, it is Haiti Couleurs. Rebecca Curtis’ gelding has taken a more unorthodox route to this stage, but the substance of what he has achieved over fences deserves proper respect. His staying form has been built the right way, learning his craft in competitive handicaps before graduating to better company, although his Haydock flop in the Betfair is a concern as he heads back into Grade 1s following a bounce back win in a gutsy Welsh National.

What stands out about Haiti Couleurs is his attitude. He is not flashy and he is not the type to cruise into contention on the bridle, but when the tempo lifts and the field begins to thin out, he keeps galloping. That trait can be worth its weight in gold in a race like this, where the early pace - which he'll hope to set but may not have the speed for - can be searching and the final half-mile becomes a war of attrition. The obvious question is class: this is a significant step up from the company he has been keeping, and he will need to improve again to trouble the principals. But as an each-way player in an open renewal, his stamina and honesty give him a platform to outrun bigger reputations. Sean Bowen is on fire this season too, and with him in the saddle there's always hope.

Inothewayurthinkin

The defending champion does not arrive with the same noise around him as some previous Gold Cup holders, but Inothewayurthinkin earned his place in the history books twelve months ago and that alone demands respect. Gavin Cromwell’s charge produced a performance built on composure and precision last March, travelling strongly through the race before asserting after the last to land the blue riband in style, breaking the hearts of thousands cheering on Galopin Des Champs as he hunted a history making three in a row. It was not a fluke, nor was it the result of others underperforming; he handled the occasion, the track and the trip better than anything else in the field.

This season has been geared around returning him to that peak in March rather than running even a remotely impressive race once through the winter, which has caused some constanation. His prep runs have been disappointing in big races, with marked drifts predicting his poor runs, but there have been flashes of the same slick jumping and measured cruising speed that defined last year’s victory. The big question facing any defending champion is whether lightning can strike twice, especially in a division packed with hungry, upwardly mobile rivals. Yet he has already shown he thrives in the white heat of a Festival showpiece. If he lines up in similar heart and fitness to twelve months ago, it would be brave to dismiss his chances of mounting a bold defence. If he runs like he has been since, he has no hope.