JP McManus Horses Jagwar and Iroko To Battle It Out For The 2026 Ultima Handicap Chase
The 2026 Ultima Handicap Chase has again drawn a big, deeply competitive field and feels like a proper opening‑day puzzle for staying chasers.
With 22 runners declared for the 3m1f test at 3:20pm on Tuesday, the race looks a blend of classy, lightly‑raced types and battle‑hardened handicappers, headed in the market by Jagwar, Iroko, and Handstands.
The Ultima usually attracts a long entry list before trainers gradually firm up plans, and this year has been no different.
Decisions about targets for horses like Jagwar and Iroko were allowed to run late, but connections have now committed both to this race rather than other Festival options.
That gives the contest a strong top end of the handicap and ensures proven graded‑level quality is mixed in with the usual improvers.
British trainers dominate the final line‑up again, in keeping with recent trends for a race that has proved difficult for Irish stables to win.
Historic data shows Irish‑trained runners have struggled badly over the last couple of decades, and even this year, the market is led by home‑based yards such as Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero, Ben Pauling, Nicky Henderson, Lucinda Russell, and Paul Nicholls.
2026 Ultima Handicap Chase Odds
*Odds from Betfred correct at time of publication
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jagwar | Mark Walsh | O Greenall & J Guerriero | 4/1 |
| Iroko | Jonjo O’Neill Jr. | O Greenall & J Guerriero | 6/1 |
| Handstands | Ben Jones | B Pauling | 8/1 |
| Myretown | D R Fox | L Russell & M Scudamore | 10/1 |
| Quebecois | H Cobden | P F Nicholls | 10/1 |
| Johnnywho | R P McLernon | J & A O’Neill | 11/1 |
| Hyland | N de Boinville | N J Henderson | 11/1 |
| Blaze The Way | Danny Mullins | Ms M Mullins | 14/1 |
| Konfusion | Callum Bewley | J Parkinson & S Smith | 14/1 |
| Resplendent Grey | S Bowen | O Murphy | 16/1 |
| Imperial Saint | Callum Pritchard | P Hobbs & J White | 16/1 |
| The Short Go | Darragh O’Keeffe | H De Bromhead | 16/1 |
| Leave Of Absence | Rex Dingle | A J Honeyball | 18/1 |
| The Doyen Chief | Thomas Bellamy | A King | 20/1 |
| Knight Of Allen | C Gethings | Mrs J Williams | 22/1 |
| Search For Glory | James Smith | G Elliott | 25/1 |
| Blow Your Wad | Freddie Mitchell | G & J Moore | 25/1 |
| Patter Merchant | Jack Kennedy | G Elliott | 33/1 |
| Margaret’s Legacy | Harry Bannister | W Greatrex | 40/1 |
| Filanderer | J J Burke | H Morrison | 66/1 |
| Eyed | Sam Twiston-Davies | H Morrison | 66/1 |
| Stolen Silver | Miss Olive Nicholls | G Nicholls | 100/1 |
Market Leaders
Jagwar heads most lists around the 4/1–5/1 mark and brings a potent mix of course form and current consistency.
Last season’s Plate winner has been placed on both starts at Cheltenham this term and has already shown he can handle a Festival environment, albeit over a shorter trip.
The question for him is stamina at 3m1f off a higher mark, but work reports from home have been bullish and bookmakers clearly expect him to stay.
Stablemate Iroko sits close behind him in the betting, trading around 6/1. He has been talked up all winter as a high‑class staying chaser, and some firms have him towards the head of the Grand National market, which underlines the ability connections believe he has.
His profile is that of a horse who could still be ahead of the handicapper, though he does have to defy the top weight in a race where carrying big burdens has not been straightforward historically.
Handstands is the third key player at single‑figure odds, around the 7/1–9/1 range. He comes here as a second‑season chaser with solid handicap form and the sense that there is another step forward to come at this trip.
That type of lightly‑raced, progressive profile has worked well in the Ultima before, and his yard has been in good form in the lead‑up to the meeting.
Behind the front three, several others sit in that important mid‑range of the market between 8/1 and 16/1, which historical trends suggest is often where the winner emerges.
Hyland, Quebecois, Myretown, and Johnnywho all fall roughly in that bracket, each bringing some combination of course form, staying potential, and a workable mark.
Racing fans who are wary of short‑priced favourites in this race, given its history, may well focus on that cluster of horses instead.
Dark Horses Who Could Outrun Their Odds
Recent renewals of the Ultima have regularly seen double‑figure‑priced horses hit the frame, and it would be no surprise if one or two at bigger odds get seriously involved again.
Konfusion is one that several analysts have flagged up as a strong each‑way contender if everything falls right. He has improved sharply this season, climbing the handicap after wins in competitive northern staying chases, and his third behind Imperial Saint at Haydock suggested there is still some upside left at this new level.
Imperial Saint himself is another who looks underestimated by the market in the mid‑teens. He beat Myretown earlier in the season and has shaped like an out‑and‑out stayer who will be suited by a true gallop over this trip.
With a handy racing weight and a yard that knows how to ready one for a Festival handicap, he makes some appeal as a horse who might travel quietly into the race before staying on up the hill.
From a trends angle, Myretown is interesting because he ticks several historical boxes despite not being at the very top of the betting.
He won this race last year, comes here as a relatively unexposed staying chaser, and once again has Derek Fox booked, with Lucinda Russell’s record in the race a positive talking point among tipsters.
Quebecois has also been highlighted by some experts as the right sort of horse for this test. He has been running consistently well in good‑quality handicaps, often travelling powerfully, and now gets the chance to prove he stays this far on a course that rewards rhythm and balance.
With Harry Cobden doing the steering for Paul Nicholls, he is the kind of runner who could shorten markedly on the day if support arrives.
Another Great Ultima
The Ultima rarely gives up its secrets easily, and this year’s renewal looks typically layered rather than being about just one or two obvious contenders.
Jagwar, Iroko, and Handstands deserve their place at the head of the market, but there is enough depth behind them in the shape of Konfusion, Imperial Saint, Myretown, Quebecois, and others to make this a race where value may lie a little further down the lists.
However you decide to play it, the Ultima should again provide a searching examination of jumping, stamina, and temperament – and set the tone for what follows at Cheltenham on a compelling opening afternoon.
BETFRED
