The four Championship races at the Cheltenham Festival are the highlight of what is always a stellar week at the leading National Hunt meeting. These contests define a horse’s career, and, as ever, they look set to be hotly contested.

Here is a look at how the defending champions may fare this year, and who the leading contenders are to snatch their crowns.

Golden Ace – Champion Hurdle

Golden Ace caused an upset in the Champion Hurdle in 2025, beating a strong field to land the day-one feature.

More respect will be given to the talented mare this season, especially after her triumph in the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle earlier in the campaign.

The defending champion will be bidding to become only the third horse to win the premier hurdle contest in back-to-back years. She is 13/2 in the horse betting to prevail and add her name to the history books.

With nine runners still in the race at the confirmation stage, The New Lion has been one of the most popular horse racing tips for the 2m contest.

Dan Skelton’s hurdler won the International Hurdle on Cheltenham Trials Day. He was also a winner at this meeting 12 months ago when landing the Turners Novices’ Hurdle.

Golden Ace will also have to overcome two talented mares from Ireland this year. Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth will both tackle the Championship race rather than feature in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Like the defending champion, they will receive 7lb from the opposite sex in the field.

Marine Nationale – Queen Mother Champion Chase

Unfortunately for the connections of the horse, Marine Nationale will not get the chance to defend his crown in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, as the Irish horse has been ruled out of the race on the eve of the meeting due to a setback.

There were 13 runners in the Championship race at the confirmation stage, including Majborough, who travels across from Ireland with big claims. He was the winner of the Dublin Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival last month.

Skelton leads the British hopes in the Queen Mother Champion Chase with L’Eau Du Sud. The eight-year-old won the Shloer Chase over this course and distance earlier this season, beating Jonbon by 15 lengths.

The Lodge Hill runner will need to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on his latest appearance.

Bob Olinger – Stayers’ Hurdle

Bob Olinger won a thrilling renewal of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, beating Teahupoo by just under two lengths. The pair of Irish horses, who carry the same coloured silks, battled all the way up the hill at Prestbury Park.

The Stayers’ Hurdle winner has appeared just once this season. He finished runner-up to Teahupoo in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Henry De Bromhead’s hurdler showed signs of rustiness in that race, and his trainer is confident he will improve for the run, as he bids to become the first repeat winner of the day three contest since Big Buck’s in 2012.

The main challenger to Bob Olinger is expected to be Teahupoo. Gordon Elliott’s runner has been faultless so far this season, winning all three of his races, with Grade One victories at Fairyhouse, Leopardstown and Punchestown.

This will be Teahupoo’s fourth appearance in the Stayers’ Hurdle. He was third in 2023, beaten by half a length. Elliott’s staying hurdler prevailed in the Championship race in 2024, while he had to settle for the runner-up spot in 2025.

Inothewayurthinkin – Cheltenham Gold Cup

Inothewayurthinkin was supplemented for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2025, and that proved to be a smart investment from his owner JP McManus, as he went on to win the Blue Riband event at the meeting.

Since his impressive triumph in the day four feature last March, Inothewayurthinkin has struggled to replicate the same form. He has run three times since, and he has failed to hit the frame in each of those runs.

After falling in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival, there were even doubts about the defending champion’s participation in this year’s race.

However, his trainer, Gavin Cromwell, has reported an improvement in his horse’s training on the gallops, so he is now more optimistic about his horse bouncing back.

Irish Gold Cup winner, Fact To File, tops the betting for the 3m2f contest. He produced a huge performance at Leopardstown, beating Galopin Des Champs and Gaelic Warrior.

Last season’s Ryanair Chase winner now looks set to step up in trip at Cheltenham to tackle the biggest race of the week.

With 28 races set to take place across four days, there are lots of opportunities for stars to be made at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. It looks set to be a great renewal of the meeting.

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