Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026 – Who is going to be the first over the line this year?

In this text we are going to look over the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup, the centrepiece of the massively popular upcoming Cheltenham Festival. We are going to give you some tips and a final Cheltenham Gold Cup Antepost prediction for the upcoming race. We will look at a bit of the history of the Cheltenham festival and Gold Cup, show you how antepost betting works and look at some of the main contenders in the race. This will leave you all set to take advantage of the early odds that are online for the event.

What is Antepost Betting?

In it’s simplest terms an Antepost bet is placing a wager early on any event. The main change between what constituets a Antepost bet and a normal one is that you will lose on a Antepost bet if your horse does not run on the day what ever the reason. This means bookmakers will not pay out on a non-runner for a Antepost bet. This can mean (though not every time) that the odds are larger than on the actual race day. Before race day double check if your bet is Antepost or NRNB (No runner no bet) because bookmakers change from one form to another on different days.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run way back in 1819 and is a grade 1 National Hunt Horse race, held in the middle of the Cheltenham Gold Cup festival. It’s the main race of the festival every year and is contested over 3 miles, 2 furlongs and 70 yards. The race is for horses over 5 years old and sees them jump 22 fences on the way around. It has had some famous winners in the past such as Arkle, Best Mate, Golden Miller, Kauto Star, Denman and Mill House. With a total prize fund of over £625,000 it’s one of the highest paying races in the UK.

Who are the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup horses to watch out for?

Let’s look at 5 contenders for next year’s race that are showing strong odds already in a bit more detail.

 Inothewayurthinkin

• Odds: 5/1
• Age: 7
• Jockey: TBC
• Trainer: Gavin Cromwell
• Notable Wins: Cheltenham Gold Cup (2025), Mildmay Novices’ Chase (2024), Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (2024)
• Total Wins: 5

A bit of a surprise winner last year but Inothewayurthinkin is the heavy favourite to hold onto his title at the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He has shown good form at Cheltenham in the last two years and won as favourite in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir novice chase in his first year at the event. He fell down the field, finishing 5th at the John Durkin Memorial at Punchestown however his trainer said this was a fitness improver and he will be ready for March.

 Galopin Des Champs

• Odds: 7/1
• Age: 8
• Jockey: TBC
• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Notable Wins: Irish Gold Cup (2023,2024,2025), Punchestown Gold Cup (2025) Cheltenham Gold Cup (2023,2024)
• Total Wins: 15

French-bred but Irish trained (by world famous Willie Mullins) Galopin Des Champs is one of the big names being talked about for the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He came in a close 2nd to Inothewayurthinkin in the 2025 edition while going for a historic 3rd win. He has shown his class over the last few years and is particularly strong over jumps. He suffered a minor injury setback late in 2025 so his form will be interesting coming up to March. Can he come back and win again this year?

 Gaelic Warrior

• Odds: 9/1
• Age: 7
• Jockey: TBC
• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Notable Wins: John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (2025), Aintree Bowl (2025), Arkle Challenge Trophy (2024)

Willie Mullins’ horses often fare well at Cheltenham and across the UK. So here’s one to keep in mind at the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Has some notable wins already – for instance, his Arkle Challenge win at Cheltenham in 2024. He also excels as a grade 1 horse over both 2 and 3 mile races and, with a rating of 174, he is one of the elite active steeplechasers currently.

 Fact to File

• Odds: 13/1
• Age: 8
• Jockey: TBC
• Trainer: Willie Mullins
• Notable Wins: Ryan Air Chase (2025), John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase (2024), Ladbrokes Novice Chase (2024)
• Total Wins: 7

Fact to File is a giant horse at over 17 hands high. He comes from strong stock and is another horse from the famed trainer Willie Mullins’ stable. He has won at Cheltenham before, so he won’t struggle on his way around the course. Better on jumps than the flat, the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup should suit Fact to File well, and his odds confirm this.

 Grey Dawning

• Odds: 15/1
• Age: 8
• Jockey: TBC
• Trainer: Dan Skelton
• Notable Wins: 2025 Betfair Chase, 2024 Turners Chase
• Total Wins: 10

When there is a big field, backing the grey horse can make it easy to follow your choice around! That makes Grey Dawning a good pick for those with bad eyesight for this year’s race. A well-known top-tier steeple chaser, he has been winning big races and looks like a good outside chance for this year’s gold cup. He won on the course back in 2024, coming in first in a strong field in the Turner’s Chase.

Where to watch the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup

There is plenty of live coverage of the Cheltenham festival and it will be easy to find a 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026 live stream. The whole 3 days racing is a massively popular event in the UK and abroad so many national TV stations and streaming services will include coverage. We have some of these listed below :

• ITV and ITVX will have before and after coverage of the whole meet and the main race itself
• Racing TV
• Racing Post App
• Live-streamed by plenty of online bookmakers

Prediction for the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup

This should be an interesting race, this year, with some big names.

In general, you are looking for a 7-9 year-old horse with solid Grade 1 winning form across the 3-mile distance. Previous experience at the Cheltenham Cup is also key to picking a good horse.

I think all 5 I’ve picked should have a chance of placing. I’m not convinced by the fitness of the two previous winners, Inothewayurthinkin or Galopin de Champs. I will likely have a punt on the Grey but that’s more a superstition than a tip. I think Gaelic Warrior is shaping up well and that’s my pick for your antepost bet here. Go each way if you are looking to be cautious.