2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Run on good to soft going on Friday, March 13, the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured just 10 runners, but granted that the field included the defending champion, Inothewayurthinkin, three of the first four home in the King George VI Chase, The Jukebox Man, Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie, and the Welsh Grand National winner, Haiti Couleurs, can probably be considered an above-average renewal. At the ‘off’, Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie shared favouritism at 11/4, just ahead of The Jukebox Man at 7/2, with Haiti Couleurs at 6/1 and 11/1 bar that quartet.
A failure on his only previous attempt in Grade 1 company, in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November 2025, Haiti Couleurs once again ran inexplicably badly, weakening quickly once headed approaching two out and being pulled up before the final fence. The Jukebox Man likewise dropped away turning into the straight, having reportedly made a respiratory noise, and eventually finished eighth of the nine finishers, over 30 lengths behind the winner.
That winner was, in fact, Gaelic Warrior, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by his stable jockey, Paul Townend, who were combining for their fifth win in the race after Al Boum Photo (2019 and 2020) and Galopin Des Champs (2023 and 2024). Thus, Mullins moved alongside Tom Dreaper as the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Townend moved ahead of Pat Taaffe as the most successful jockey.
Despite racing over a distance beyond an extended three miles for the first time, Gaelic Warrior was always travelling strongly and, having moved to the head of affairs approaching two out, only had to be pushed out on the run-in. He eventually passed the post eight lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, Jango Baie, who proved no match for the winner in the closing stages, but still finished two lengths ahead of Inothewayurthinkin, who lacked fluency in his jumping, but stayed on strongly to finish third. Reflecting on his record-breaking triumph, winning jockey Townend said, “It’s the Gold Cup. They just get better and better. I am speechless.”