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Cheltenham Gold Cup confirmed runners and riders for 2026 after a late withdrawal

Jennifer Donald Jennifer Donald

    • The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup is a historic jumps race and the highlight of the annual Cheltenham Festival (10-13 March 2026).

    The £625,000 contest boasts an illustrious role of honour, with chasing legends including Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate and Desert Orchid all having triumphed over the past 101 years.

    So who are the Cheltenham Gold Cup runners and riders for 2026 and who is tipped to win on day 4? With final declarations revealed on Wednesday 11 March, the following information has been updated to reflect the final entries for this year’s race. One of the most popular runners was set to be the Jimmy Mangan-trained Spillane’s Tower, but he was ruled out of the Gold Cup on Friday morning (13 March) as connections believe the ground isn’t soft enough for him.

    Cheltenham Gold Cup runners 2026

    A longlist of 33 potential Cheltenham runners for the 2026 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup was released in early January. The horses have been whittled down until this final list of declared runners and riders was announced two days before the big race on Friday 13 March. With Spillane’s Tower’s late withdrawal, we are now down to 10 runners.

    Headlining this year’s Cheltenham entries is reigning champion Inothewayurthinkin, who is trained in Ireland by Gavin Cromwell and who was ridden to victory in the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup by jockey Mark Walsh. Another past winner, dual champion Galopin Des Champs from the all-conquering Willie Mullins stable, was withdrawn last week. Winning jockey Paul Townend now rides stablemate Gaelic Warrior.

    Five of the 11 Cheltenham Gold Cup entries represent Ireland, but some high-calibre British contenders are also among those entered. The leading hopes for Great Britain look set to be the Ben Pauling-trained The Jukebox Man (jockey: Ben Jones), who was the hero of Kempton on Boxing Day when winning the King George VI Chase for owner Harry Redknapp, and seven-year-old Jango Baie, who finished a close fourth to The Jukebox Man that day. He is trained at Seven Barrows by Nicky Henderson, who will be bidding for a third win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup after Long Run in 2011 and Bobs Worth two years later.

    Dan Skelton will be hoping to etch his name on the Gold Cup for the first time with key hope Grey Dawning, already a Grade One winner with his brother Harry Skelton riding. Flying the flag for Wales will be the Irish and Welsh Grand National victor Haiti Couleurs, trained by Rebecca Curtis and ridden by Sean Bowen.

    Willie Mullins always sends over a rich assortment of Cheltenham entries and his sole hope for Friday’s Blue Riband race is Gaelic Warrior, ridden by Paul Townend.

    Further down the entries, there’s a sole entry from France in the form of Gold Tweet.

    Odds for the Cheltenham Gold Cup entries

    On Friday morning, three horses are now vying for favouritism in the betting market for the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup – the ever popular The Jukebox Man, Jango Baie and Gaelic Warrior.

    Inothewayurthinkin and Haiti Couleurs are also among the shorter priced horses in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The longest-priced winner of the race was Norton’s Coin, who was sent off at odds of 100/1 to win in 1990, and Gold Tweet is currently priced at around 150/1.

    The Jukebox Man is one of four horses clearing the last at Kempton in a line as they race to win the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase 2025.

    Gaelic Warrior, The Jukebox Man, Banbridge and Jango Baie are involved in a pulsating finish for Kempton’s King George VI Chase. The quartet could cross paths again in the 2026 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

    Cheltenham Gold Cup entries 2026

    Here is the final list of 10 – updated to reflect the late withdrawal of Spillane’s Tower on Friday – Cheltenham Gold Cup runners for this year’s Grade One showpiece, the most valuable jumps race in Great Britain and Ireland after the Grand National. The full Cheltenham racecards are now available. The 2026 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place at 4pm on Friday 13 March.

    Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup runners

    • Envoi Allen (Trainer: Henry de Bromhead, jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe)
    • Firefox (Gordon Elliott, jockey Jack Kennedy)
    • Gaelic Warrior (Willie Mullins, Paul Townend)
    • Gold Tweet (Gabriel Leenders, Clement Lefebvre)
    • Grey Dawning (Dan Skelton, Harry Skelton)
    • Haiti Couleurs (Rebecca Curtis, Sean Bowen)
    • Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell, jockey Mark Walsh)
    • Jango Baie (Nicky Henderson, Nico de Boinville)
    • L’Homme Presse (Venetia Williams, Charlie Deutsch)
    • The Jukebox Man (Ben Pauling, Ben Jones)

    Cheltenham Gold Cup past winners

    Making history as the first ever winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1924 was Red Splash, who earned his owner £685 in prize money. Golden Miller is the most successful horse in the race with five victories to his name and Paul Townend jointly holds the record as the most successful jockey with Pat Taaffe, with four Gold Cup wins apiece.

    Other legendary Cheltenham racehorses to have triumphed in the feature race include Cottage Rake, Arkle, L’Escargot, Desert Orchid, Best Mate and Kauto Star. Rachael Blackmore made history in 2022 when she became the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup; she rode the Henry de Bromhead-trained A Plus Tard.

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    Jennifer Donald
    Jennifer Donald

    H&H showjumping editor
    Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
    Jennifer Donald

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