Though so much racing occurred to change the complexion of the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup betting between Christmas and New Year, much has stayed the same in terms of the order of those towards the top of the market.
Both Inothewayurthinkin and Galopin Des Champs continue to battle for favouritism, but after both were beaten in the Savills Chase to top an extraordinary week featuring a titanic race for the King George VI Chase, we take a look at the impact on the 2026 Gold Cup betting below.
Friday 26 December – King George VI Chase (Kempton)
Four horses jumped the final fence at Kempton with a chance of winning the 2025 King George VI Chase and all four were separated by under a length at its conclusion. Three of the four shortened for the Gold Cup for their parts in one of the most memorable finishes in National Hunt history.
The winner was The Jukebox Man, who now ensures that there is British interest narrowly behind the two favourites in the 2026 Gold Cup betting. By battling back after being headed at the last, he was shortened from a general 20/1 before the King George to a best price of 8/1 for Cheltenham glory to boot. His only run at Prestbury Park saw him finish second in the 2024 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, though he has never participated there over fences.
Runner-up Banbridge went so close to defending his Kempton title, going down by just a nose. He disappointed when sent off second favourite for last season’s Gold Cup and may not head to Cheltenham this season, though he went from highs of 100/1 for the Gold Cup to just 40s after going out on his sword.
In third, Gaelic Warrior so narrowly failed to add the King George to his sensational John Durkan triumph. He was the only contender to drift slightly for the highest Cheltenham honours, going up two points from 8/1 to 10/1. He did not run at Cheltenham in 2025, but won the Arkle the year before, so there is no reason he should be kept from contending at the Festival, though his ultimate destination may be undecided as yet.
Fourth-placed Jango Baie was the only horse unable to win the King George in a photo finish, but was still only half-a-length behind in fourth. He won the Arkle last term at Cheltenham by flying home late on and was the one horse who made a notable move in the days after the King George, dropping from 16/ to 10/1 on Boxing Day before further support saw him into 8/1 before the year’s end.
Any chance that sixth-placed Fact To File would step up in trip to contest the Gold Cup after winning the 2025 Ryanair Chase look to have been extinguished as he drifted from 12/1 to 33s. He will surely head to the Ryanair again, while fifth-placed Djelo was introduced into the Gold Cup fray at 40/1 having run honourably. Il Est Francais, runner-up in the King George in 2024, but pulled up this time around, is now a best price of 200/1 to win the Gold Cup; he was underwhelming at the Festival last season.
The Jukebox Man – 20/1 ↑ 8/1
Jango Baie – 16/1 ↑ 8/1
Banbridge – 100/1 ↑ 40/1
Djelo – 40/1 (NEW)
Gaelic Warrior – 8/1 ↓ 10/1
Fact To File – 12/1 ↑ 33/1
Il Est Francais – 150/1 ↑ 200/1
Saturday 27 December – Welsh Grand National (Chepstow)
It has been a while since the Welsh National produced a legitimate Gold Cup contender, but the revival of Haiti Couleurs‘ hopes for Cheltenham were complete after a barnstorming display at Chepstow the day after Boxing Day.
Rebecca Curtis’ charge turned nine on New Year’s Day, but his improvement continued as he left a dismal Betfair Chase run behind him, proving that effort to be a complete outlier in his profile. Carrying 11st 13lb and running off a mark of 154, he was always travelling well near the pace for Sean Bowen and was a comfortable three-length winner despite his burden. Though his progression has mostly been maintained in handicap company, he looks Graded quality and connections can start dreaming big, with Gold Cup triumph priced up at 14/1.
Haiti Couleurs – 50/1 ↑ 14/1
Sunday 28 December – Savills Chase (Leopardstown)
An enormous gamble may yet occur in the Gold Cup betting, but there was undoubtedly one in the Savills Chase as Affordale Fury justified support from an ante-post price of 33/1 into 7/1 to cause an upset for Noel Meade. He had already raced three times this season, but had been gradually stepping forward from run to run and made perhaps the most substantial impact on the 2026 Gold Cup betting with his win: available at 50/1 in just one place with UK bookmakers, he is now a 16/1 chance. Like The Jukebox Man, he has been second in an Albert Bartlett at the Festival.
Plans for I Am Maximus were thrown more open than previously after the 2024 Grand National hero ran his best ever race at Grade 1 level to be second in the Savills Chase. Another to not even be offered in the Gold Cup market prior to the festive action, he is now a 33/1 shot.
The two above names are now the only ones to have defeated Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown. The two-time Gold Cup winner remains a 6/1 chance and is now available at those odds almost across the board having run gallantly in third at Leopardstown. The ten-year-old lost his unbeaten record at that track and may be vulnerable to some younger legs, but was having a delayed first run of his campaign and should come on for his effort.
On the other hand, it was another lifeless effort from Inothewayurthinkin, as the defending Gold Cup champion was pushed out to 6/1 from 7/2 as he trailed home last of nine finishers in the Savills Chase. His yard have struggled to find form this season and he was a huge drifter in the betting before the off, signifying the disappointment to come. His backers may require a decent run at the Dublin Racing Festival to renew their faith.
50/1 from 20/1 is now available for Fastorslow, who could only finish sixth and is potentially paying for missing the majority of last season. In fourth and fifth, Grangeclare West, third in last year’s Grand National, and Monty’s Star, fourth in the 2025 Gold Cup, can both now be backed at 66/1, the former in from 100/1, the latter drifting from 40/1.
Behind them, both Lecky Watson and Stellar Story, first and second in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase last season, are struggling to back up those efforts in open company, the former remaining a 50/1 Gold Cup chance, the latter upped to 100/1 from 66/1, the same price as the pulled-up and long-absent Gerri Colombe, the 2024 Gold Cup runner-up who hit triple digits from 40/1. Champ Kiely was unlucky on the day when slipping up, but then blotted his copybook at Tramore, to also drift from 40/1 to 100/1.
Affordale Fury – 50/1 ↑ 16/1
Grangeclare West – 100/1 ↑ 66/1
I Am Maximus – 33/1 (NEW)
Galopin Des Champs – → 6/1
Lecky Watson – → 50/1
Inothewayurthinkin – 7/2 ↓ 6/1
Fastorslow – 20/1 ↑ 50/1
Monty’s Star – 40/1 ↑ 66/1
Champ Kiely – 40/1 ↑ 100/1
Gerri Colombe – 40/1 ↑ 100/1
Stellar Story – 66/1 ↑ 100/1
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