If we’ve learned anything by now, we know that simply because two runners vie for favouritism at Cheltenham does not automatically mean either of them will win. Will that change in the 2026 Mares Chase?
While still a relatively new race, the Mares Chase has already become a proper target in its own right, not just an afterthought on Gold Cup day.
This year’s 2m4½f renewal brings together a hardened defending champion, a fast‑rising stablemate, and a clutch of mares who look capable of making life awkward for the market leaders.
With nine going to post at 2:40pm on Friday, 13 March, it has the feel of a race where small mistakes and cool heads will matter just as much as raw ability.
Dinoblue: The Standard‑setter
Dinoblue turns up trying to repeat last year’s success, and she has done nothing this season to dent the idea that she is still the one they all have to beat.
Willie Mullins has kept things simple: she warmed up with another dominant display in the Opera Hat Mares Chase at Naas, barely coming off the bridle to score by a wide margin and confirm her wellbeing.
Her proven record around Cheltenham is a big plus: she knows the fences, the hill, and the Festival noise.
Mark Walsh fits her well, happy to let her bowl along in a good rhythm rather than turning it into a stop‑start affair that might bring suspect stayers into play.
The one niggle for favourite‑backers is that rivals have had a full year to aim at her, and she is not getting any younger in a division where fresh legs regularly emerge.
Mares Chase 2026 – Runners & Odds
*Odds from Betfred correct at time of publishing
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinoblue | Mark Walsh | W P Mullins | 2/1 |
| Panic Attack | Harry Skelton | D Skelton | 5/2 |
| Spindleberry | Paul Townend | W P Mullins | 11/2 |
| Diva Luna | Ben Jones | B Pauling | 8/1 |
| July Flower | Darragh O’Keeffe | H De Bromhead | 17/2 |
| Only By Night | Keith Donoghue | G P Cromwell | 9/1 |
| Telepathique | Tom Cannon | L Wadham | 50/1 |
| Piper Park | Stan Sheppard | T Lacey | 100/1 |
| All The Glory | Jonjo O’Neill Jr. | J & A O’Neill | 100/1 |
Spindleberry: The Up‑and‑comer
If Dinoblue is the yardstick, Spindleberry is the exciting project. Also trained by Willie Mullins, she arrives with five wins from six, having climbed steadily through the mares’ ranks in Ireland and catching the eye when taking a Listed mares’ chase at Doncaster in good style.
That Doncaster race has become a handy pointer to this event, with Limerick Lace using it as a springboard to Mares’ Chase glory, and Spindleberry looked every inch a staying chaser in the making when winning it.
Her recent pulled‑up run at Leopardstown in the Irish Gold Cup is the obvious red flag on the racecard.
However, the bare result might not tell the full story; she was slightly hampered early, never travelled with her usual fluency and was eased once her chance had gone.
Paul Townend keeping the ride is another tick in the box, and it is not hard to imagine him riding her as the lurking danger rather than the hare.
Panic Attack and the Main Dangers
Panic Attack brings Festival nous and a likeable attitude to the table. Now a seasoned 10‑year‑old, she has been thriving over intermediate trips, including a smart handicap success over 2m4f at Cheltenham in November, where she pulled clear in deep ground.
Dan Skelton and Harry Skelton arrive at the meeting in good form, and she has the kind of uncomplicated style – jumps, sits handy, keeps finding – that often translates into a place at big spring meetings.
July Flower, for Henry de Bromhead, is another mare who has shaped like this sort of race would suit.
Her profile includes solid winning form at around two and a half miles, and she has already shown she can handle Cheltenham, which takes care of two common festival worries in one go.
Only By Night has mixed it with smart mares in Ireland, including finishing in front of Spindleberry in a Punchestown hurdle earlier in her career.
She can throw in the odd mistake, which is not ideal around Cheltenham, but on a going day, she is capable of landing blows at this level.
Dark Horses and Big Prices
Diva Luna has been quietly progressive for Ben Pauling, putting together back‑to‑back wins over course and distance to advertise her suitability for this exact test.
With Ben Jones taking the ride and the stable in decent nick, she looks a live outsider for those who like a bit of each‑way spice at a double‑figure price.
Telepathique has similar “could outrun her odds” vibes. Lucy Wadham’s mare has been plying her trade over this sort of trip and has a piece of form that suggests she can mix it with stronger company when things fall right.
At the more speculative end are All The Glory and Piper Park, who both look to be punching up in grade. All The Glory has a pick‑and‑mix profile with placed efforts dotted around, while Piper Park is still working out what she is over fences after a modest chasing campaign to date.
Tips for Betting
From a win point of view, it is hard to get away from Dinoblue as the percentage call.
She is a proven Festival winner, arrives in form after another easy Opera Hat success, and has the ideal run‑style for this race.
Those looking to oppose a short‑priced favourite might see Spindleberry as the more interesting win alternative, especially if the ground turns testing and stamina comes to the fore.
Forgive Leopardstown and her progressive chase profile, plus the Doncaster pointer, make her a very plausible winner at a slightly juicier price.
For each‑way and place‑only players, Panic Attack and Diva Luna stand out as solid options. Both are proven around Cheltenham at this trip and come here off the back of campaigns that suggest they are still on the upgrade rather than going the other way.
However you play it, this year’s Mares’ Chase looks set to tell us whether the established queen of the division can keep her crown, or whether one of the younger pretenders has timed their rise to perfection.
BETFRED
