The Irish Champion Hurdle 2026 is Sunday’s showpiece at Leopardstown, two miles of high‑class hurdling that tends to separate the genuinely quick from the merely enthusiastic.
It’s part of day two of the Dublin Racing Festival on Sunday 1 February 2026 and, as usual, it has attracted a small but very smart field of six.
The race is worth 200,000 euros in total, with a hefty chunk to the winner, and it often shapes the Champion Hurdle picture for Cheltenham a few weeks later.
This year’s running has an odds‑on favourite in Lossiemouth from Willie Mullins’ all‑conquering yard, which means the rest of the field have turned up in that awkward role of “very good horses who have to somehow beat the really good one”.
Lossiemouth – The Mare Everyone Has To Beat
Lossiemouth arrives here as a star mare with a CV that would make most hurdlers quietly close their stable door and pretend they’re out.
Since joining Willie Mullins all the way back in 2022, she has built a reputation for class and consistency, winning the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham before adding back‑to‑back victories in the Mares’ Hurdle, giving her a perfect 3‑from‑3 record at the Festival.
Away from Cheltenham, she has picked up graded races with a minimum of fuss, usually travelling strongly and quickening off a good pace in that slightly ruthless way top horses have.
More recently, she has shown she belongs in open Grade 1 company, not just in mares‑only events.
Her 2025–26 campaign has included a smart win in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown, where she beat Brighterdaysahead by around a length in a race that never really looked in doubt once she moved into top gear.
That effort confirmed she handles Leopardstown’s hurdles track perfectly well and has the toe for a sharp two miles as well as the stamina for further.
2026 Irish Champion Hurdle Runners & Odds
*Odds from Betfred and correct at time of publication
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lossiemouth | Paul Townend | W P Mullins | 10/11 |
| Brighterdaysahead | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott | 5/2 |
| El Fabiolo | J J Slevin | W P Mullins | 7/1 |
| Anzadam | Harry Cobden | W P Mullins | 15/2 |
| Poniros | Danny Mullins | W P Mullins | 28/1 |
| Casheldale Lad | Jordan Gainford | Gordon Elliott | 40/1 |
BETFRED
GET £50 IN FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET £10
Threats In Small Numbers
If Lossiemouth is the clear standard‑setter, the rest of the line‑up are not exactly making up the numbers; they’re just unfortunate enough to be born in the same era.
Chief among the dangers is Gordon Elliott’s mare Brighterdaysahead, who chased Lossiemouth home in that December Hurdle and is second favourite in most markets.
She finished a length behind that day and was thought to be in need of the run, so her supporters can quite reasonably argue she might close the gap with a bit more fitness and perhaps a slightly different race shape.
She stays well, has already won over course and distance, and looks the obvious one to benefit if Lossiemouth underperforms or gets dragged into a tactical muddle.
Anzadam is one of several from the Mullins battalion and has done little wrong, showing smart form over two miles and holding a mark in the mid‑150s.
He hasn’t quite managed to get his head in front this season, which may explain why he’s a few points bigger in the betting than his raw ability might suggest.
Casheldale Lad and Poniros add depth from the Elliott and Mullins camps respectively, each with bits of graded form and ratings that say they belong at this level, even if they might need both a step forward and a bit of luck to land a major blow.
El Fabiolo is the wild card in the field, better known as a top‑class chaser but now pitched back over hurdles.
On his best days over fences, he has looked electric, travelling and jumping with real zest, but a few late mishaps and falls have slightly dented his aura.
If reverting to hurdles settles his mind and brings back that old fluency, he has the raw engine to get involved at a price that might tempt those who enjoy rolling the dice on classy but slightly unpredictable types.
Playing The Odds Favourite
From a betting perspective, the race revolves unapologetically around Lossiemouth, who is the favourite across the boards and as short as around 11/10 to 4/5 depending on where you look and when.
That kind of price tells you two things: first, the market respects her form and profile enormously; second, backing her is more a statement of faith than a hunt for eye‑catching value.
If you’re happy enough to keep it simple, taking the favourite to win and moving on with your day is a perfectly sensible approach – she has the best form, the best recent Leopardstown run, and the most straightforward running style.
If you’re keener on each‑way plays or alternatives, Brighterdaysahead is the obvious starting point. She was close enough to Lossiemouth last time to make a rematch genuinely interesting, and she may well be sharper now with that run under her belt.
She’s not exactly a wild outsider, but for those who fancy the tables might turn, she offers a way to have a meaningful interest without joining the crowd on the short‑priced jolly.
A Classy Sunday Test
The Irish Champion Hurdle often feels like a mid‑winter tutorial for Cheltenham, and this year is no exception.
Lossiemouth stands on the brink of strengthening her claim to be the next major force in the two‑mile division, and a stylish win here would only increase the volume of those suggesting she can trouble the big guns in March.
At the same time, Brighterdaysahead, Anzadam, and the rest of the supporting cast are all good enough to ensure this is a proper race rather than a coronation, especially if tactics or ground throw in a little surprise.
For fans, it’s one to simply enjoy: a small but select field, a high‑class mare in the spotlight and a Sunday afternoon where you can justify putting the kettle on a bit early “because the Champion Hurdle’s up next”.
It may also give us a clearer idea of who might be troubling the judge at Cheltenham in a few weeks’ time!
BETFRED
