The 2026 Champion Hurdle has finally taken shape as a nine‑runner contest built around a compelling favourite narrative, with Lossiemouth and The New Lion jostling for top billing in a deep but focused field.
With the race due off at 4.00pm on Tuesday, 10 March, over 2m½f on the Old Course, punters have a clear choice to make between proven class at Cheltenham and a progressive challenger who has turned this season’s trials into a personal showcase.
The Champion Hurdle remains the two‑mile crown that every owner, trainer, and jockey involved in hurdling wants on their CV, and this year’s renewal carries that familiar mix of star power and lurking danger.
All nine have earned their place, but markets and previews make it clear that most roads run through the front two in the betting.
Lossiemouth, from Willie Mullins, arrives as a Cheltenham specialist and established Grade 1 mare, while The New Lion, from Dan Skelton, brings a sharp, upward curve and an important course win in the main trial earlier in the season.
Sitting just behind them are high‑class rivals such as Brighterdaysahead, from Gordon Elliott, and Golden Ace, last year’s winner, along with a supporting cast of Anzadam, Poniros, Alexei, Tutti Quanti, and Workahead to keep any favourite‑backers honest.
2026 Champion Hurdle Runners & Odds
*Odds from Betfred correct at time of publishing.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lossiemouth | Paul Townend | W P Mullins | 7/4 |
| The New Lion | Harry Skelton | D Skelton | 11/4 |
| Brighterdaysahead | Jack Kennedy | G Elliott | 5/1 |
| Golden Ace | Lorcan Williams | J Scott | 10/1 |
| Poniros | Danny Mullins | W P Mullins | 14/1 |
| Alexei | Brendan Powell | J Tizzard | 18/1 |
| Anzadam | Mr P W Mullins | W P Mullins | 22/1 |
| Tutti Quanti | H Cobden | P F Nicholls | 25/1 |
| Workahead | Darragh O’Keeffe | H De Bromhead | 80/1 |
Champion Hurdle Picture
For much of the winter, the Champion Hurdle picture felt fluid, with injuries and campaign switches reshuffling the odds and leaving fans second‑guessing targets.
The withdrawal of Sir Gino was the key moment, clearing the way for Lossiemouth to move to the head of the market and giving the race a more defined focal point.
Connections then confirmed Cheltenham as the aim, and final declarations have delivered the nine‑strong line‑up that bookmakers had been edging towards in recent days.
The market now has a clear hierarchy: Lossiemouth trading around 2/1 in places, The New Lion close by at roughly 11/4, then Brighterdaysahead and Golden Ace in single figures, with the rest at double‑figure and bigger prices.
It feels like a traditional Champion Hurdle shape, with two clear favourites, two capable each‑way alternatives, and several at bigger odds who would not shock by running into the frame if things fall their way.
Lossiemouth’s Date With The Champion
The big talking point is that Lossiemouth is finally being let loose in the Champion Hurdle rather than being rerouted to one of the mares’ races.
Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci discussed her target after her latest run and opted for the two‑mile showpiece, a decision that underlines the faith they have in her ability to beat the boys at level weights, even with the mares’ allowance factored in.
Lossiemouth’s CV makes that confidence easy to understand: she is a multiple Grade 1 winner, arrives in form after success in the December Hurdle, and her second-place finish in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
She is also expected to wear cheekpieces for the first time, a small tweak that could just sharpen her focus. For those who like backing the favourite, she offers that blend of proven class, course form, and a clear seasonal plan that many punters look for at the Festival.
The New Lion: A Rival To The Queen
If Lossiemouth brings the star aura, The New Lion offers the profile of a horse still on the rise and learning with every run.
Trained by Dan Skelton, he has pieced together a progressive sequence that includes victory in the Unibet Hurdle on Trials Day at Cheltenham, a key pointer for this race, and a performance that pushed him towards the front of the market.
Bookmakers have reacted accordingly, installing him as joint, or near‑joint, favourite with Lossiemouth in several lists.
His style suggests he will be ridden positively, using his pace and accurate hurdling to put pressure on the field from an early stage.
Alternatives If The Favourites Falter
Every Champion Hurdle revolves around the favourites, but history shows that even the most solid market leaders can come unstuck if the race does not fall their way.
If Lossiemouth fails to fire or The New Lion cannot back up his trial form, there are at least two runners in this field who look capable of picking up the pieces.
Brighterdaysahead is the first of them, and she has already chased Lossiemouth home in top‑level company while also mixing it with the best in Ireland.
Trained by Gordon Elliott, she brings strong Grade 1 form, a powerful finishing kick, and the impression that a strongly‑run two miles on better ground could bring about a career‑best effort.
Golden Ace is another to respect, having won this race last year. She has enough tactical speed to sit close to the pace before using that track knowledge when the pressure rises, turning for home.
From further down the betting, Poniros and Anzadam look the most interesting of the bigger‑priced runners.
Both have been mixing it at a decent level, and each has the kind of solid, uncomplicated running style that can see them outrun their odds if the front of the market underperforms.
The Pressure Mounts
As the clock ticks down to the 4.00pm off time on Tuesday, this 2026 Champion Hurdle feels like a race framed around one central question: will the favourite stand up to the pressure?
Lossiemouth carries the weight of expectation that comes with being a top‑priced Mullins mare, while The New Lion has his own army of backers who have followed him from handicap company into the big time.
Between them they give this Champion Hurdle a clear narrative: established star versus emerging force, Cheltenham queen against course‑proven challenger, both primed to justify their place at the head of the market.
For racing fans, that makes this a race to enjoy as much as to solve, with the favourite angle front and centre and a handful of talented rivals waiting in the wings should the big two fail to deliver.
BETFRED
