Let’s be honest—we all thought we knew how the Cheltenham Gold Cup would end last March. Galopin Des Champs, beloved back-to-back champion, romping home to a famous threepeat, much to the delight of his adoring Gloucestershire public. The 8/13 favorite strode down to the start line like he owned the place because, well, he did, and his coronation to join immortals such as Golden Miller, Arkle, and Best Mate was only a matter of time.
Then Inothewayurthinkin happened.
2025’s Shocking Upset
A supplementary entry, for crying out loud. Twenty-five grand to get into the race, beaten by Galopin three times already throughout the season, sent off at 15-2 like some sort of charity case. And what does he do? Storms past the champion at the last fence, kicks clear, wins by six lengths. Paul Townend looked shell-shocked. The crowd went quiet, and the dream was dead.
Just like that, the invincible champion had been mugged. Fast forward nine months, and punters are cautious. Trust the formerly reliable Galopin one last time? Or are his best days behind him? If the betting odds are to be believed, the nine-year-old still has one monster run left in him. Here are the favorites for the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Galopin Des Champs
Right, let’s start with the elephant in the room. Or should we say the chestnut gelding who refuses to go quietly into retirement? As mentioned, online betting sites remain big on Galopin Des Champs, despite last year’s heartbreak. The latest horse racing at Bovada odds make him a 6/1 joint favorite to reclaim his throne in March, and we can’t quite work out whether that’s good value or too short.
He’s looked imperious at Cheltenham over the years, but last year, he was stuffed. At nine years of age, is there really any room for improvement? But then again, he is Galopin Des Champs. It’s a toughie. But here’s the thing about champions: they don’t just evaporate.
Three weeks after that last March’s nightmare, he bounced back to demolish the field at Punchestown. Gold Cup claimed there. No drama, no fuss, just pure class.
The question now isn’t whether he’s good enough—of course he is. It’s whether Cheltenham specifically has gotten inside his head. Does he rock up in March thinking “right, let’s set this straight” or does he arrive with mental baggage, scared of the fences and the famous hill that separates the champions from the also-rans? At 6-1, he’s no longer shouldering the weight of overwhelming favoritism, and that might actually help him roll back the years and deliver one last triumph before sailing off into the sunset.
Inothewayurthinkin
Where do you even start with the reigning champ? From supplementary entry to Gold Cup winner in the space of three miles and two furlongs. It’s the kind of fairy tale that makes you fall in love with the sport all over again. Gavin Cromwell, to his eternal credit, had the cojones to fork out twenty-five grand to get him into the race despite three defeats to Galopin that season. John Durkan? Lost. Savills Chase? Lost. Irish Gold Cup? Lost. The narrative was set: brave challenger, keeps trying, not quite good enough.
Except he was good enough. More than good enough, as it turned out, and he saved his best for the grandest stage. Mark Walsh gave him an absolute peach of a ride, kept him traveling in his comfort zone, never panicked, then pressed the button coming to the last. Bang. Game over. The stamina that had been lurking all season exploded into view, and Galopin—knackered, beaten, done—could only watch him disappear up the hill.
Now he’s eight, joint-favorite alongside his iconic adversary at 6-1, and the reigning champion. His seasonal prep hasn’t exactly been flawless—fifth in the John Durkan back in November, though Cromwell wasn’t worried about that. Said he’d improve stepping back up in trip, which makes sense.
This is a horse built for stamina tests, for grinding out wins when the petrol tanks are empty, and it’s all about heart. He’s proven he can get it right on the biggest stage imaginable, which counts for everything. Can he repeat it? Absolutely. Will he? That’s a different question altogether.
Jango Baie
Nicky Henderson’s got a lovely problem on his hands here. Jango Baie is rapid—genuinely rapid. He won the Arkle last March over two miles like it was a Sunday stroll, all power and pace and spectacular jumping. He stepped up to two-five at Ascot in November and won a Grade 2 pulling a cart. He’s seven, improving, and clearly talented. At 8-1, he’s being offered up as a legitimate Gold Cup contender.
Here’s the main issue, though, and it’s not a small one: three miles and two furlongs is a hell of a long way. We’ve seen this movie before, haven’t we? Brilliant two-miler gets connections dreaming, steps up in trip, looks fantastic until the third-last, then BANG—tank’s empty, race is over, and everyone’s left wondering what could’ve been. It’s the classic Cheltenham trap, and we’re not entirely convinced Jango Baie avoids it.
That said—and this matters—Henderson isn’t some rookie trainer chancing his arm. He knows Cheltenham inside out, knows what it takes to win a Gold Cup, and he wouldn’t be pointing this horse at the race if he thought the stamina was a pipe dream. Jango Baie won at the track over two-four in December 2024, handled the hill fine, jumped like a stag. If Henderson’s convinced the extra five furlongs won’t stretch him too thin, we should listen.
