Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026 features 11 strong contenders on final festival day
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The 2026 Cheltenham Festival concludes with Gold Cup day on March 13, featuring the prestigious Grade One race at 4:00 PM. Eleven horses, including favorites Gaelic Warrior, Jango Baie, and The Jukebox Man, will compete over three miles and two furlongs for a £625,000 prize pot. Ground conditions are reported as good to soft, soft in places, following overnight rain.
Day three of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, known as St Patrick's Thursday, saw several long-shot winners, including 33-1 Home By The Lee in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and 40-1 White Noise in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Heart Wood triumphed in the Ryanair Chase after favourite Fact To File was withdrawn due to unsuitable ground. British trainers secured multiple successes, narrowing the Prestbury Cup gap to 10-11 in favour of Ireland.
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A second horse death and allegations of racial abuse between jockeys overshadowed key races on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. HMS Seahorse died after a fall in the BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle, prompting renewed calls for a boycott. Irish amateur jockey Declan Queally accused British rider Nico de Boinville of verbal and racial abuse before the Turners Novices’ Hurdle.
Top National Hunt trainer Kim Bailey has stressed the importance of retaining influence over horses after their racing careers end. In a recent opinion piece, he highlights challenges in horse retirement amid recent racing events. Bailey shares insights from retiring his own horse and addressing industry issues.
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Trainer Nicky Henderson has decided against running his Cheltenham Gold Cup contender Jango Baie in the upcoming Denman Chase at Newbury. The move aims to preserve the horse's condition for the festival, given the expected testing ground conditions. This withdrawal shifts the market favorite for Saturday's race to Haiti Couleurs.