Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival Champion Chase Betting Tips and Odds
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival grows ever closer, with the Champion Chase jumping off just two weeks from now.
Let’s take a look at the betting for the Wednesday showpiece.
Champion Chase
Currently, the Champion Chase betting largely concerns just two horses, Majborough and Marine Nationale.
Majborough has jumped to the top of the market after a very impressive performance at the Dublin Racing Festival. Sent to the lead by Mark Walsh, it looked to do his jumping the world of good and he finally put together a clear round, seeing him win the contest by 19 lengths.
Many of the horses he would face again at Cheltenham were in behind him and they couldn’t go with him throughout the contest. There is no one better than Willie Mullins to get him properly prepped for Cheltenham, and a repeat of his DRF run would surely see him back in the winners’ enclosure at Prestbury Park, two years on from his Triumph Hurdle victory.
Last year’s winner Marine Nationale was beaten 19 lengths at Leopardstown but did have excuses for underperforming that day. The noises coming out of the Barry Connell camp prior to that contest suggested that he may not take up the engagement with the forecast conditions, and it’s safe to assume that he didn’t give his best running as a result. That allowed Majborough to boss the race and get into a rhythm which helped his jumping no end.
Back at Cheltenham on what should be better ground, it looks a fascinating contest between the two. You can’t ignore the authority of victory from the JP McManus-owned Majborough last time, but you can still have questions over his jumping.
He was a warm order at the Festival last year for the Arkle and led that day before making a near race-ending mistake four from home. He still rallied and was touched off by under a length, but the jumping issues have remained throughout this campaign.
Marine Nationale hasn’t been a spotless jumper himself but appeals as the slightly more trusted option in that department which stands for a lot with this kind of test. That paired with the fact that the ground will unlikely be as attritional as it was in Ireland strengthens his chance again.
Between the two, it is hard to come down on one side. Majborough can blow the race apart in either way. He could repeat his performance from Ireland, and we could see a real brilliant performance or the jumping issues could crop up if he isn’t afforded such an easy time in front.
At the prices, it may be wise to side with Marine Nationale. At 5/2, he looks a good bet. He’s unbeaten at Cheltenham, he won this race last year in good style and will have conditions more to suit than last time. Majborough won’t get the lead afforded to him as he was last time, which could see the jumping errors begin to creep back in.
