All eyes are now on the Cheltenham Festival 2026, which is only a few weeks away for us until we head to Prestbury, Cheltenham. From the glitz and the glamour and the best-dressed celebrities to the iconic Ladies’ Day, there’s nothing quite like the vibe of Cheltenham Festival.
The atmosphere is amazing, but most people do actually go to see the racing action, with thousands of people putting some pennies down on the horses they think are most likely to win. And this year, we’ve got some strong tables with horses running as top contenders for the win of their race.
Below, we’ll tell you the strongest stables and the horses they’re running that are most likely to win.
Willie Mullins
If you’re interested in Cheltenham Festival betting this year, a horse from Willie Mullins stable will be among the favourites to win. With 113 Cheltenham wins and hoping to make it 114 next month, Mullins is going into Cheltenham 2026 with a strong lineup:
- Galopin Des Champs (likely to win the Gold Cup)
- Champ Kiely (Gold Cup contender)
- Kopek Des Bordes (Hurdle contender, Arkle/Supreme)
- Charme De Faust (Hurdle contender, juvenile)
Mullins has entered 52 individual horses for the Cheltenham Festival’s six Grade 1 novice hurdles and chases and the Triumph on Tuesday. It’s difficult not to bet on a Mullins horse, and his stables have always been the strongest on the day for at least one event. Ones to watch are definitely Galopin Des Champs and Kopek Des Bordes.
Dan Skelton
Dan Skelton might not have the celebrity status of Willie Mullins and his stables, but he’s an incredible trainer with a strong lineup of horses waiting to come out of the stables. He’s already equalled the record on Trials day with a double that totalled his tally at jump racing to 12, the joint-highest for any trainer in a season in the last decade.
He has an incredible ability to target training his horses to perfection, reaching a 21% strike rate. He has primed his horses.
Some of his horses to watch include:
- Grey Dawning (Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase)
- Thistle Ask (Queen Mother Champion Chase, Grade 1)
- Calico (Queen Mother Champion Chase, Grade 1)
Gavin Cromwell
Gavin Cromwell has had an incredible run of results, mainly from his leading star, Inothewayurthinkin. The eight-year-old stormed ahead to take the lead against Galopin Des Champs, who was going for his third consecutive win at the Gold Cup event in 2025. Both will go head to head, with the bookies tipping that it could be Cromwell trained Inothewayurthinkin that will steal the show again.
Crowmwell has roared back to form after a stint on cold lists, and what better time for a revival than before the biggest competition of the year? With Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase, Now Is The Hour charged to the end to win a thriller under 5lb claimer Eoin Staples.
Fourteen winners since November is a sign of the cold lists going far into the distance for Cromwell, and he’s going into the Cheltenham Festival 2026 with the highest standards for himself.
The horses he’s entered are:
- Inothewayurthinkin (Gold Cup)
- Vanillier (potentially)
- Perceval Legallois (potentially)
- Only By Night (BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, Grade 1)
Gavin Cromwell hasn’t fully confirmed who he’s taking to Cheltenham, but it won’t be long until we find out.
Willie Mullins will always have the strongest stable, but it’ll be interesting to see which other stables charge home to take some titles and prize money home with them. We suspect Dan Skelton won’t be far behind Mullins.
Written by Lucy Roberts
