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If there were any hopes that the Irish stranglehold on the Cheltenham Festival might loosen in 2026, the publication of the initial entries for the championship hurdle races has provided a sobering reality check for the home team.
As the doors opened for the Unibet Champion Hurdle and Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, the lists revealed a familiar and formidable pattern. The “Green Tide” isn’t just coming; it’s already here, led by a seemingly bottomless well of talent from the yards of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott.
In the Champion Hurdle, the Irish contingent is spearheaded by the brilliant mare Lossiemouth, who looks to cement her status as the new queen of the division. She is joined by stablemate and former Arkle winner El Fabiolo, whose potential return to the smaller obstacles adds a fascinating layer of intrigue to the Tuesday showpiece.
The British defense rests almost entirely on the shoulders of Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill. While the Seven Barrows star remains the headliner, the sheer weight of numbers from across the Irish Sea—including Gordon Elliott‘s Brighterdaysahead—suggests that any slip-up from the home favorite will be ruthlessly exploited.
The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle entries tell an even more dominant story. The last two winners of the race, Teahupoo and Bob Olinger, both representing the Robcour colors, head a 29-strong list that looks like an Irish Gold Cup in all but name.
Teahupoo, the 2024 champion, remains the standard-bearer after his demolition job at Leopardstown over Christmas. However, the surprise entry of the ultra-talented Ballyburn for the three-mile test has sent the ante-post markets into a spin.
It isn’t all doom and gloom for the home side, but the “resistance” is looking lean. Impose Toi, an unbeaten improver for Nicky Henderson, represents a genuine “dark horse” in the staying division after his Long Walk Hurdle heroics. Elsewhere, Dan Skelton has given a speculative entry to Kabral Du Mathan, while Olly Murphy relies on the battle-hardened Strong Leader.
However, the raw data is difficult to ignore. In the championship hurdle races, Irish-trained horses make up over 65% of the entries. For Paul Nicholls, Dan Skelton, and Nicky Henderson, the task of defending Prestbury Park has never looked more daunting.
The battle lines are drawn, and as the “Irish Invasion” prepares to board the ferries, the British trainers are left wondering if they have enough ammunition to hold the fort.
