The gap between National Hunt racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland has never been wider than in recent memory. It’s been over a decade since Britain last won the Prestbury Cup—the prize awarded to the nation with the most winners across the Cheltenham Festival—and the scorelines in that period have been bruising.
The 2021 edition produced a humiliating 23–5 defeat for the hosts, while the 2025 renewal finished 18–9 in Ireland’s favour. The dominance of Willie Mullins alone has shifted the balance dramatically, but the broader gulf in class has become difficult to ignore. Still, as punters eye up the latest Cheltenham betting, it’s worth considering that fortunes can change more quickly than headlines suggest.
A British victory in 2026 may be too ambitious, but there is a growing belief that the hosts can at least narrow the margin. Crucially, Britain appears to have more stables providing genuine Grade 1 ammunition.
For years, they were heavily reliant on just two powerhouse yards—Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls at Ditcheat. The decline in Nicholls’ Festival productivity—he went multiple years without a Cheltenham winner between 2020 and 2023—only amplified the issue. But the narrative in 2026 looks markedly healthier.
Nicholls has unearthed a potential star in Drama This End, who currently heads the market for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle. While Henderson’s team is smaller in number these days, it remains deep in quality.
Lulamba leads the way in the Arkle, while Sir Gino sits prominently in the Champion Hurdle picture. Add Jango Baie and Impose Toi as leading contenders in the Gold Cup and Stayers’ Hurdle respectively, and it is entirely plausible Henderson walks away with a double from opening day alone.
The biggest shift, however, has been the rise of Dan Skelton, who now looks set to dethrone Mullins in the British Trainers’ Championship. With 11 Festival winners already—seven of them in the last three years—Skelton arrives with his strongest team yet.
The New Lion, a winner at Cheltenham last year, is second favourite for the Champion Hurdle, while Grey Dawning lurks as a lively outsider in the Gold Cup at around 12/1. Given the strength of the division, the Gold Cup antepost betting landscape has begun to reflect a more balanced Anglo-Irish contest than the market has seen for some time.
Beyond the big three, other British yards are quietly arming themselves. Ben Pauling continues to build momentum and credibility, registering four Festival winners so far—most recently Shakem Up’Arry in the TrustATrader Plate in 2024. His star this year is The Jukebox Man, who seized the King George in dramatic fashion on Boxing Day and becomes a serious Gold Cup challenger for owner Harry Redknapp.
Then there are the handicaps—traditionally where Britain can boost their tally—and where talent is less monopolised by the major yards. The Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero-trained Jagwar heads early markets for both the Ultima and the TrustATrader Plate, and Faye Bramley will hope Winston Junior lands her a breakthrough Festival success in the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle after winning December’s Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
High-profile yards are well represented here, too. Henderson has contenders for the County Hurdle (Khrisma) and Coral Cup (Iberico Lord), while Jonjo O’Neill could be set for his first Festival strike since Sky Pirate in 2021 with Johnnywho in the Kim Muir.
Taken collectively, there are vastly more credible British chances this year than there have been at any point in the last decade. Certainly, not all will win—and others unmentioned will surely emerge closer to March—but it doesn’t feel unreasonable to imagine a Prestbury Cup scoreline far more competitive than last year’s 18–9.
Will it be enough to flip the narrative entirely? Probably not in 2026. But if Britain are to begin closing a gap that once felt unassailable, this year may well be remembered as the Festival that finally made Ireland glance over its shoulder.
