What Cheltenham Festival clues have been uncovered from 2026’s Dublin Racing Festival?
After a pulsating renewal of the Dublin Racing Festival, full of twists, turns and shocks, Sports News Blitz’s horse racing expert Kieran McHugh examines the impact the two-day event will have on the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham clues? Or Dublin doubts?
It could be fair to say that after a dramatic two days in Ireland, the landscape of some of the principal races at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival remains unclear.
With a number of market leaders suffering defeat, the Cheltenham conundrum has become increasingly difficult to crack.
So, with that in mind, let us take a look at some of the main races from this weekend.
Looking for Cheltenham 2026 Gold Cup clues?
Fact To File bounced back to form with a scintillating display in the Irish Gold Cup, downing Galopin Des Champs, who was seeking a fourth-straight victory in the race.
JP McManus’ nine-year-old was on somewhat of a comeback trail, after a disastrous performance in the King George VI at Kempton on Boxing Day.
He banished those blues with a commanding performance, winning by five lengths from stablemate Gaelic Warrior, with Galopin Des Champs a way back in third.
Fact To File is not currently in the Cheltenham Gold Cup field and would need to be supplemented.
He would be a leading contender for sure, but the record of horses winning the Irish Gold Cup and the Cheltenham equivalent (in the same season) is quite sparse.
Only three horses have done so in the last 20 years, with one of those doing it twice.
Jodami was the first in 1996, then Sizing John in 2017 and Galopin Des Champs went back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.
It is a very hard task, one made to look easy in recent years by Galopin, a testament to just how much of a worthy champion he is.
So, if Fact To File was to line up in the Gold Cup, he must complete a feat which the stats go against him for.
That said, he is certainly a classy sort.
On the wider Gold Cup picture, I would not discount the champion, Galopin Des Champs.
Maybe that is my heart more than my head but the point still stands.
Inothewayurthinkin has seemingly looked spent since his success last year, taking a crashing fall on Monday.
He would be hard to side with in March but maybe he is a horse that comes good in the spring, he certainly did 11 months ago.
Do not discount the British contingent who arguably have their best shot at claiming the crown in a long while.
Welsh Grand National winner Haiti Couleurs and King George fourth placed finisher, Jango Baie, look set to return in the Denman Chase at Newbury on Saturday.
READ MORE: Horse racing news: Majborough is Timeform’s highest-rated horse in training after Dublin Chase rout
Brighterdaysahead for the Champion Hurdle?
It is fair to say that the Champion Hurdle market has certainly been up-and-down.
The untimely and unfortunate injury to Sir Gino blew open the race and with Constitution Hill proving a bigger enigma than the machine itself, there is a host of competitors vying for favouritism.
The Irish Champion Hurdle looked set to give us some answers and it did anything but.
El Fabiolo has been rerouted to hurdles after his jumping went to pot over fences and he was the ‘question mark’ in the race.
It was not to be for him as he finished last.
Anzadam and Poniros were the next two up the road, with the former being perhaps the most disappointing.
Poniros was entitled to a comeback run and has a few dreaming of a Champion Hurdle tilt.
However, the race belonged to the two mares, who were a class above.
It was Brighterdaysahead who defeated Lossiemouth, leaving questions as to whether Lossiemouth would now take her position on the Tuesday showpiece or claim another Mares’ Hurdle.
Brighterdayshead galloped Lossiemouth into submission, showing a real return to form and Gordon Elliott is intending on heading to the Champion Hurdle with her.
However, her record at Cheltenham is a worry, despite the excuses from last year.
Where does that leave us: The New Lion? Golden Ace? Constitution Hill?
Only time will tell.
Majborough becomes new Champion Chase favourite
Probably the performance of the Dublin Festival.
Majborough has always been a talented individual, but his jumping has let him down.
To see him piece it together in the Dublin Chase was a sight to behold, downing Marine Nationale and co in a performance worthy of his new 179 Timeform rating.
Mark Walsh exuded confidence aboard JP McManus’ six-year-old, who left Barry Connell’s star chaser toiling, some 19 lengths separating them.
His impressive performance has seen him rocket to the front of the Champion Chase market, however, Majborough is perhaps in some dangerous waters.
In the 67 years of the two-mile chase showpiece, only three horses have won it at the age of six.
Inkslinger in 1973, Voy Por Ustedes in 2007 and Master Minded in 2009, a year after surprisingly winning the race as a five-year-old.
Majborough is clearly a talented horse and if he performs to a similar level as in the Dublin Chase, he is going to be hard to beat.
But the facts do not lie and that could lead to extra support for Marine Nationale, who was not a fan of the heavy ground according to Barry Connell.
His trainer may believe no horse can beat him at Cheltenham… but as evidenced over the weekend, the ground certainly could.
Could Jonbon finally break his Cheltenham duck? Will Thistle Ask go? Will it rain?
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: ITV horse racing tips and best bets for Leopardstown on Sunday, February 1
More supply than demand?
Final Demand was possibly the disappointment of the DRF, but maybe that was not a major shock.
He seemed a tad underwhelming at Limerick and he was beaten a long way from home behind Kaid d’Authie.
Who himself ran a very clean race and is firmly in the picture for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
The market is quite open as a result and with Romeo Coolio potentially added to the mix (more on that later) it looks an open renewal.
Kaid d’Authie has to warrant intrigue, especially with questions over Final Demand and whether he will make it up Cheltenham hill.
Western Fold chased Kaid d’Authie home and he stayed on, which could bode well for Cheltenham.
Is the stage set for someone else to claim victory?
Is Talk The Talk ready for the Supreme?
Talk The Talk just about prevailed in a blanket finish with Ballyfad and King Rasko Grey but Joseph O’Brien’s charge did well to make up the ground on his competitors.
This was an improvement on his last run, in which he fell at the last fence.
All three finished off strongly and have all attracted suitors for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Despite the competitive nature and willingness over the two-miles on heavy, it does look hard to see any of them besting Old Park Star in the opener.
Doctor Steinberg can cure Townend’s blues
Doctor Steinberg was visually impressive when scooting home in the Novice Hurdle, over two miles and six furlongs.
He won by eight lengths and was clearly the winner when they turned for home.
He was the only winner of the festival for Paul Townend, who also suffered an unseat on Kitzbuhel at Sandown in the Scilly Isles.
Such a performance puts Doctor Steinberg at the head of a pretty weak Albert Bartlett field.
However, they crawled around at such a slow pace and the finishing speed was not anything to write home about.
That being said, you certainly would not have any qualms about the Doctor’s ability to stay up Cheltenham hill.
If there is nobody lurking in depths of the market, he could be hard to oppose.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Australian Open news: Carlos Alcaraz secures career Grand Slam with victory over Novak Djokovic
Narciso Has to win the Triumph?
Coming into this race, the question was whether anyone could improve to a level to defeat Narciso Has and could McManus’ charge improve further.
We got our answer with a slick round of jumping and a four-length demolition job.
Mange Tout never really threatened Narciso Has, and her jumping seemed to let her down.
The eye-catcher of the race was the debutant filly in the Ricci colours, Selma De Vary.
She made some interesting progress and despite some amateur jumping, she stayed on for second.
She will certainly improve for that run and is definitely one to watch for the future.
For the Triumph Hurdle however, it looks like Narciso Has’ to lose.
Romeo not so coolio in the Arkle
I imagine that some people are still reeling from this race, which had more twists and turns than a soap opera ‘whodunnit.’
Turning into the home straight it looked like Kargese had the measure of a laboured Romeo Coolio.
That was until the last fence, at which in true Montague style, Romeo fought back.
However, he completely idled in the run-in and Kargese nearly pulled off the biggest escape since Houdini in 1915.
I think it is fair to say that Romeo Coolio would benefit from the step up to three miles, especially seeing as Final Demand fluffed his lines earlier.
Kargese lost nothing in defeat but you do wonder if this excursion has taken something out of her.
Kopek Des Bordes was a notable absentee from this race and it is a pretty tough task to win the Arkle off one run all season.
Which leaves Lulamba, who might get another prep in the Game Spirit at Newbury this weekend.
Is the Cheltenham Festival picture any clearer?
Have we really learnt much from the DRF? On one side, yes.
On the other hand, we leave the Emerald Isles with more questions than answers.
No doubt such questions will be debated at great length over the next five weeks, but we will only be wiser come the end of the Cheltenham Festival.
READ NEXT: When and where is Super Bowl LX taking place? Star players to watch; half-time show
