Cheltenham Festival 2026: GB Ahead In Prestbury Cup, But Will Ireland Rally?
Cheltenham got off to a spectacular start on Tuesday when Lossiemouth gave Irish trainer Willie Mullins his second winner of the Festival with an impressive victory in the Champion Hurdle.
One of the sideshows to the Festival is the Prestbury Cup, the annual battle between Great Britain and Ireland.
The Irish have won the trophy for the last six years and went 3-2 ahead when Lossiemouth ran out a six-and-a-half-length winner over Brighterdaysahead in the Champion Hurdle.
However, Madara gave Warwickshire-based trainer Dan Skelton his first win of this year's Festival in the Plate Handicap Chase.
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Nicky Henderson then ended the day as he started it as Holloway Queen won the last race of the day to give Great Britain a 4-3 lead after day one.
That maybe as good as it gets for the home nation as Irish trainers Mullins and Gordon Elliott have five of the seven favourites on Wednesday's card.
Can the British win the Prestbury Cup for the first time since 2018 or will the Irish romp to another victory as they did last year by a 20-8 margin?
What Is The Prestbury Cup?
Named after the village closest to Cheltenham Racecourse, the Prestbury Cup is an annual head-to-head competition between British and Irish-trained horses across all four days of the Festival.
One point is awarded for each race won, with the nation that trains the most winners taking the trophy.
What started as something of a light-hearted subplot has evolved into a genuine contest - not to mention a popular Festival market with the best betting sites.
Ireland Dominate Recent History
Since its launch in 2014, the Prestbury Cup has been a tale of two eras.
Britain won the first two editions, including the inaugural 2014 contest by 15 wins to 12, but things have gone dramatically in Ireland's favour since.
After a three-year winning run for Britain between 2016-18 and the only tie in the competition's history in 2019, Ireland have been utterly dominant.
The 2021 renewal was the starkest illustration - Mullins and company ran riot to claim a 23-5 victory.
Subsequent scorelines of 18-10, 18-10, 18-9 and 20-8 have maintained Ireland's stranglehold, leaving them 9-2 up in the overall standings.
2026 Prestbury Cup Odds
Ireland remain odds-on favourites to make it seven wins in a row - and 12 consecutive Festivals unbeaten - despite losing the opening day.
The Irish were 1/7 before the Festival got under way, but are now 1/9.
Despite edging Tuesday's races, Great Britain's odds have shot up from 9/2 to 12/1 to win the Prestbury Cup.
Meanwhile, if you think there will be a repeat of the 2019 tie between the two, that is available at 16/1, up from 14/1.
Winner | Odds | Probability |
Ireland | 1/9 | 90% |
Great Britain | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Tie | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Ireland's Formidable Hand
The Irish stranglehold on this competition owes much to Mullins, who arrived at Prestbury Park with a formidable squad.
Lossiemouth followed up a win for Kargese in the Arkle to give him a second win of the meeting, but he also has the likes of Majborough, Fact To File, Final Demand and Dinoblue carrying Irish hopes.
The strings of Elliott and Henry De Bromhead should not be discounted though, nor should Gavin Cromwell's runners.
The depth of the Irish challenge makes their short odds entirely understandable.
Hope Remains For British Trainers
Despite the odds, there is genuine belief among British supporters that 2026 could still be a different story.
Skelton is having the best season of his training career and arrived at the Festival in excellent form.
Madara has already obliged and he still has Kateira, Be Aware and Grey Dawning among his key contenders.
Henderson has made a great start with two winners and adds Grade 1 firepower through the likes of Jonbon and Jango Baie, although Lulamba failed to deliver in the Arkle.
Paul Nicholls, Ben Pauling and Olly Murphy could all contribute to the British total.
Cheltenham Offers & Free Bets
With such a one-sided price on Ireland, the real value for punters may lie in exploring Cheltenham offers and a wide range of free bets available.
Many bookmakers run enhanced odds, each-way specials and money-back promotions throughout the Festival week, making it an ideal time to shop around.
Will Ireland win another Prestbury Cup or will this be Great Britain's year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below!
