2026 Champion Hurdle
| Champion Hurdle | |
| Location | Cheltenham Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 10 March 2026 |
| Winning horse | Lossiemouth |
| Starting price | 7/5 |
| Jockey | Paul Townend |
| Trainer | Willie Mullins |
| Owner | Susannah Ricci |
| Conditions | Good to Soft |
The 2026 Champion Hurdle was a horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Tuesday 10 March 2026. It was the 96th running of the Champion Hurdle.
The race was won by 7/5 favourite Lossiemouth, winning by six and half length, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins.[1][2]
Lossiemouth tracked Brighterdaysahead during the race before taking the lead on the home turn and finishing six and a half lengths clear of her old rival, with The New Lion in third place and defending champion Golden Ace in fifth. It was her fourth consecutive victory at the Cheltenham Festival and her tenth Grade 1 victory. "“To win the Champion Hurdle definitely outranks everything else she's done", said her trainer after the race.[3]
The race, which is run on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival was shown live on ITV Racing.
Race details
- Sponsor: Unibet
- Purse: £450,000
- Going:Good to Soft
- Distance:2 miles 87 yards
- Number of runners: 9
- Winner's time:3:54.24
References
- ^ "'Queen of Cheltenham' Lossiemouth cruises to Champion Hurdle win". BBC Sport. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ "Cheltenham Festival: Lossiemouth extends perfect Festival record with scintillating Champion Hurdle victory". RTE Sport. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ "'This outranks everything else she's done' - Willie Mullins rewarded for rolling the dice as Lossiemouth is crowned queen of Cheltenham". Racing Post. 10 March 2026.
External links
- 2026 Champion Hurdle at the Racing Post