Champion Chase 2026: Can Majborough Justify Odds-On Favouritism At Cheltenham?
Majborough has dominated the build-up to the 2026 Queen Mother Champion Chase and it is hard to argue against his position at the head of the market.
With the final declarations confirmed for Wednesday’s two-mile Championship, this looks very much like a race where the others have to find a way to beat a JP McManus-owned favourite who arrives in top form, rather than a wide-open puzzle.
The case for Majborough is straightforward and strong. He is already a dual Grade 1 winner over fences, and his most recent success in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown was the kind of authoritative performance you want to see from an odds-on Champion Chase contender, travelling and jumping with far more fluency than earlier in the season.
That run suggested cheekpieces and experience have helped to iron out his previous jumping lapses, and he now comes to Cheltenham as a six-year-old very much on an upward curve.
With Willie Mullins happy with his preparation and connections hoping for a bit of cut in the ground, he looks the one horse in the field with both peak-level form in the book and the potential to improve again.
Il Etait Temps the Dangers from Closutton
Mullins does not rely solely on Majborough, and his second string, Il Etait Temps, is no mere back-up act. He has always been at the top of the odds even in the ante-post markets, which haven't moved much since bookmakers went NRNB, indicating how classy this chaser is.
A high-class performer in his own right, he has the tactical speed for a race of this nature and has been campaigned in the best company, so the occasion and the tempo should hold no fears.
Crucially, he looks the stablemate most likely to lay down a serious challenge if Majborough makes a mistake or fails to reproduce his Dublin Festival effort.
In a race that can be decided by fine margins over the last two fences, having a horse of Il Etait Temps’ calibre stalking the pace gives Mullins a strong hand in covering different race scenarios.
L’Eau Du Sud and The Home Challenge
On the British side, L’Eau Du Sud, from trainer Dan Skelton, stands out as the leading home-trained threat in this year's Champion Chase.
He has progressed steadily through the ranks and brings solid graded form into this, with his profile suggesting he has the blend of pace and jumping required to cope with the Old Course and a Championship gallop.
There is also added interest in his ownership: he runs for a high-profile syndicate that includes former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson among its co-owners, a connection that has already brought notable success with other Festival runners in recent years.
On the evidence of his recent performances and the confidence from his camp, L’Eau Du Sud looks the most plausible candidate to trouble the Irish contingent if the favourite underperforms.
Quilixios and Irish Panther: Talent With Questions
Quilixios is a familiar name to Festival followers, a previous Triumph Hurdle winner who shaped well for a long way in last year’s Champion Chase before coming down at the last when still in contention.
Sectional analysis from that effort suggested he might well have gone very close to winning, but the issue this year is that he has not been seen on the racecourse this season, so his current well-being can only be taken on trust.
Irish Panther, meanwhile, is an interesting novice stepping out of his own age-and-experience group to tackle open Grade 1 company.
He has shown plenty of ability in a light chasing campaign, including a good run in Grade 1 novice company at Leopardstown, but coming into a Champion Chase on just a handful of starts over fences represents a significant rise in class and intensity.
While his jumping has held up well so far, this represents a very different test against hardened two-mile chasers at the peak of their powers.
Betting Angle: All About Majborough
From a betting perspective, everything in this renewal revolves around Majborough.
His odds-on status is fully justified by what he has done this term and by the absence of a proven, in-form Champion Chase winner in opposition, but that price naturally pushes many punters towards looking for value around him rather than against him.
For those wanting to keep him on side, Majborough makes obvious appeal as the primary win bet, possibly combined with a “without the favourite” angle on horses like Il Etait Temps and L’Eau Du Sud, who look the most likely to capitalise if the favourite does not fire.
Quilixios has the talent to run into the frame if he returns as good as ever, but given his absence and the depth of the Irish challenge, place-focused or each-way interest in him carries more risk than usual.
Irish Panther is respected as a progressive novice, yet this assignment may come a year too soon, and he might prove more of a watching brief at this level, despite his clear potential.
2026 Champion Chase – Majborough's To Lose
As things stand, this Champion Chase looks like Majborough’s race to lose. He has the current form, the Grade 1 record and the right profile for a two-mile Championship, backed up by a powerful yard and owner combination that knows exactly what is required at Cheltenham.
Behind him, Il Etait Temps and L’Eau Du Sud appeal as the two most credible dangers, each bringing strong recent efforts and tactical versatility to a race that often rewards rhythm and balance as much as pure speed.
Found A Fifty and Captain Guinness could give the field a run for its money, and don't forget that Found A Fifty beat Majborough in the Hilly Way Chase in December, so he can't be ruled out!
That said, if Majborough could very well turn up with answers already on the page and the chance to stamp his authority on the two-mile division.
BETFRED
