Cheltenham Gold Cup 2026 Antepost Picks

Stephen Welch / 7:13 PM GMT • 24th November, 2025

5 minutes

Here at Winning Post we have put together some of the early fancies from some of the industry experts.

As the dust settles on another excellent weekend of jumps racing, anticipation continues to build towards next year’s Cheltenham Festival. The Gold Cup remains the blue riband of National Hunt racing and has already seen a considerable number of antepost bets placed on the race that remains almost four months away. Experts throughout the horse racing industry have had their say on next year’s renewal with Cheltenham Gold Cup betting tips readily available from many of the leading horse racing publications and online betting sites. Here at Winning Post we have put together some of the early fancies from some of the industry experts.

James Flaherty (At The Races)

Inothewayurthinkin

“Gavin Cromwell’s seven-year-old has long promised to be top class given the opportunity, making a mockery of a mark of 145 as a novice last year at the festival before backing that up with Grade 1 success at Aintree.

The signs were there that there was more to come from him when catching the eye behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown, and he duly delivered on the biggest day of all. Things didn’t go right for the defending champion, but the winner’s finishing kick showed he was much too good on the day. Their age profiles suggest it will be difficult for Galopin Des Champs to reverse the form, with Inothewayurthinkin still very much improving.

I think he would be a strong fancy at this point to return and defend his crown next year. I know plenty think Fact To File will step up in trip, but I don’t think he will personally. He looks a different horse over two and a half miles, while his finishing effort this year was incomparable to that of last year’s in the Brown Advisory.

Other than that, there are question marks about the novices, and they have a bit to find to get to the level Inothewayurthinkin has already reached. Further improvement from him could make that an impossible task. Hopefully, he will now be campaigned like the high-class animal he is. I actually thought 5/1 was quite fair in today’s world.”

Samuel Bracknell (NAGS Bet)

Inothewayurthinkin

"I’ve remained firmly in the Inothewayurthinkin camp for a second Gold Cup and nothing that happened in the John Durkan has pushed me away from that view. The race was never going to be his battleground, not in early November, not over that trip and certainly not against two horses who were always going to be far sharper on the day. What mattered was that he travelled, jumped cleanly and shaped exactly like a horse being brought along with March in mind.

People can read too much into an early-season defeat, but the evidence of last year should still be fresh. He was only just beginning to bloom when he arrived at Cheltenham in March and everything about his profile suggests he’ll follow the same upward curve again. He’s a strong stayer with a relentless way of finishing races, and that quality wins Gold Cups far more often than tactical speed in a mid-winter Grade 1.”

Vincent Finegan (IrishRacing.com)

Inothewayurthinkin

“Inothewayurthinkin is bet at the minute for the Gold Cup because I know he's going to be there. He's going to turn up on the day and hopefully he's value.”

Steve Mullington (William Hill)

Fact To File

“Fact To File’s odds for 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup have been shortening month after month, based mainly upon his dominant victory in the 2025 Ryanair Chase.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old has proven form at The Festival, registering two Grade 1 wins, including the 2024 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

He totally dominated the Ryanair Chase, romping away to a nine-length victory, showing a high cruising speed and excellent jumping ability.

Jockey Mark Walsh reckoned there was still plenty of stamina reserves left, meaning there is every reason to believe that a step up to the Gold Cup distance of 3m2½ furlongs, will suit.”

William Hill News Team

Fastorslow

“He unseated in 2024’s Gold Cup, which was won by Galopin Des Champs, however he reversed that form when retaining the Punchestown Gold Cup.

It was a slightly more lowkey effort in the John Durkan the next time and was then out for the season and unable to make his Cheltenham engagement.

Prior to that defeat in Punchestown and his injury, he would’ve been far shorter than the 20/1 available for the 2025 Gold Cup and with the chasing division now looking as open as it has been in recent years, if he can return a clean bill of health and find that old level of form, he looks to be a bit of value at 20/1.”

Paddy Flood (IrishRacing.com)

Fact To File

“Fact To File he is a classy classy animal.”

Ryan Ashley (Betting Sites)

Gaelic Warrior

"It’s hard to ignore what Gaelic Warrior produced in the John Durkan. In a race stacked with Grade 1 talent, he forced the issue from the start, absorbed every challenge Fact To File could throw at him and was still finding more at the line. If you’re searching for a horse coming into the season with momentum and a touch of star quality, he fits the bill better than anything else in the staying division right now.

Stamina is the one remaining question, but if the John Durkan taught us anything, it’s that Gaelic Warrior is maturing into a more complete and far more tractable athlete. If he relaxes and gets into a rhythm, he could easily be the most naturally gifted horse lining up in March. At current odds, he represents the best value in the Gold Cup market."

Johnny Ward (IrishRacing.com)

Inothewayurthinkin

“In the Gold Cup, I'll give Inothewayurthinkin”

Emma Nagle (IrishRacing.com)

Gaelic Warrior

“Gaelic Warrior is probably a big one, a big fancy for the King George and if he showed up in the Gold Cup in good form, he could run a massive race.”