Cheltenham Festival 2026 Stable Tour - Gordon Elliott's Runners
Gordon Elliott provides an exclusive preview of his runners for the upcoming 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Notably, 'Brighterdaysahead', 'El Cairos', and 'Mange Tout' are set to compete in their respective events, with strategies being tailored to their strengths. Elliott also highlights potential contenders like 'Western Fold' for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase and 'Favouri De Champdou' in the Cross Country Chase. Elliott's meticulous planning reflects his commitment to an impressive performance at Cheltenham. The festival promises tactical races and an array of competitive spirit from Gordon Elliott's stable.
- Gordon Elliott's stable tour ahead of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival
- Elliott spoke to AtTheRaces this week
- Read exclusive quotes about Brighterdaysahead, Romeo Coolio, Teahupoo and more
- Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Festival 2026 Stable Tour
- Day One Runners
- Brighterdaysahead - Champion Hurdle
- El Cairos - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
- Mange Tout - Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap
- The Wallpark - National Hunt Chase
- Day Two Runners
- Ballyfad - Turners Novices' Hurdle or Supreme
- Skylight Hustle - Turners Novices' Hurdle
- Romeo Coolio - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase or Arkle
- Western Fold - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
- Keep Him Company - Champion Bumper
- Favouri De Champdou - Cross Country Chase
- The Goffer - Cross Country Chase
- Day Three Runners
- Teahupoo - Stayers' Hurdle
- Honesty Policy - Stayers' Hurdle
- Wodhooh - Mares' Hurdle
- Oldschool Outlaw - Mares' Novices' Hurdle
- Day Four Runners
- Firefox - Gold Cup
- Stellar Story - Gold Cup
- Kazansky - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
- Spinningayarn - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
- Theflyingking - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
- Kala Conti - Mares' Chase
- Open Secret - Martin Pipe
- Unlikely To Run
- Jacob's Ladder
- Ndaawi
Gordon Elliott Runners
Gordon Elliott spoke exclusively to AtTheRaces this week and ran through his plans for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival. Read key quotes about his possible runners at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
*All quotes attributed to AtTheRaces*
Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Festival 2026 Stable Tour
Day One Runners
Brighterdaysahead - Champion Hurdle
Last year she wasn’t right after Punchestown. We discovered an issue after the race and rectified it. She was beaten after a hurdle in the Champion Hurdle last year and I would put a line through it. We might do something different this year, maybe stable her somewhere different outside Cheltenham or something. It is an open Champion Hurdle, but it’s a good race. The New Lion is very good; Golden Ace keeps going underneath the radar and all eyes will be on Constitution Hill to see whether he goes back over hurdles.
El Cairos - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
He’s a very fast horse and he works very, very well. He looked like he was going to be very impressive at Leopardstown. Thurles as a track wouldn’t suit him and the ground was nearly unraceable, but I was very keen to get a run into him, and we were kind of running out of time. He’s not a big, robust horse. He’s not the biggest horse in the world, so I didn’t want to be running him three or four weeks Cheltenham. I wanted to get a run into him. I think he’s a very quick horse. I think the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle will suit him. We’re looking forward to him.
Mange Tout - Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap
She hasn’t done much wrong. She was a bit keen the last day at Leopardstown, but I was very impressed with Narciso Has. We have the Fred Winter and the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle as her Cheltenham Festival options, and we have Fairyhouse as well. There's no concrete plan with her yet.
The Wallpark - National Hunt Chase
The Wallpark could maybe run in the National Hunt Chase, which would be the best race for him I’d say, but to be honest, we’re not even sure he’s going to go to Cheltenham. We’ll see what happens.
Day Two Runners
Ballyfad - Turners Novices' Hurdle or Supreme
I haven’t spoken to Michael and Eddie about it yet. My own feeling is that the further he goes, the better he’s going to be. He’s not a fancy workhorse at home and if you look at him in his races, he nearly looks turning in that he is going to be beaten, but he's very gusty, and he keeps picking up. That style might well suit the Supreme, but he has both options.
Skylight Hustle - Turners Novices' Hurdle
He is going to go for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He obviously was a fortunate winner at Christmas. I think Talk The Talk was probably going to beat him. Jack wasn’t so sure. Look, I thought he was beaten, but our horse did hit the line very well. I think two-and-a-half miles is really sure to suit.
Romeo Coolio - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase or Arkle
A 150-rated hurdler, he has won all four of his starts in novice chases this season including the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse, the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown and the Goffs Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Western Fold - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
I was thrilled with his last run in Leopardstown. He was only back with us about four weeks before he ran in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. I think he could be a dark horse in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. He’s had 11 runs over fences, so he has so much experience for a novice and stays so well. I think he’s crying out for the longer trip.
Keep Him Company - Champion Bumper
I like him. If the ground wasn’t too soft, I think he could run a big race in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. We’re looking forward to running him.
Favouri De Champdou - Cross Country Chase
I was really impressed with his performance at Cheltenham. He lost his way a bit, but he’s very much back now. He’ll go to the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and then the Grand National at Aintree.
The Goffer - Cross Country Chase
He'll probably run in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase again. He's not getting any younger, but he ran a great race over the banks in Punchestown last week.
Day Three Runners
Teahupoo - Stayers' Hurdle
He’s in great form and is obviously going for the Stayers’ Hurdle again. I just felt he is getting a bit older, and he was holding his condition a little bit better, so I thought another run on ground that was safe wasn’t a bad idea. He’s in great form now. He doesn’t do anything fancy at home, so you never really know where you are with him, but he’s a warrior and he’s got form around Cheltenham. We’re really looking forward to him.
Honesty Policy - Stayers' Hurdle
He’s a classy horse. He has improved so much over the last year. I was very impressed with how he ran at Ascot. I was keen to run him in Navan last weekend, but the ground was just so heavy and I didn’t want to pull the legs out of him because he’s not the biggest horse. We’ll get a racecourse gallop into him and go straight to Cheltenham.
Wodhooh - Mares' Hurdle
She’s in great form. She goes straight to the Mares’ Hurdle. Look, she’s not fancy at home. She wouldn’t knock you down with her work, but she keeps winning. She’s only been beaten once and that was by Lossiemouth. She gave herself a cut in Leopardstown and it’s almost healed, but it’s just bandaged to keep it clean. She’s probably a little bit like Golden Ace, she keeps winning, but doesn’t get the credit she probably deserves. We don’t know how good she is, but she’s clearly a very good mare. We’re lucky to have her.
Oldschool Outlaw - Mares' Novices' Hurdle
I was impressed with her at Fairyhouse last time. She has a good attitude, and I loved the way she quickened from the last to the line. She’s one I’m really looking forward to running. She has obviously beaten Bambino Fever, and I know she will come on for the run, but I think our horse will improve again. She’s improving the whole time and she’s a nice mare.
Day Four Runners
Firefox - Gold Cup
Firefox ran a great race in the Irish Gold Cup at a massive price. I think he could be a horse that might run into a place in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.
Stellar Story - Gold Cup
Stellar Story will run in the Gold Cup, but only if the ground is on the softer side.
Kazansky - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
He ran well in the Grade 1 novice hurdle at Leopardstown and is another one that could run in the Albert Bartlett. He needs one more run to qualify him for a handicap, and we could potentially look to do that.
Spinningayarn - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
I'd imagine he'll go to the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. He's a good, tough, staying horse.
Theflyingking - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
He actually gave himself a little cut and he missed a bit of time, but there's a good chance he could go straight to the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Kala Conti - Mares' Chase
Jack said the fences at Sandown just felt like they were very big on her. The ground was very soft, and she struggled the whole way on it, but she was gutsy and ran a good race. She’s in the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and I imagine that’s where she’ll go.
Open Secret - Martin Pipe
He’s entered in the Martin Pipe, but he's not qualified as of yet. He had a good run in Cheltenham the other day, so we would be keen to run there if we can qualify him.
Unlikely To Run
Jacob's Ladder
He will be entered in everything he’s qualified for at Cheltenham Festival, but I imagine he'll be kept for the Willow Warm Gold Cup at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.
Ndaawi
He ran a good race in the County Hurdle last year and we’ll enter him in both the County Hurdle and the Coral Cup this year. He’s not that long back with us, so it's just whether or not he's fit enough to go back to Cheltenham this year. I'm not sure if he'll be ready in time.
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