Race 5 · Champion Day · Tuesday, 10 March 2026 · ~4:10pm
Mares' Hurdle
Live betting odds comparison for the Grade 1 mares' hurdling championship at Cheltenham Festival 2026 — 2m 1f · Grade 1 · Old Course
Live betting odds comparison for the Grade 1 mares' hurdling championship at Cheltenham Festival 2026 — 2m 1f · Grade 1 · Old Course
Compare the latest odds from leading bookmakers for the Mares' Hurdle. Updated regularly as we approach Champion Day on 10 March 2026.
Leading racing analysts, journalists and tipsters share their views on the 16:00 Champion Hurdle on Champion Day 2026.
Ruby Walsh
"I always saw Lossiemouth as a two-and-a-half-mile mare. Brighterdaysahead will be reliant on the ground. She'll want a good cut in the ground. There's the odd issue jumping-wise with The New Lion, but he could be the best horse."
Lydia Hislop
"I'd probably be inclined towards Brighterdaysahead because she's the best horse in the race given the mares' allowance. The horse that will run her race is Golden Ace. If you fancy a horse to finish in the first three, surely she does?"
Tony Mullins
"I don't think Lossiemouth will win. I've never seen her as a champion hurdler. Golden Ace is the reliable one, but I think Brighterdaysahead will win."
Johnny Dineen
"If I had to back one horse at the meeting at 2/1 or bigger, I'd go for The New Lion. If he avoids bad luck, I think he's a good thing in this race. He's probably my best bet of the meeting."
Sportingnews.com
"The absence of Constitution Hill reshapes dynamics; The New Lion looks solid ante-post favourite with strong all-weather form."
GG.com
Andrew Mount backs Alexei; Matthew Sutcliffe tips Ballyburn; Joe Napier goes for Golden Ace.
TalkSPORT — Tom Lunn
"I'm going to keep the faith in Lossiemouth who only halted her winning run when facing Brighterdaysahead at Leopardstown in the Dublin Racing Festival. This mare has progressed a little with each year over hurdles and won 13 from 17 runs, placing second another three times, which is as rare a consistency as you can really get."
The Mares' Hurdle is one of the Festival's fastest-rising races in prestige, having been elevated to Grade 1 status as recognition of the extraordinary quality of mares' hurdling in Britain and Ireland.
Run over two miles and one furlong on the Old Course, the Mares' Hurdle provides a dedicated championship opportunity for female hurdlers who might otherwise have to tackle their male counterparts in open competition. The slightly extended trip compared to the Champion Hurdle — an extra furlong — provides a more forgiving test that suits mares who may lack the pure sprint speed of the Champion Hurdle type but who possess quality, soundness and a love of the Cheltenham arena.
The race has been dominated by the Irish powerhouses — Willie Mullins in particular has a remarkable record in this race, regularly sending over multiple competitive mares to contest what has become a virtual monopoly for his County Carlow stable. Gordon Elliott has also been represented by top-class mares, and the race regularly produces a market with two or three very short-priced Irish-trained favourites at its head.
Despite being a dedicated mares' race, the quality is such that the form translates extremely well to open championship company. Several Mares' Hurdle winners have subsequently gone on to compete — and win — in mixed-sex championship hurdles at the highest level, demonstrating that the standard of modern mares' hurdling is genuinely world-class.
Willie Mullins' mares consistently dominate this race. If he has two or more entries, studying which mare he commits to as the race approaches can be more valuable than studying form. His shorter-priced runner usually represents his stable's most confident selection — though the second string can outrun its price.
The key qualifying form comes from the Grade 1 mares' hurdle races during the season, including the Irish-based mares' hurdle programme and the OLBG Mares' Hurdle qualifier series in Britain. Horses who have won at Grade 1 level in mares' company and then improved at Cheltenham have the ideal profile.
Mares can have strong going preferences — some relish soft or heavy conditions while others are speed-based performers who need better ground. Check the going history of each leading contender carefully in the week before the race when Cheltenham ground conditions become apparent.
When the market is dominated by two or three very short-priced Irish mares, look carefully at British-trained runners who may be underrated. Nicky Henderson, Warren Greatrex and Paul Nicholls have all produced competitive British mares at bigger prices that represent outstanding each-way value against heavily-backed Irish favourites.