It may only be October, but the Cheltenham Festival 2026 is already on the mind of many within racing. We’re currently seeing the long list of season previews and media days we are used to at the start of the season, but one horse in particular has actually done his talking on the track.
That horse is Stumptown, winner of the 2025 Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Over the weekend, he went over to run in the Velka Padubicka in the Czech Republic.
Not only did he run, but he would come with a late surge to win the race, winning by just under two lengths and fully vindicating the decision to take him over for the contest, which was made by trainer Gavin Cromwell.
It didn’t go to plan. Mistakes early in the race saw the horse shuffled back in the pack, and after jumping off nicely, he was actually towards the rear a few fences in. But rider Keith Donoghue didn’t panic and slowly brought his mount through the field and gradually into contention.
It was the hallmark of a rider and horse that have been there and done it all before on the big stage, and this pair certainly have.
Cheltenham Festival Main 2026 Target for Stumptown
After winning the Czech cross-country race, as we always see in racing, attention turned to the future and what could lie ahead for the horse.
Trainer Cromwell was quick to talk about what could happen next spring, and when he did, he said that the Cheltenham Cross Country Chase was the one they were aiming at, with a view to not running in the Grand National.
Speaking to Irish TV channel RTE, Cromwell said after the race:
“We’ll make a plan, but ultimately Cheltenham is the goal. He obviously ran in the Grand National after Cheltenham last season, but that’s not really on the list for him this time. I’d say we’ll probably bypass it. Nothing is certain, but it’s not high up on his list of races for the season.”
Looking back to last season, it’s easy to see why Cromwell is taking this path with his runner, rather than going down the National route.
He was a convincing winner of the Cross Country Chase, landing the contest by seven lengths and fully justifying favouritism. He looked like another in a long line of Irish runners who absolutely love this race and the challenge it poses.
He would then go on to the Grand National and was amongst the fancied runners. But for whatever reason, whether it be the distance, the fences, or just being tired at the end of the season, the horse failed to fire.
There was also some talk about the drying ground after the race, too, and of course, this is always a risk when you move into racing in April for jump horses. It’s likely that he would be against him again in 2026.
What is going to be really interesting, though, is the fact that the Cross Country turned into a handicap race last season. This means he’s going to be governed by the handicap mark he’s given, and it’s going to make defending his crown very tough.
Running off 157 last year, that was nowhere near enough to stop him, and it’s going to be interesting to see just how high the handicapper goes with his mark, especially after winning the Pardubicka.
But regardless of the handicap mark he’s given, you’d have to fancy Stumptown in the race, one that he looks tailor-made for. With an excellent start to the season by winning the Pardubicka, he’s on track for another strong showing.
Based on the last few days, it seems he’s in great order, and all roads are now beginning to lead to the 2026 Cross Country Chase.