What does 2026 have in store for horse racing fans?

There was certainly no shortage of unmissable racing moments for UK fans of the sport of kings this year. We saw an impressive win from the Willie Mullins trained Nick Rockett in the Grand National in April, the 150-1 Outsider Qirat proving to be a massive upset in by beating Rosallion in the Sussex Stakes in July, and equally impressive 200-1 (Powerful Glory) and 100-1 winners (Cicero’s Gift) at British Champions Day in October. Some thankful punters clearly made bank! With such a packed year in terms of betting and feature events, what you may ask, does 2026 hold for horse racing fans, and how best to monopolise on the opportunities that present themselves?

Let’s start by narrowing down some of the big UK racing festivals that even casual racing fans tune in for. We’re talking about the likes of the Grand National, Cheltenham Festival (who doesn’t love the Gold Cup!), and the Epsom Derby. Of course betting markets aren’t fully fleshed out as of yet, but it never hurts to take a view early. The plus side of that is that sometimes you can steal a march on other punters and get odds that down the line may well seem like a dream.

This could be when you hit your first stumbling block though. How many times have you heard a friend or someone online say that they’re had their betting account shut down for winning!? On the surface it sounds ludicrous but I can very much assure you that it routinely happens. As consequence many looking to have a flutter now go the betting broker route, taking the personal hassle out of choosing a highstreet bookmaker and hoping that it’s all going to be trouble free (then facing problems when it isn’t). With brokers you’re essentially leaning on their knowledge of the betting world and network of accounts in such a manner that you can just ‘get on with it’, as in betting and winning. Of course, not all bookmakers give people problems anyway, but it can pay to have a stable, stress free approach to putting your bets on, and that’s often for serious gamblers where brokers step in, getting you the best odds, bypassing betting wager limits and so on.

Back to those big races of 2026. Current favourite for the Grand National is Iroko at 12-1, having finished fourth this year, proving his big race credentials. Favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup at time of writing is the relatively short Inothewayurthinkin, with Galopin Des Champs second favourite (the latter was denied a Gold Cup treble as result of result, but the battle continues in 2026, what a rivalry!). When it comes to the Epsom Derby we have a clear favourite in the form of Pierre Bonnard at 7-1, but nothing is nailed on, so why not live a little outsider flutter on Bow Echo (33-1) is his form is good early season . As mentioned prior, remember that how to place a bet and who with can often be a meaningful part of the betting process. Find a bet routine that works well for you and that doesn’t require endless tinkering! Enjoy picking winners in 2026!