The Cheltenham season is nearly here, and horse racing fans are eager to see the exciting events. It all starts on October 24th with The Showcase, followed by the November Meeting on November 14th. These events will build up the tempo for the popular Cheltenham Festival in March.

Just like every season, thousands of spectators will follow the Cheltenham action from the stands, and even more from their homes. Many of them will probably keep an eye on the top Irish horses as they are always among the favourites. To prepare you for the upcoming season, we’ll reveal the 5 finest Irish horses you need to follow.

Tim Toe – One of the Favourites to Bet On

Tim Toe caught the attention of horse racing enthusiasts at Thurles in March 2025. This was actually his debut for Pat Doyle, which he ended up winning.

We should inform you that Tim Toe is a 4-year-old gelding trained by Henry de Bromhead. Following his debut victory, Robcour showed interest and acquired the horse. His former trainer, Pat Doyle, praised the horse by saying that he’s very good and smart.

He will surely be a horse to watch at Cheltenham. Many fans already notice his outstanding qualities and expect him to compete for first place. Punters are also keeping an eye on Tim Toe, and he’ll undoubtedly be a favourite at various sportsbooks in March.

Wonderful Everyday

Wonderful Everyday is next on our list. She's a 4-year-old mare who's under the ownership of Drew, Murphy, Cahill, and Mangan Partnership. This horse debuted with a win at Punchestown in April 2025.

It wouldn't surprise you when we tell you that the great Willie Mullins trains Wonderful Everyday. This alone will make her a horse to watch at Cheltenham.

Mullins even noted that he didn't know how good she was despite her doing everything right at home. Interestingly, Wonderful Everyday won her first race with the inexperienced Ruth Dudfield. This achievement makes her look even better than anyone thought.

Judging by her recent performances, we see her as one of the favourites at the Mares Novices Hurdle in March 2026. However, Bambino Fever is currently the leading horse in a Mullins' stable. But this can change if Wonderful Everyday continues with the smart racing skills.

Ballyburn

Ballyburn is an experienced 7-year-old gelding who has appeared in 12 races since February 2023. He went on to win 8 of them, one of which occurred this February at Leopardstown. This horse also has two 2nd places and one 5th place finish. Overall, he managed to win 67% of all of his races.

He’s another successful horse trained by Willie Mullins, which is one of the reasons for his great performances. We should also mention that R A Bartlett & David Manasseh are the owners of Ballyburn.

Irish jockey Paul Townend has been riding this horse for over 2 years now. He's 35 years of age and has been working with Willie Mullins since he was just 15 years old. Townend began his career as an apprentice flat racing jockey and now competes in National Hunt racing.

Only By Night

Another Irish horse that fans should follow during the Cheltenham season is Only By Night. She’s 7 years of age and has been competing since February 2023. In her racing career, she raced in 12 events and ended up winning 6 of them.

Only By Night won races in various horse racing events such as chase, hurdle, NHF, and PTP. She also finished 2nd twice, 3rd three times, and 7th once, which is a somewhat good record.

Mrs J.M. Russell is the sole owner of Only By Night, while her trainer is Gavin Cromwell. Several jockeys rode this horse over the past 2 years. Keith Donoghue has ridden Only By Night to victory three times. That is more victories than any jockey of this horse.

Honesty Policy

Finally, we have a 5-year-old gelding called Honesty Policy. The owner of this horse is John P McManus, while the trainer is the well-known and accomplished Gordon Elliott.

This horse first appeared in January 2025, where he made his debut at Naas. He ended the race in 2nd place, which is a superb position for an inexperienced horse. Honesty Policy went on to race in 4 other events after that. He managed to win 3 of them, while also finishing in 2nd place at Punchestown in April.

It’s worth noting that all of these were hurdle races. As such, we can expect Honesty Policy to compete for a top position at the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. But until that time, we can appreciate his performances at a series of other upcoming events this season.

What’s Next on the Road to Cheltenham

The months ahead will keep racing fans busy long before the Cheltenham roar returns. The Showcase and the November Meeting will set the tone, but that’s only the start. There’s plenty happening across Ireland and Britain through the winter: Navan, Fairyhouse, and Leopardstown all host major fixtures that often reveal the next Festival stars.

For punters and fans alike, this stretch is about studying the form, seeing which horses progress, and catching those quiet performances that often turn into Cheltenham winners later. The long build-up is part of the magic.

Of course, not every weekend is packed with headline races. Between meetings, fans tend to fill the gap in all sorts of ways. Some tune into virtual racing or dip into horse-themed gambling website games, occasionally checking out seasonal promotions on casino.netbet.ie/promotions to keep a touch of that racing atmosphere alive. Others might switch their attention to football, rugby, or golf as the winter calendar fills up, but the thought of Cheltenham is never too far away.

One way or another, the next few months promise no shortage of storylines. With plenty of racing still to come, fans will have every chance to spot the top performers and rising stars likely to make their mark when Cheltenham finally arrives.