It was a buzzing winter for horse racing and the spring is about to be even better. Among the top ranked horses, this season, we have Calandagan and Ombudsman, with a 130 and 128 rating. The two precede Daryz, Field of Gold, Forever Young and Sovereignty, all tied at 127. Looking at wins total we find Hendricks (winner of 6 races so far) and, immediately after him, Motown Dynamic, Night Kiss, Rythmehwanghu, Por Mi Mismo, Boldinho and Daeboreum. These are all winners of 5.

With the Dublin Racing Festival in Leopardstown now over and good wins for Cousin Kate, Majborough and Doctor Steinberg in the books, the Irish show jumping season enters its decisive weeks. The rankings have been somewhat reshuffled; young talents have been confirmed and some questions remain open, regarding pace and distance. As trainers refine their strategies for March and bookmakers prepare with increasingly competitive odds, fans can discover more offers at oddschecker.com, like free bets, for those who want to get in on the action and bet on this month's sporting events. But beyond the promotions, is the form on the ground that dictates the rules: from Majborough to the stayers that emerged at Fairyhouse, here are the key signs to look out for.

Next events to look forward to

Moving towards the spring, there are plenty of meetings and races to look forward to. The Ascot Chase is a must for chasers; the Haydock Park Grand National Trial is a significant hurdle meeting and the National Spirit Hurdle is as exciting as ever and represents the most important day in Fontwell Park’s annual schedule. As February turns to March we have, obviously, the Cheltenham Festival, paired with the Florida Derby and the Dubai World Cup.

These are only the major events in a packed schedule of races and meetings building up to a spring/summer full of prestigious challenges for horses and jockeys. While horse racing favourites change rapidly based on form, training and racecourse specifics, there are some contenders that have already emerged in early 2026. In Kentucky Derby preps, Canaletto and Thunderously are flying pretty high, while looking forward to Cheltenham there are a couple of favourites, so far, that rise high above the others: Majborough and Marine Nationale.

The case for Majborough

Majborough turned heads in Dublin. He overtook Marine Nationale in Dublin, with a dominant performance, and is now highly rated for a triumph in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, his sole entry in the 2026 Festival. Trainer Willie Mullins, after all, is one of the best men when it comes to winning in Cheltenham and will make sure to make the 6-year-old French thoroughbred one of the top contenders in the race. There are worries about Majborough’s jumping consistency at speed and some fear he could slow down on a 2 mile distance but he is clearly a major player, especially after his great performance in Ireland.

Marine Nationale’s quest for revenge

On the other hand, Barry Connell, the owner and trainer of Marine Nationale, is sure about his horse’s chances. Statistics play his game, since Nationale is unbeaten in two starts at the Festival. The horse, though, is 9, and will be challenged by a lot of younger speedies. Connell put his trust in the athleticism of his racer, who is leggy, tall and quite easy to train, in his words.

Getting ready for Cheltenham

We are not far from hearing the Cheltenham roar once again. The 28 races are sure to feature some of the most athletic horses around and will probably crown future champions as well. Everyone wants to be here and compete for the second largest prize money in the UK. Next to Majborough and Marine Nationale we will see The New Lion, Fact To File, Ballyburn, Affordable Fury and others. As usual, we will cover the Festival through all its four days of races and extravaganza.