Which horses could strike again for the second year running at Cheltenham?

There were 28 winners at the Cheltenham Festival in 2025 and many of them will return to the Prestbury Park amphitheatre once more this March bidding to repeat their successes.

We've been looking back at last year's Festival scorers and pondering the most likely sources of success for the second year running at Cheltenham.

Kopek Des Bordes

Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner last season, Kopek Des Bordes was unbeaten at that moment but failed to fire at Punchestown on his final outing. He made a smooth start over fences at Navan in November but hasn't run since. Douvan Altior and Shishkin are recent Supreme winners who returned a year later to bag the Arkle over fences and that is the target for the Willie Mullins-trained star.

Jango Baie

Nicky Henderson 's Jango Baie won a frantic finish in the Arkle last season and has progressed again this season. He won the Grade 2 1965 Chase at Ascot on his seasonal bow and was a close fourth in the King George since, confirming his Gold Cup potential for many observers.

Lossiemouth

Mullins mare Lossiemouth secured Festival win number three in the Mares' Hurdle last season, rising after a fall at the Dublin Racing Festival. She's 4-4 in the Cotswolds now and started this season with successive wins in Grade 1s at Punchestown and Leopardstown. She is set to tackle the Irish Champion Hurdle again on February 1 - the race in which she fell last season - and has both the Mares' and Champion Hurdle in the Cotswolds as possible targets.

The New Lion

Hugely impressive when bagging the Turners Novices' Hurdle last year, The New Lion lost his unbeaten record when taking a fall in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in late November. A run in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day (January 24) is being plotted by trainer Dan Skelton.

Stumptown

Stumptown won the Cross Country in fine style for Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue last time around and may bid to join the likes of Garde Champetre Tiger Roll and Delta Work in landing successive renewals of this quirky contest. The same yard has Final Orders in the reckoning and all eyes will be on Donoghue - the King of the Cross Country with five wins in the last seven runnings - to see where his colours are nailed.

Marine Nationale

The 2023 Supreme winner, Marine Nationale added the Queen Mother Champion Chase in wide-margin fashion last season having missed The Festival in 2024. He confirmed his class at Punchestown and his comeback defeat at Leopardstown over Christmas was full of merit in the circumstances. Ultra-confident trainer Barry Connell is Dublin Racing Festival-bound next and suggests 'if we jump a clear round, we win' in regards to the Champion Chase.

Bambino Fever

Mullins-trained Jukebox Jury mare Bambino Fever won a high-quality Champion Bumper last season — form that is red-hot now given the hurdles form of the beaten horses. Bambino Fever opened her account over timber at Fairyhouse in January and could give her trainer a sixth success in 11 runnings in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle come March.

Fact To File

Utterly dominant in the Ryanair Chase last spring, Fact To File hasn't had things his own way in three starts since, albeit the best effort was over an intermediate trip in the John Durkan at Punchestown in December when inched out by Gaelic Warrior He was poor in the King George, but few would bet against him emulating Albertas Run and Allaho as repeat Ryanair winners.

Wodhooh

Gordon Elliott has to wait until the 28th and final race for his Festival winner last season as the mare Wodhooh won the Martin Pipe. She is still progressing with graded successes at Ascot and Leopardstown already this season and, if Lossiemouth heads for the Champion Hurdle, she could appeal to many as a Mares' Hurdle banker.

Dinoblue

Ultra-consistent and teak tough, Dinoblue won the Mares' Chase last season, securing her Festival success in the Cotswolds at the fourth attempt as she beat off the opposition readily for JP McManus, Mark Walsh and Mullins. She looked good at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day and tops the betting for the Mares' Chase once more.

Kargese

This Mullins mare proved herself a graded performer in a handicap as Kargese won the County Hurdle last season and she ran out an impressive winner over fences on second attempt at Leopardstown over Christmas. She is entered in the Goffs Irish Arkle back there at the DRF on January 31st and could emerge from that with strong Arkle claims for Cheltenham.