Cheltenham Festival is back for 2026 and it promises to be another enthralling week of horse racing.
Over the four days of the Festival about a quarter of a million people are expected to descend on Cheltenham Racecourse and millions more will follow the action on TV.
There are seven races on day one of the action, with proceedings getting underway at 1.30PM in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Here, Daily Mail Sport brings you our racing experts’ tips, featuring a selection, main danger and live outsider for each race.
SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE
1.30: GRADE ONE – 2 MILES, 87 YARDS
This year’s renewal looks strong, with three leading Irish contenders Mighty Park, El Cairos and Leader d’Allier all arriving having won only maiden hurdles.
On ratings, the standard is set by Old Park Star and Talk The Talk, with preference going to the latter whose Grade 1 victory at the Dublin Racing Festival can be upgraded as he was the only runner to make significant ground from the back of the field. He would have also landed the Grade One at Christmas had he not fallen at the final hurdle.
The pace should be strong which should suit Mydaddypaddy, who finished runner-up in the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle on Boxing Day. The Dan Skelton runner will likely travel strongly into contention coming down the hill. However, Talk The Talk is expected to be finishing strongest of all.
SELECTION: TALK THE TALK… 7-2
MAIN DANGER: OLD PARK… 2-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: MYDADDYPADDY… 17-2
ARKLE NOVICES’ CHASE
2.10: GRADE ONE – 2 MILES
Just six line up, with the three principal contenders bringing very different profiles.
Lulamba has had the familiar Nicky Henderson route to this, winning twice in novice company before stepping into open company to land the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase. His trainer used the same path to great effect with Sprinter Sacre and Altior prior to their success in this.
Kopek Des Bordes, last year’s winner of the Supreme Novices’, has not raced since an easy win in November and that inexperience is a concern. It will be interesting to see how stablemate Kargese will be ridden as she set a strong gallop at the Dublin Racing Festival when narrowly beaten.
Jax Junior and Steel Ally arrive on the back of victories and, with proven stamina, could capitalise should the main protagonists falter in the closing stages.
SELECTION: LULAMBA… 13-8
MAIN DANGER: KOPEK DES BORDES… 5-4
LIVE OUTSIDER: STEEL ALLY… 14-1
FRED WINTER HANDICAP HURDLE
2.40: 2 MILES, 87 YARDS
The opening handicap of the Festival is fiendishly competitive, with owner JP McManus holding a strong hand with Saratoga, Mustang Du Breuil and Manlaga.
The latter arrived from France with a lofty reputation, so her narrow defeat on her UK debut was perhaps a disappointment for connections. She then won the Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle last month, beating Pourquoi Pas Papa, The Mighty Celt and Macktoad, all of whom reoppose. An opening handicap mark of 130 could prove lenient.
Ammes made a bright start to his hurdling career with two wins and was narrowly beaten by Triumph Hurdle contender Minella Study, now rated 139, in October. He is attractively treated off 128.
At a bigger odds, Harwa is worth noting. He won on his stable debut after finishing second on both of his starts in France.
SELECTION: MANLAGA… 6-1
MAIN DANGER: AMMES… 8-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: HARWA… 22-1
ULTIMA HANDICAP CHASE
3.20: 3 MILES, 1 FURLONG
Novice chasers have an excellent record in this contest, winning seven of the previous 12 renewals. With that in mind, it seemed notable that Quebecois was given a fourth start over fences to qualify for this handicap, which is sponsored by his part-owner Max McNeill.
He was narrowly denied by a nose in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase at the track in January and was unlikely to have been suited by the drop back to two miles at Newbury last time. Having won over 3m½f over hurdles last season, this step-up in trip should play to his strengths and he looks a major contender.
Dangers include Jagwar and Iroko for JP McManus and it is also worth noting that Hyland is fitted with first-time cheekpieces, an interesting move in a race where nine of the previous 14 winners wore headgear.
SELECTION: QUEBECOIS… 10-1
MAIN DANGER: JAGWAR…. 4-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: HYLAND… 11-1
CHAMPION HURDLE
4.00: GRADE ONE – 2 MILES, 87 YARDS
Having landed the Mares’ Hurdle on the opening day of the Festival for the past two seasons, Lossiemouth finally gets the opportunity to take her chance in the Champion Hurdle.
Unbeaten in four starts at Cheltenham, including three Festival victories, she has compiled an outstanding record of 13 wins from 17 career starts, nine of them at Grade One level.
Trainer Willie Mullins has opted to fit first-time cheekpieces following her runner-up finish behind Brighterdaysahead in the Irish Champion Hurdle, a move designed to help her travel more smoothly through the early stages of the race.
Her conqueror at Leopardstown, however, still has questions to answer at Cheltenham, having been beaten at odds of 5-6 and 5-2 on her two starts at the track. A bigger threat could come from last season’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle winner The New Lion.
The seven-year-old, trained by Dan Skelton, lost his unbeaten record when falling at the second last flight in the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle, a race in which reigning champion Golden Ace beat the reopposing Anzadam.
The New Lion bounced back with victory in the Grade Two Unibet Hurdle here on Trials Day, with jockey Harry Skelton delivering a confidence-boosting ride from the rear.
Another runner likely to produce late is Poniros, who won last season’s Triumph Hurdle on his hurdling debut at odds of 100-1. He finished behind Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth on his reappearance after a 229-day break, but on ratings does not have a great deal to find and could yet play a part if things fall his way late on.
SELECTION: LOSSIEMOUTH… 13-8
MAIN DANGER: THE NEW LION… 11-4
LIVE OUTSIDER: PONIROS… 14-1
PLATE HANDICAP CHASE (nap)
4.40: 2 MILES, 4 FURLONGS, 44 YARDS
The reapplication of cheekpieces could prove key to the chances of Madara. The Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old was the favourite for this contest last season, but injury intervened and he was sidelined for 378 days before a reappearance run at Wetherby in December. He then caught the eye finishing runner-up at Kempton in February.
Both runs came without his regular headgear, and an improved performance is anticipated now cheekpieces are reapplied at a track that suits him well. O’Moore Park also commands respect after outrunning odds of 66-1 to finish third at the Festival last year off 140, and lines up here off just a 1lb higher mark.
Another to consider is Jipcot, who should benefit from this drop back in trip after fading late when attempting to make all over three miles at last time.
SELECTION: MADARA… 9-2
MAIN DANGER: O’MOORE PARK… 22-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: JIPCOT… 18-1
NATIONAL HUNT NOVICES’ CHASE
5.20: 3 MILES, 5 FURLONGS, 201 YARDS
The Emmet Mullins-trained Backmersackme ran a solid race when finishing second over 3m1f here at the October meeting in a contest that has worked out well.
He was inconvenienced by the start in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas but showed his stamina when staying on strongly to win by a length over 2m5½f at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out. A 10lb rise in the weights will make life tougher but the step-up in trip should suit. Newton Tornado looks the principal danger and represents trainer Rebecca Curtis, who landed this race last year.
He has won both his starts over three miles. First-time cheekpieces had a dramatic effect on King Of Answers when he won at Kelso last month. He has been raised 10lbs for that success but looks likely to benefit from the extra distance encountered here.
SELECTION: BACKMERSACKME… 4-1
MAIN DANGER: NEWTON TORNADO… 5-1
LIVE OUTSIDER: KING OF ANSWERS… 12-1
THE WIZARD OF ODDS
BY CHRIS BAKER
1.20 – 2m Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Twelve runners have been declared for the opening contest this year.
Key Trends:
Last run: Ten of the last 12 winners won last time out, with seven of them justifying favouritism.Betting: Thirteen of the last 17 winners came from the top three in the market and 12 of the last 13 winners returned a single-figure price.Grade One form: Many recent winners had already been successful at Grade One level, with Leopardstown featuring as a common venue at which to have won.Irish Record: Nine of the last 13 winners have been trained in Ireland.Official Rating: Nine of the last 12 winners have had an official rating of at least 150.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained TALK THE TALK (NAP) ticks lots of boxes when considering the trends of previous winners of this race.
If it was not for an unfortunate stumble after jumping the last in front at Leopardstown in December, he would be coming here as an unbeaten dual Grade One-winning hurdler.
He gained compensation back at Leopardstown when last seen in February with an impressive success. That effort can be upgraded given the ground he had to make up in the closing stages of the race, and he is sure to have improved again for the experience.
The biggest dangers look to be Old Park Star, an authoritative winner of the trial at Haydock, and Mydaddypaddy, likely to bounce back to form after a below-par performance last time out.
3.20 – Ultima Handicap Chase
The following trends stand out:
Betting: 21 of the last 25 winners were returned at 11-1 or shorter.Experience: 19 of the last 25 winners were novices or second-season chasers.Festival experience: 13 of the last 17 winners had run at the Cheltenham Festival before.Course form: 10 of the last 16 winners had run at Cheltenham that season.Irish record: There have been only two Irish-trained winners since 1967.
This looks to be a good opportunity for JAGWAR to return to the winners’ enclosure for the first time since landing the Plate Handicap Chase in good style at last year’s Festival.
This seven-year-old is a strong match on the key trends, with his last four starts all coming at Cheltenham and producing consistent form figures of 1132.
He was narrowly denied at the course last time out, but pulled 10 lengths clear of the rest.
He is unproven beyond two-and-a-half miles, but has shaped on several occasions as though he will relish this step up in trip. Drying ground should also be in his favour.
PLACEPOT
Talk The Talk, Kopek Des Bordes and The New Lion are all strongly fancied to make the frame in the Grade One contests and look reliable Placepot bankers.
The handicaps are far more open, but I am hoping to have found a couple at decent prices who can also make the frame.
RACE ONE: (11) TALK THE TALK
RACE TWO: (3) KOPEK DES BORDES
RACE THREE: (8) MANLAGA, (7) WINSTON JUNIOR, (12) POURQUOI PAS PAPA
RACE FOUR: (4) JAGWAR, (15) THE DOYEN CHIEF, (11) IMPERIAL SAINT
RACE FIVE: (4) THE NEW LION
RACE SIX: (3) NO QUESTIONS ASKED, (10) BOOSTER BOB
1 X 1 X 3 X 3 X 1 X 2 = 18
Cheltenham Festival