Cheltenham Festival is again for 2026 and it guarantees to be one other enthralling week of horse racing.
Over the 4 days of the Pageant a few quarter of one million individuals are anticipated to descend on Cheltenham Racecourse and hundreds of thousands extra will observe the motion on TV.
There are seven races on day one of many motion, with proceedings getting underway at 1.30PM within the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Right here, Day by day Mail Sport brings you our racing specialists’ suggestions, that includes a variety, primary hazard and dwell outsider for every race.
The 2026 Cheltenham Pageant begins on Tuesday afternoon and there may be loads to look out for
SUPREME NOVICES’ HURDLE
1.30: GRADE ONE – 2 MILES, 87 YARDS
This 12 months’s renewal appears robust, with three main Irish contenders Mighty Park, El Cairos and Chief d’Allier all arriving having received solely maiden hurdles.
On scores, the usual is about by Previous Park Star and Speak The Speak, with choice going to the latter whose Grade 1 victory on the Dublin Racing Pageant will be upgraded as he was the one runner to make vital floor from the again of the sector. He would have additionally landed the Grade One at Christmas had he not fallen on the remaining hurdle.
The tempo ought to be robust which ought to swimsuit Mydaddypaddy, who completed runner-up within the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle on Boxing Day. The Dan Skelton runner will seemingly journey strongly into competition coming down the hill. Nonetheless, Speak The Speak is predicted to be ending 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
Simply six line up, with the three principal contenders bringing very totally different profiles.
Lulamba has had the acquainted Nicky Henderson path to this, successful twice in novice firm earlier than getting into open firm to land the Grade Two Recreation Spirit Chase. His coach used the identical path to nice impact with Sprinter Sacre and Altior previous to their success on this.
Kopek Des Bordes, final 12 months’s winner of the Supreme Novices’, has not raced since a simple win in November and that inexperience is a priority. It will likely be fascinating to see how stablemate Kargese might be ridden as she set a robust gallop on the Dublin Racing Pageant when narrowly overwhelmed.
Jax Junior and Metal Ally arrive on the again of victories and, with confirmed stamina, might capitalise ought to the principle protagonists falter within the closing levels.
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 Pageant is fiendishly aggressive, with proprietor JP McManus holding a robust hand with Saratoga, Mustang Du Breuil and Manlaga.
The latter arrived from France with a lofty fame, so her slender defeat on her UK debut was maybe a disappointment for connections. She then received the Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle final month, beating Pourquoi Pas Papa, The Mighty Celt and Macktoad, all of whom reoppose. A gap handicap mark of 130 might show lenient.
Ammes made a vibrant begin to his hurdling profession with two wins and was narrowly overwhelmed by Triumph Hurdle contender Minella Examine, now rated 139, in October. He’s attractively handled off 128.
At a much bigger odds, Harwa is price noting. He received on his steady debut after ending second on each of his begins 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 wonderful file on this contest, successful seven of the earlier 12 renewals. With that in thoughts, it appeared notable that Quebecois was given a fourth begin over fences to qualify for this handicap, which is sponsored by his part-owner Max McNeill.
He was narrowly denied by a nostril within the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on the observe in January and was unlikely to have been suited by the drop again to 2 miles at Newbury final time. Having received over 3m½f over hurdles final season, this step-up in journey ought to play to his strengths and he appears a serious contender.
Risks embody Jagwar and Iroko for JP McManus and it is usually price noting that Hyland is fitted with first-time cheekpieces, an fascinating transfer in a race the place 9 of the earlier 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 Pageant for the previous two seasons, Lossiemouth lastly will get the chance to take her probability within the Champion Hurdle.
Unbeaten in 4 begins at Cheltenham, together with three Pageant victories, she has compiled an excellent file of 13 wins from 17 profession begins, 9 of them at Grade One stage.
Coach Willie Mullins has opted to suit first-time cheekpieces following her runner-up end behind Brighterdaysahead within the Irish Champion Hurdle, a transfer designed to assist her journey extra easily by way of the early levels of the race.
Her conqueror at Leopardstown, nevertheless, nonetheless has inquiries to reply at Cheltenham, having been overwhelmed at odds of 5-6 and 5-2 on her two begins on the observe. An even bigger menace might come from final season’s Turners Novices’ Hurdle winner The New Lion.
The seven-year-old, skilled by Dan Skelton, misplaced his unbeaten file when falling on the second final flight within the Grade One Combating Fifth Hurdle, a race wherein reigning champion Golden Ace beat the reopposing Anzadam.
The New Lion bounced again with victory within the Grade Two Unibet Hurdle right here on Trials Day, with jockey Harry Skelton delivering a confidence-boosting trip from the rear.
One other runner more likely to produce late is Poniros, who received final season’s Triumph Hurdle on his hurdling debut at odds of 100-1. He completed behind Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth on his reappearance after a 229-day break, however on scores doesn’t have an ideal deal to seek out and will but play a component if issues fall his manner 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 might show key to the probabilities of Madara. The Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old was the favorite for this contest final season, however damage intervened and he was sidelined for 378 days earlier than a reappearance run at Wetherby in December. He then caught the attention ending runner-up at Kempton in February.
Each runs got here with out his common headgear, and an improved efficiency is anticipated now cheekpieces are reapplied at a observe that fits him effectively. O’Moore Park additionally instructions respect after outrunning odds of 66-1 to complete third on the Pageant final 12 months off 140, and features up right here off only a 1lb larger mark.
One other to think about is Jipcot, who ought to profit from this drop again in journey after fading late when making an attempt to make throughout three miles finally 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 stable race when ending second over 3m1f right here on the October assembly in a contest that has labored out effectively.
He was inconvenienced by the beginning within the Paddy Energy Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas however confirmed his stamina when staying on strongly to win by a size over 2m5½f on the Dublin Racing Pageant final trip. A 10lb rise within the weights will make life harder however the step-up in journey ought to swimsuit. Newton Twister appears the principal hazard and represents coach Rebecca Curtis, who landed this race final 12 months.
He has received each his begins over three miles. First-time cheekpieces had a dramatic impact on King Of Solutions when he received at Kelso final month. He has been raised 10lbs for that success however appears more likely to profit from the additional distance encountered right 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 Guess Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Twelve runners have been declared for the opening contest this 12 months.
Key Developments:
- Final run: Ten of the final 12 winners received final trip, with seven of them justifying favouritism.
- Betting: 13 of the final 17 winners got here from the highest three out there and 12 of the final 13 winners returned a single-figure value.
- Grade One kind: Many latest winners had already been profitable at Grade One stage, with Leopardstown that includes as a standard venue at which to have received.
- Irish Report: 9 of the final 13 winners have been skilled in Eire.
- Official Ranking: 9 of the final 12 winners have had an official ranking of no less than 150.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained TALK THE TALK (NAP) ticks a lot of packing containers when contemplating the tendencies of earlier winners of this race.
If it was not for an unlucky stumble after leaping the final in entrance at Leopardstown in December, he could be coming right here as an unbeaten twin Grade One-winning hurdler.
He gained compensation again at Leopardstown when final seen in February with a formidable success. That effort will be upgraded given the bottom he needed to make up within the closing levels of the race, and he’s certain to have improved once more for the expertise.
The largest risks look to be Previous Park Star, an authoritative winner of the trial at Haydock, and Mydaddypaddy, more likely to bounce again to kind after a below-par efficiency final trip.
3.20 – Ultima Handicap Chase
The next tendencies stand out:
- Betting: 21 of the final 25 winners have been returned at 11-1 or shorter.
- Expertise: 19 of the final 25 winners have been novices or second-season chasers.
- Pageant expertise: 13 of the final 17 winners had run on the Cheltenham Pageant earlier than.
- Course kind: 10 of the final 16 winners had run at Cheltenham that season.
- Irish file: There have been solely two Irish-trained winners since 1967.
This appears to be a great alternative for JAGWAR to return to the winners’ enclosure for the primary time since touchdown the Plate Handicap Chase in good type finally 12 months’s Pageant.
This seven-year-old is a robust match on the important thing tendencies, together with his final 4 begins all coming at Cheltenham and producing constant kind figures of 1132.
He was narrowly denied on the course final trip, however pulled 10 lengths away from the remainder.
He’s unproven past two-and-a-half miles, however has formed on a number of events as if he’ll relish this step up in journey. Drying floor also needs to be in his favour.
PLACEPOT
Speak The Speak, Kopek Des Bordes and The New Lion are all strongly fancied to make the body within the Grade One contests and look dependable Placepot bankers.
The handicaps are way more open, however I’m hoping to have discovered a pair at first rate costs who may also make the body.
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
