Day one report
Here’s Greg Wood’s report on day one, thanks for following today’s action and please join us tomorrow. We go again.
No sooner had Lossiemouth lifted the roof off Cheltenham with a staggeringly dominant Champion Hurdle victory than the skies around Prestbury Park also began to brighten too. The buildup to the festival had been dominated by talk of civil war, of feuding and internecine conflict. But this was a reminder of the sport’s simple pleasures. Horse and jockey. Fence and turf. Drama and thrills for the ages.
This was a day that jump racing needed. The opening day attendance of 57,242 was the highest for three years. It made Cheltenham feel like a place to be while not bursting at the seams, a balancing act it has not always managed. And, most importantly of all, the racing was competitive and the stars came out to play.
Saratoga provided owner JP McManus with the perfect birthday present when striking in the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
One of three horses running in the green and gold silks of McManus, who was celebrating his 75th birthday, the Padraig Roche-trained grey was a 10-1 chance under Mark Walsh.
The former Flat performer made light work of the 22-runner contest, strolling home ahead of Winston Junior to emulate his half-brother Brazil’s success in 2022 for the same owner, trainer and jockey combination.
McManus said: “We’ve always had a lot of fun and great days here. It’s a place which means so much to so many and I’m delighted to see this one win for Padraig. Every winner is special and I go back a long time with Padraig’s father Christy.
“We won this race with Brazila few years ago and they were praying the ground would be fast and every day it was drying out was a bonus. I’ve had winners here on my birthday before, but you never get tired of it.” PA Media
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Gordon Elliott and Dan Skelton were looking towards Aintree after seeing Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion fill out the places in the Champion Hurdle.
Brighterdaysahead proved too strong for Lossiemouth in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown last month, but the tables were turned at Prestbury Park as the latter claimed her fourth Cheltenham Festival success and Elliott’s mare suffered defeat in the Cotswolds for the third year on the spin. Elliott did not make excuses for his star mare, but feels she is in need of a step up in trip on spring ground.
“We’re absolutely delighted, Jack (Kennedy) said he couldn’t go any quicker on her,” said Elliott. “The ground probably didn’t suit her, but she tried her heart out and galloped all the way to the line. We’ll probably look at something like Aintree now over two and a half miles. I’d say coming back to Punchestown could be a bit short for her.”
Skelton was similarly magnanimous in defeat after seeing The New Lion beaten for the first time over fences. He said: “I’m very happy with how he ran and there are no excuses. He jumped beautifully and I’m very, very proud of the horse, what more can we say?
“Lossiemouth is a very worthy winner. She’s waited her time to get in the race and now she’s won a Champion Hurdle - well done to them. We were giving 7lb to the two mares and it’s a great effort from our horse. I’ve had a great buildup to it, we got a clear round and he ran his heart out, we just got beat. I should imagine we’ll go on to Aintree.” PA Media
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Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery.
Having said that, do you want the lowdown on day two? Look no further than Greg Wood’s preview:
Four-three to British trainers v the Irish on day one of Cheltenham, then.
Holloway Queen wins the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novice Handicap Chase
A big ride from James Bowen, for Nicky Henderson, to close out the day. Brown’s first Cheltenham win.
1) Holloway Queen
2) King Of Answers
3) One Big Bang
4) Union Station
5) Iceberg Theory
6) Wade Out
7) Pic Roc
8) Holokea
9) Silver Thorn
10) First Confession
11) Will Do
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Pic Roc makes an error at the third-last! Holloway Queen into the lead.
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Backmersackme ‘has made a load of mistakes, and will need a miracle.”
Pic Roc leads by three lengths. Jungle Boogie led for much of the previous race, and eventually finished second-last, so don’t get too excited.
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Pic Roc still leads. Holloway Queen in second.
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Backmersackme “is a little indifferent”, says the BBC commentator … “Another mistake and he’s going to have to sharpen up if he’s going to take this race …”
Pic Roc makes the early running.
And they’re off!
We had a false start to the day’s final race, the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novice Handicap Chase, but now they are off … no, actually, they’re not. The crowd is growing restless.
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“She’s very genuine and honest,” the jockey Paul Townend tells the BBC of Lossiemouth, winner of the Champion Hurdle.
Which horses at Cheltenham today could be classed as dishonest, just out of interest?
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We should be a couple of minutes away from the final race of the day: the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novice Handicap Chase. In the absence of live ITV coverage, I’ve switched to the radio.
Lord Allen resigned as chair of the British Horseracing Authority last week, after a brief and troubled reign. Greg Wood wrote about it:
First and foremost, it is a huge sporting event, billed by its fans as the Olympics of jump racing – but it can also act as a social barometer, giving clues as to the state and mood of the nation.
This year’s Cheltenham festival, which began on Tuesday, feels a little like a step back in time with the return of “Ladies Day” after a five-year hiatus and a reduction in the price of a pint.
How’s your day been? Email me.
Some excellent shots from Tom Jenkins below, of Lossiemouth and Paul Townend winning the day’s biggest race, the Champion Hurdle:
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5.20pm: National Hunt Challenge Cup Novice Handicap Chase, 3M 5F 201YD
As wide-open as any race all day according to the betting, although Kurasso Blue has been a “plunge” horse this morning, and is down to around 9-2 for the Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy combo. Iceberg Theory, another Irish raider from the Paul Nolan stable, is next in the list and arrives on the back of two straight wins, but is up 13lb in the weights since his latest success. Newton Tornado represents Rebecca Curtis’s Welsh stable, successful 12 months ago with Haiti Couleurs, who has since developed into a live contender for Friday’s Gold Cup. Wade Out and One Big Bang, first and second respectively in a Listed novice chase over an extended three miles here in November, are also very much in the mix in a getting-out race that will have the bookmakers salivating.
Selection: One Big Bang
“Sometimes a bit of patience and it all comes together,” says the victorious trainer Dan Skelton.
“Everyone works hard in this sport. Seven winners today, seven winners tomorrow [in total], I just hope everyone enjoys what we’re doing … it’s great to have a winner, it really does give you a lovely feeling.”
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“This horse has been brilliant,” says the jockey Harry Skelton. “He won well there, he missed the autumn due to an injury – but he ran well last time at Kempton … once I’d straightened up, down to two out, I thought it was his to lose … it just don’t get better than this place, very privileged to be part of this. Day one, one on the board, I wouldn’t mind a few more now.”
Madara wins the Plate Handicap Chase!
Another favourite triumphs! Harry Skelton for the win.
“He has absolutely routed them,” says the commentator.
Indeed, all that money for Madara was well spent. Get ready for more complaints from the poor bookmakers.
1) Madara
2) Will The Wise
3) Moon D’orange
4) Downmexicoway
5) Zurich
6) O’Moore Park
7) McLaurey
8) Western Zephyr
9) Boombawn
10) Midnight It Is
11) Riskintheground
12) Peaky Boy
13) Jipcot
14) Dee Capo
15) Theatre Native
16) Jungle Boogie
17) No Questions Asked
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Madara streaks away …
Jungle Boogie leads the way with seven to jump. Western Zephyr in second. Will The Wise is up there too.
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Off they go for the 4.40pm, the Plate Handicap Chase, the penultimate race on the card.
Is “He/she always tries” the most inane thing that trainers/owners say? The horses generally do seem to try, as a matter of course.
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Madara is 3-1 for this. Mclaurey is 4-1. Plenty of money coming in late for Madara, so they say.
“We just got beat. Sometimes, you get beat,” says Dan Skelton of one (or perhaps more) of the earlier races.
Wise words.
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4.40pm Plate Handicap Chase, 2M 4F 44YD
The Festival’s two-and-a-half mile handicap chase switches to the Old course for the first time this year but is every bit as competitive as it was on the New with a full field going to post and several runners having attracted significant support in recent days. Madara is the likely favourite for Dan and Harry Skelton after an eye-catching run at Kempton last time, although his hold-up running style would usually be a bit of a red flag in a festival handicap chase. McLaurey has been strongly backed to give JP McManus and the ever-shrewd Emmet Mullins another winner in a festival handicap, and the green-and-gold have backup in the shape of Down Memory Lane, from the Gordon Elliott yard. Zurich is another Irish raider to consider, and may pass some punters by as he has not raced since 13 December, but that tends to be Henry de Bromhead’s preferred way of doing things and his record of 23 festival winners speaks for itself.
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A couple of excitable young punters at Cheltenham – photographed by our very own Tom Jenkins.
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Ticket sales are up 2,000 on last year for today, it is reported on ITV.
“That’s putting it mildly,” says jockey Patrick Mullins when it’s mentioned that Anzadam made a bad early mistake (I believe it was at the first hurdle).
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Harry Cobden, the jockey of Tutti Quanti in the Champion Hurdle – a horse who appeared reluctant to race before the start, tells ITV: “No fault of the starters. He didn’t want to play today. He kept digging his toes in.”
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“Unbelievable, magic,” says Rich Ricci, owner of the victorious Lossiemouth, on ITV. “It’s hard to win these races. She always tries. Credit goes to Willie … she loves this place and long may it last. The reception we got was great, people are so kind, it’s great for the sport I think.”
“People [racing fans] are very kind, I’ve always been welcomed by the sport, I’ve got a high profile in my business dealings, not all of it popular, but racing has been very kind to me and my family.”
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Cheltenham 4.40pm - Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase
Madara – 4/1
Mclaurey – 4/1
Down Memory Lane – 8/1
Booster Bob – 10/1
Zurich – 11/1
Will The Wise – 11/1
No Questions Asked – 14/1
Omoore Park – 14/1
Jipcot – 14/1
Guard Your Dreams – 22/1
BAR 22/1
Trainer Williams will pass licence to wife after assault conviction
The British Horseracing Authority said on Tuesday that the trainer Evan Williams, who was found guilty of assaulting a dog-walker on his land with a hockey stick earlier this week, will pass his licence to his wife, Cath, before the stable’s 10-year-old chaser Libberty Hunter lines up for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
“The BHA has been in contact with Evan and Cath Williams since yesterday’s verdict in court,” a spokesperson for the Authority said on Tuesday, “having been following events throughout closely.
“By mutual agreement, Evan Williams has ceased being a licensed trainer, with Cath Williams becoming the licence holder responsible for the yard’s horses and staff.”
Libberty Hunter was a faller after setting off at 33-1 for last year’s Champion Chase, and is an 80-1 outsider for this year’s renewal.
“To come back four years on a the trot, never mind win, that puts her in a league of her own,” says the Champion Hurdle-winning trainer Mullins.
“I was putting the cheekpieces on her the other day and thought, wow, that’s the old Lossiemouth.”
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“Look, she just never turned up the last day,” says the winning jockey Paul Townend of Lossiemouth’s last outing.
“[But] I knew she was much happier [today] … we didn’t go hard early on … she travelled much better and sweeter … you know early in a race whether she’s going or not.
“It’s easy with someone who as much ability as she does. Look at her, she’s calm as you like. She’s been very good to me in this place, she’s put me on the board many times here.”
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Champion Hurdle result
1) Lossiemouth
2) Brighterdaysahead
3) The New Lion
4) Alexei
5) Golden Ace
6) Poniros
7) Anzadam
8) Tutti Quanti
9) Workahead
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Lossiemouth wins the Champion Hurdle!
A dominant win. She was level with Brighterdaysahead as they came around the bend and up the hill, but had way too much in the closing stages and won it by a long way for the trainer Willie Mullins.
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Brighterdaysahead still moving well but neck-and-neck with Lossiemouth with one to jump.
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Brighterdaysahead sets the early pace, six to jump. Then Lossiemouth and Golden Ace in second and third.
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And they’re off in the Champion Hurdle.
A statement released earlier today by Cheltenham Racecourse, on the death of Hansard in the opening race:
“While running on the flat in the second race of the day, Hansard sustained a fatal injury. He was quickly dismounted and immediately attended to by a team of expert veterinary professionals. In their assessment, it was concluded that the best course of action for the horse’s welfare was for him to be put down and our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.”
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The runners and riders are in position … but there’s a false start to begin.
“Brighterdaysahead won’t be hanging about,” says McCoy. But then again, who will?
Lossiemouth is 6-4 favourite. The New Lion 11-4, Brighterdaysahead 9-2.
The runners are cantering down to the start.
“This looks a winnable Champion Hurdle, I would think,” says AP McCoy. Which seems like a fair point.
Thanks Tony, hi again everyone, we are under 10 minutes away from the Champion Hurdle.
And with that it’s over to Luke McLaughlin who can guide you through the main race of the day, the Champion Hurdle, and beyond …
Champion Hurdle (4pm) preview
A lot can change in a year and a few hours. At this moment precisely 365 days ago, Constitution Hill was long odds-on to win a second Champion Hurdle and towered above the competition in the hurdling division. What followed shortly afterwards was one of the most drama-packed races in festival history, as both Constitution Hill and his main market rival, State Man, hit the deck, allowing Golden Ace to register a distinctly fortunate 25-1 success. This time around, Golden Ace is back to defend her crown, but Constitution Hill is now looking at a career-switch to the Flat and State Man was ruled out several months ago. Perhaps as a result of those key absences, though, Willie Mullins’s Lossiemouth has been declared to run in the Champion for the first time following consecutive wins in the Mares’ Hurdle, and her presence adds significantly to the depth of this year’s race. Brighterdayahead, who ran a stinker in this race last year but beat Lossiemouth with something to spare in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time, is the third mare among the top four in the betting, and will take some beating if last year’s run turns out to have been an aberration, while Dan Skelton will feel that he has at least one hand on the trainers’ title if The New Lion can follow up his win in the two-and-a-half mile novice here last season. Timeform’s ratings suggest that the major players are closely matched, but I’ll be banking on The New Lion’s greater scope for improvement to tip the balance as the Skelton runners has just six runs in the book and could be ideally suited by the demands of a stiff two miles run at championship pace.
Key form:
G1 December Hurdle, Leopardstown, 29 Dec 25, 2m (Lossiemouth, Brighterdaysahead)
https://youtu.be/HFDUeuIUMwg?si=DcNxfjsiF6GfiVk7
G1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Newcastle, 29 Nov 25, 2m 190yd (The New Lion, Golden Ace).
G2 International Hurdle, Cheltenham, 24 Jan 26, 2m 179yd (The New Lion)
G1 Irish Champion Hurdle, Leopardstown, 1 Feb 26, 2m (Brighterdaysahead, Lossiemouth)
G1 Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham, 11 Mar 25, 2m 87yd (Golden Ace, Brighterdaysahead)
Timeform Top-Rated: Lossiemouth.
Selection: THE NEW LION
Updated
Champion Hurdle (4pm) Oddschecker betting
Lossiemouth – 6/4
The New Lion – 11/4
Brighterdaysahead – 5/1
Golden Ace – 10/1
Alexei – 16/1
Poniros – 18/1
Anzadam – 22/1
Tutti Quanti – 22/1
Workahead – 100/1
Updated
Ultima Handicap Chase 3.20pm result
1 Johnnywho 18-1
2 Jagwar 3-1 fav
3 Quebecois 10-1
4 Blow Your Wad 14-1
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Ultima Handicap Chase 3.20pm
And they’re off … Resplendent Grey is easy to spot there up with the leaders with Quebecois … they pass the post and have two more circuits to go … put the kettle on … Patter Merchant and Search For Glory are out the back you might want to know … Philanderer (as befits the name perhaps) makes a small mistake there … Jagwar make a bad mistake now and he’s one of the strongly fancied ones in this contest … Leave Of Absence makes a blunder … still over a lap to go … Knight Of Allen nearly went there and his jockey did well to sit tight … Patter Merchant has pulled up … Konfusion has fallen … up front Quebecois and Margaret’s Legacy travel OK … Myretown makes ground … but now comes under pressure … Search For Glory (but falls at the last!) and Jagwar are challenging … Quebecois has the lead but Jonnywho gets there late to win … another for the British (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill) and for JP McManus.
Johnnywho denies Jagwar in the Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase 🏆 pic.twitter.com/2Kt8cPKwoo
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 10, 2026
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Meanwhile, our man Steven Morris has been at Cheltenham today, reporting on the return of Ladies’ Day to the meeting’s festivities:
This year’s Cheltenham festival feels a little like a step back in time with the return of “Ladies Day” after a five-year hiatus and a reduction in the price of a pint.
In 2024, a decision by the Jockey Club, which owns the racecourse, to launch a unisex “Style Wednesday” on what used to be Ladies Day was labelled “woke” by some rightwing commentators.
The Jockey Club persisted with the free-for-all last year but this time Ladies Day is back and billed as a celebration of “glamour and glory”.
You can read his full report here:
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Remember that idea to pop off to Benidorm for fun in the sun while following Cheltenham and not having to pay rip-off prices for drink and accommodation in the Cotswolds. We sent Ben Bloom to do just that last year and he reported here on the great time he had. Sounded a good idea didn’t it? Er, not this time …
If these punters in Benidorm thought they were going to watch #CheltenhamFestival in the sun - then they've got another thing coming! 😬 pic.twitter.com/vsOffmAhCu
— Sun Racing (@SunRacing) March 10, 2026
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3.20pm: Ultima Handicap Chase preview
There are just two runners at a single-figure price for the first of three handicap chases on today’s card, and both hail from the Ollie Greenall and Josh Guerriero stable and run for JP McManus. Jagwar, an impressive winner of the Plate Handicap Chase here 12 months ago, is currently the market pick at around 7-2, which feels quite stingy given that he can make the odd mistake and is stepping up to this trip for the first time (although some might argue that he will improve for it). There are no doubts on that score about Iroko, who finished fourth when favourite for last season’s Grand National, but he has 12 stone on his back in a race where top weights generally struggle against better-handicapped rivals. Last year’s winner, Myretown, is back for another crack, and is attracting support despite finishing last of 11 in the Grand National Trial at Haydock in February, perhaps because the Lucinda Russell/Michael Scudamore stable has recently hit form. Knight Of Allen, Handstands and Blow Your Wad are three more among a myriad of possibilities that have the right kind of profile, but my personal pin stopped at Anthony Honeyball’s Leave Of Absence, a track-and-trip winner at the October meeting here, which was run on good ground. Conditions have very much turned in his favour and he has a very solid each-way chance on his form in the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot just before Christmas.
Selection: LEAVE OF ABSENCE
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Good afternoon and thanks to Luke for taking us this far. He’ll be back after a break for a Guinness (no doubt). Well they are down in price this year. The British made some start with with the first four in the opener but the next two races have gone to the Irish. They have a poor record overall in the next race, the Ultima Handicap Chase, though iIrish owner JP McManus, who has just had a winner thanks to Saratoga, has a strong hand here with the well-fancied pair Jagwar and Iroko.
Birthday winner for J P McManus 🥳 pic.twitter.com/s0Ze62k11v
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 10, 2026
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I’m off for a break, Tony Paley is here to take the reins.
Cheltenham 3.20pm: - Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase
Jagwar – 3/1
Iroko – 7/1
Hyland – 9/1
Quebecois – 9/1
Myretown – 10/1
Handstands – 11/1
Knight Of Allen – 12/1
Blow Your Wad – 14/1
Blaze The Way – 16/1
Imperial Saint – 16/1
BAR 16/1
Prices courtesy of Oddschecker
Top five: Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
1) Saratoga
2) Winston Junior
3) Klycot
4) Pourquoi Pas Papa
5) Quinta Do Lago
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Saratoga wins the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle!
A birthday winner for JP McManus.
“He was in a good position all the way,” says AP McCoy. “Fair play to him, good performance.”
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Paddockwood leads with three to go. Winston Junior is moving up … Saratoga is right up there.
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A big field of 22 runners is off, at the first time of asking, for the third race: the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
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We’re nearly off for race No 3.
The ground is good to soft, good in places.
“He’s in great form. Win or lose, we’re delighted to be here,” says one of Winston Junior’s owners, whose name escaped me.
“Get the money on!” says the co-owner.
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2.40pm: Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, 4yo, 2m 87yd
The first handicap at this year’s festival – promoted up the card after the Mares’ Hurdle moved to later in the week – is often the toughest nut to crack all week, as all bar one or two of the juveniles lining up will be making its handicap debut. That means, in turn – to no-one’s great surprise – that their trainers will have been doing all they can to show just enough form to get them into the race, but not so much that end up with too much weight. The mean price of the winners since the first running in 2005 has been 21-1, and while that is slightly skewed by the 80-1 victory of Jeff Kidder in 2021, there have also been two winners at
40-1, three at 33-1 and two at 25-1. The last eight winners, meanwhile, have all been trained in Ireland, and the last two were saddled by Joseph O’Brien, who fields Glen To Glen and Dignam this time around. Saratoga, meanwhile, is the mount of JP McManus’s (soon-to-be-ex) No.1, Mark Walsh, and has a very similar profile to the same owner’s Brazil, successful in this race in 2022. Manlaga, the winner of the Victor Ludorum at Haydock last time, is another live contender in the same colours, while Ammes, from the burgeoning James Owen stable, is also worth considering carefully as his excellent trainer has kept him away from hurdles since a strong run at Wetherby in October. My eventual pick in an ultra-competitive heat, though, is Faye Bramley’s Winston Junior, who has been put away since finishing behind my fancy for the Triumph Hurdle, Minella Study, in a strong race at Cheltenham in December.
Selection: Winston Junior.
Tom Jenkins found a good spot at the final fence for the second race …
Latest odds, via Oddschecker, for the third race of day one.
Cheltenham 2.40pm: McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Mustang Du Breuil – 4/1
Manlaga – 5/1
Winston Junior – 6/1
Glen To Glen – 7/1
Saratoga – 9/1
Ammes – 10/1
Pourquoi Pas Papa – 16/1
The Mighty Celt – 18/1
Barbizon – 20/1
Quinta Do Lago – 20/1
BAR – 20/1
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ITV notify us of some sad news via a statement from the Jockey Club. Hansard was put down after sustaining an injury on the flat.
“While running on the flat Hansard sustained a fatal injury,” said a statement. … he was quickly dismounted and attended by a team of professionals.”
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“Tremendous performance,” says Kargese’s owner, Kenny Alexander, on ITV.
“She got the job done. She’s won it fair and square. Another great training performance by Willie, and a great run by Danny.
“He [Henry de Bromhead, standing close by] told me last night she would win.”
“I’m very fortunate. Today was fantastic, fantastic.”
Danny Mullins laps up the applause in the winners’ enclosure. That’s a seventh Arkle for Willie Mullins, we’re told by ITV.
Arkle Novices' Chase result
1) Kargese
2) Kopek Des Bordes
3) Lulamba
4) Jax Junior
5) Steel Ally
Also ran: Hansard – 100/1
Mambonumberfive - N/R
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“I’ve always had a good relationship with her [Kargese],” says the winning jockey Danny Mullins. “Everyone was expecting us to burn off in front … I knew I hadn’t burned the petrol early and the final furlong is where she did her best work.
“Willie [Mullins] is just a master, it’s great to be part of that team … these [Cheltenham wins] are not a given, these are very special days. I hope for many more”
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Kopek Des Bordes, Kargese and Lulamba were neck-and-neck with two to go in another thrilling race. Lulamba and De Boinville made a bad error at the second-last, Kopek Des Bordes did the same at the last, and Kargese powered away having made all the early running.
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Kargese wins the Arkle Novices' Chase!
Kopek Des Bordes second, Kargese third. Another cracking race.
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Danny Mullins on Kargese is making the early running. Lulamba and De Boinville are right there … Kopek Des Bordes in third with three to jump.
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Lulamba is now 11-10. Kopek Des Bordes 11-8. And off they go for the day’s second race. They will jump 13 fences.
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“I’d like to ride Kopek Des Bordes,” declares McCoy on ITV. “He’ll be exciting.”
The pleasantries are over and the runners for the Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase are in position …
Nico de Boinville produced a stunning ride on Old Park Star to win the opening race. Tom Jenkins is there for us:
“It’s definitely Ireland versus England,” says one of the ITV reporters, in among the fans.
Not again!
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2pm: Arkle Challenge Trophy Novice Chase, grade one, 1m 7f 199yd
Just six runners for the Arkle but it is still one of the more eagerly-anticipated head-to-heads of recent festivals as last year’s Supreme winner, Kopek Des Bordes, who has just one run over fences to his name, takes on the five-year-old Lulamba. Britain/Ireland, Mullins/Henderson, potential versus experience: it’s got all the elements you could want to see, plus a couple of live alternatives to the Big Two if you are so inclined, in Kargese and Steel Ally. Timeform has Lulamba on top of the pile, though only by 4lb from the mare Kargese once her 7lb allowance is taken into account. This race has been won off the back of a single chase start in the past, by Well Chief in 2004 and Western Warhorse in 2014, but it is a big ask, even if Kopek Des Bordes has been given some intensive schooling alongside some of Willie Mullins’s better chasers. Lulamba, meanwhile, was not entirely convincing in the middle part of his last race, which left me wondering whether Steel Ally might have crept in slightly under the radar after an impressive success in a well-run renewal of the Kingmaker at Warwick. At around 14-1, it doesn’t cost much to find out.
Timeform Top-Rated: Lulamba.
Selection: Steel Ally.
“The punters have got confidence, and the bookies are on the ropes …” says one of the on-course bookmakers after that opening success for a 2-1 favourite.
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“Annoying more than anything,” says the jockey Ben Jones, who was aboard Sober Glory, of that costly mistake at the final fence. “Fifty yards before the last, he had a look around at the crowd, and lost a bit of momentum … the little bump didn’t help things … but he showed proper heart. We can get him ready for next year.”
AP McCoy said he thinks that mistake cost them the race, but I am not so sure. I think Old Park Star would have had more than enough in the tank to win regardless. McCoy’s opinion carries considerably more weight, to be fair.
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Henderson accepts the trophy for a sixth time, 40 years on from his first win at Cheltenham. De Boinville looks thrilled too.
2pm: Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase
Lulamba – 5/4
Kopek Des Bordes – 7/4
Kargese – 5/1
Steel Ally – 16/1
Jax Junior – 22/1
Hansard – 100/1
Mambonumberfive - N/R
(Prices courtesy of Oddschecker.)
“You’ve got a supreme horse,” a delighted-looking Henderson tells ITV. “You’ve got to have a good horse, and we’re very lucky.
“He had to show guts. It got tough up there. He had to quicken, it was a good solid pace.
“Yeah the first race - there’s no better one to get in the bag. Everyone knows that. To get one on the scoreboard. England’s even in front now …”
He walks off, chuckling.
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Novices' Hurdle: confirmed result
1) Old Park Star
2) Sober Glory
3) Mydaddypaddy
4) Baron Noir
5) El Cairos
6) Too Bossy For Us
7) Talk The Talk
8) Koktail Brut
9) Mighty Park
10) Eachtotheirown
Also ran: Sageborough
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That is Nicky Henderson’s 76th winner at Cheltenham, we’re told on ITV.
Sober Glory made all the running but made a hash of the final fence, barely making it over. Still, it looked like Old Park Star would have had enough regardless. A phenomenal performance, always well placed in second or thereabouts, and a very fine ride from Nico de Boinville.
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“Incredibly gutsy,” says De Boinville sitting on Old Park Star. “There was a bit of a bump with Mydaddypaddy.
“He’s a class horse, Yeah, fair play to him.”
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Old Park Star wins the Novices' Hurdle
Sober Glory and Mydaddypaddy in a photo-finish for second.
Glory for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville to start.
However, there was contact among the leading three horses in the closing stages … the stewards will have a look.
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Sober Glory leads with three hurdles to go, Old Park Star and Eachtotheirown, plus Mighty Park are all in close attendance …
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Off and racing in the Novices' Hurdle!
And there is the famous Cheltenham roar …
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Here we go then … the 11 runners are in position and ready to go.
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AP McCoy on Old Park Star: “I think the ground might be a little easier today than it will be tomorrow … but I think the race today is much deeper … this is the best Novices’ Hurdle we’ve had for a while.”
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Old Park Star is 2-1. Greg Wood has already declared a small each way bet on Eachtotheirown. Here’s a reminder of the most recent prices:
Cheltenham 13:20 – Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
Old Park Star – 2/1
Talk The Talk – 9/2
Mighty Park – 6/1
Sober Glory – 6/1
Mydaddypaddy – 8/1
El Cairos – 8/1
Eachtotheirown – 40/1
Baron Noir – 40/1
Koktail Brut – 40/1
Too Bossy For Us – 50/1
BAR – 40/1
NR – Leader D’Allier
(Prices courtesy of Oddschecker.)
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JP McManus speaks, on his birthday, specifically of Mighty Park: “Excited, to put it mildly. If he’s half as a good as the chat, he’ll give a good account of himself.”
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The horses are on parade now. Fun fact: Until about a year and a half ago, I was living 10 minutes away from Paul Nicholls’ stables in Somerset, and used to see his horses all over the place. Which was nice.
“The countdown is on to the Cheltenham roar,” we are told on ITV.
Eachtotheirown is available at 28-1 with an on-course bookmaker. One to keep an eye on, according to our very own Greg Wood.
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ITV give a shout out to Donald McRae’s piece with jockey Sean Bowen:
“I’m still a bit allergic to horses so I take an antihistamine or else I’d be sneezing, coughing and having running eyes all day. It’s a funny old thing to have as a jockey.”
A quite wonderful houndstooth jacket on show here from Jordan Wylie, who I’m told is from Channel 4’s show Hunted.
His partner Sophie Hall, a model and presenter, is on the left. Also sporting houndstooth.
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Our man Tom Jenkins is on the scene with his trusty camera. Here’s a shot of fashion brand owner and model, Jade Holland Cooper, conducting an interview before the racing begins.
“‘Queen of the Cotswolds,’ Jade Holland Cooper is a true style authority of The Festival, making a show-stopping entrance in her own brand,” reads a press release kindly sent to me via the magic of email.
“Jade showcases Holland Cooper’s signature blend of British heritage and modern racing style. Her look captures the essence of modern Festival dressing: structured silhouettes, heritage fabrics, and effortless sophistication.”
I was about to say that.
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The consensus among ITV presenters and pundits is that this meeting overall is incredibly competitive and high-quality.
Perhaps it should be factored in that they are highly unlikely to say, at any stage, that it’s weak and uncompetitive. It’s a little bit like a cricket captain saying it looks like a good deck without really knowing.
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Cheltenham 13:20 – Sky Bet Supreme Novice’s Hurdle
Old Park Star – 2/1
Talk The Talk – 9/2
Mighty Park – 6/1
Sober Glory – 6/1
Mydaddypaddy – 8/1
El Cairos – 8/1
Eachtotheirown – 40/1
Baron Noir – 40/1
Koktail Brut – 40/1
Too Bossy For Us – 50/1
BAR – 40/1
NR – Leader D’Allier
(Prices courtesy of Oddschecker.)
That’s all six of Greg’s previews for today, then, which I will post again close to each race.
Meanwhile, the telly coverage of day one has begun.
“I think it’s the best Cheltenham we’ve had in 20 years,” AP McCoy says on ITV. “It’s the most competitive we’ve had since we’ve had a four-day meeting. Look at the first race …”
5.20pm: National Hunt Challenge Cup Novice Handicap Chase, 3m 5f 201yd
As wide-open as any race all day according to the betting, although Kurasso Blue has been a “plunge” horse this morning and is down to around 9-2 for the Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy combo. Iceberg Theory, another Irish raider from the Paul Nolan stable, is next in the list and arrives on the back of two straight wins, but is up 13lb in the weights since his latest success. Newton Tornado represents Rebecca Curtis’s Welsh stable, successful 12 months ago with Haiti Couleurs, who has since developed into a live contender for Friday’s Gold Cup. Wade Out and One Big Bang, first and second respectively in a Listed novice chase over an extended three miles here in November, are also very much in the mix in a getting-out race that will have the bookmakers salivating.
Selection: One Big Bang
4.40pm: Plate Handicap Chase, 2m 4f 44yd
The Festival’s two-and-a-half mile handicap chase switches to the Old course for the first time this year but is every bit as competitive as it was on the New with a full field going to post and several runners having attracted significant support in recent days. Madara is the likely favourite for Dan and Harry Skelton after an eye-catching run at Kempton last time, although his hold-up running style would usually be a bit of a red flag in a festival handicap chase. McLaurey has been strongly backed to give JP McManus and the ever-shrewd Emmet Mullins another winner in a festival handicap, and the green-and-gold have backup in the shape of Down Memory Lane, from the Gordon Elliott yard. Zurich is another Irish raider to consider, and may pass some punters by as he has not raced since 13 December, but that tends to be Henry de Bromhead’s preferred way of doing things and his record of 23 festival winners speaks for itself.
Selection: Zurich.
3.20pm: Handicap Chase, 3m 1f
There are just two runners at a single-figure price for the first of three handicap chases on today’s card, and both hail from the Ollie Greenall and Josh Guerriero stable and run for JP McManus. Jagwar, an impressive winner of the Plate Handicap Chase here 12 months ago, is currently the market pick at around 7-2, which feels quite stingy given that he can make the odd mistake and is stepping up to this trip for the first time (although some might argue that he will improve for it). There are no doubts on that score about Iroko, who finished fourth when favourite for last season’s Grand National, but he has 12 stone on his back in a race where top weights generally struggle against better-handicapped rivals. Last year’s winner, Myretown, is back for another crack, and is attracting support despite finishing last of 11 in the Grand National Trial at Haydock in February, perhaps because the Lucinda Russell/Michael Scudamore stable has recently hit form. Knight Of Allen, Handstands and Blow Your Wad are three more among a myriad of possibilities that have the right kind of profile, but my personal pin stopped at Anthony Honeyball’s Leave Of Absence, a track-and-trip winner at the October meeting here, which was run on good ground. Conditions have very much turned in his favour and he has a very solid each-way chance on his form in the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot just before Christmas.
Selection: Leave Of Absence.
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1.20pm: Supreme Novice Hurdle, Grade One, 2m 87yd
It may no longer have the 20-plus runner fields that were once a traditional sight on the opening day, but there can be no complaints at all about the depth of this year’s Supreme, in which there are currently six horses trading at single-figure odds. Old Park Star is, barring a mighty plunge on one if the Irish runners, certain to set off favourite to give Nicky Henderson his fourth win in this race since 2016, and since the previous three were Altior, Shishkin and Constitution Hill, the sky will be the limit for the six-year-old if he prevails.
He is the top-rated two-mile novice in Britain thanks to his win at Haydock in January, and goes into the race with a higher Timeform rating than Constitution Hill’s at the same stage four years ago. His main rival according to the betting is Joseph O’Brien’s Talk The Talk, the winner of Ireland’s main trial at the Dublin Racing Festival, but the could-be-anything Mighty Park, who took a minor race by 38 lengths on his only start to date, will also attract plenty of support alongside Gordon Elliott’s El Cairos, while Mydaddypaddy, runner-up in a Grade One over Christmas, can’t be ruled out either.
Key form:
G1 Formby Novice Hurdle, Aintree, 26 Dec 25, 2m 209yd (Mydaddypaddy)
G2 Rossington Main Novice Hurdle, Haydock, 17 Jan 26, 1m 7f 144yd (Old Park Star)
G1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle, Leopardstown, 1 Feb 26, 2m (Talk The Talk)
Maiden Hurdle, Fairyhouse, 15 Jan 26, 2m (Mighty Park)
Timeform top-rated: Old Park Star.
Selection: Old Park Star.
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With apologies for the creative ordering of Greg’s race previews, the Novice Hurdle at 1.20pm is coming up next …
I’ll post them closer to each race, too.
2.40pm: Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, 4yo, 2m 87yd
The first handicap at this year’s festival – promoted up the card after the Mares’ Hurdle moved to later in the week – is often the toughest nut to crack all week, as all bar one or two of the juveniles lining up will be making their handicap debut. That means, in turn – to no-one’s great surprise – that their trainers will have been doing all they can to show just enough form to get them into the race, but not so much that end up with too much weight. The mean price of the winners since the first running in 2005 has been 21-1, and while that is slightly skewed by the 80-1 victory of Jeff Kidder in 2021, there have also been two winners at 40-1, three at 33-1 and two at 25-1.
The last eight winners, meanwhile, have all been trained in Ireland, and the last two were saddled by Joseph O’Brien, who fields Glen To Glen and Dignam this time around. Saratoga, meanwhile, is the mount of JP McManus’s (soon-to-be-ex) No.1, Mark Walsh, and has a very similar profile to the same owner’s Brazil, successful in this race in 2022. Manlaga, the winner of the Victor Ludorum at Haydock last time, is another live contender in the same colours, while Ammes, from the burgeoning James Owen stable, is also worth considering carefully as his excellent trainer has kept him away from hurdles since a strong run at Wetherby in October. My eventual pick in an ultra-competitive heat, though, is Faye Bramley’s Winston Junior, who has been put away since finishing behind my fancy for the Triumph Hurdle, Minella Study, in a strong race at Cheltenham in December.
Selection: Winston Junior.
2pm: Arkle challenge trophy novice chase, grade one, 1m 7f 199yd
Just six runners for the Arkle but it is still one of the more eagerly-anticipated head-to-heads of recent festivals as last year’s Supreme winner, Kopek Des Bordes, who has just one run over fences to his name, takes on the five-year-old Lulamba.
Britain/Ireland, Mullins/Henderson, potential v experience: it’s got all the elements you could want to see, plus a couple of live alternatives to the Big Two if you are so inclined, in Kargese and Steel Ally. Timeform has Lulamba on top of the pile, though only by 4lb from the mare Kargese once her 7lb allowance is taken into account. This race has been won off the back of a single chase start in the past, by Well Chief in 2004 and Western Warhorse in 2014, but it is a big ask, even if Kopek Des Bordes has been given some intensive schooling alongside some of Willie Mullins’s better chasers. Lulamba, meanwhile, was not entirely convincing in the middle part of his last race, which left me wondering whether Steel Ally might have crept in slightly under the radar after an impressive success in a well-run renewal of the Kingmaker at Warwick. At around 14-1, it doesn’t cost much to find out.
Key form:
Beginners’ Chase, Navan, 17 Nov 25, 2m 1f (Kopek Des Bordes)
G1 Henry VIII Novice Chase, Sandown, 6 Dec 25, 1m 7f 99yd (Lulamba)
G1 Irish Arkle Novice Chase, Leopardstown 2 Feb 26, 2m 1f (Kargese)
G2 Kingmaker Novice Chase, Warwick, 7 Feb 26, 2m 54yd (Steel Ally)
Timeform Top-Rated: Lulamba.
Selection: Steel Ally.
If you have any thoughts on the day ahead at Cheltenham, or want to explain how horse racing works to me, please do send me an email?
In the meantime, let’s press on with Greg’s excellent race previews …
In the long-forgotten time, about 30 years or so ago, when the Cheltenham festival was a three-day get‑together for country types, no one gave much thought to attendance figures, the price of beer or maximising the customer experience. It was a coming together of the National Hunt clans, much anticipated and hugely enjoyed but not, in the grand scheme, an event with a story to tell about the overall health of the sport.
But not any more. The state of the Cheltenham festival is a key indicator of the state of the racing nation as a whole, and perhaps more so than ever this year, as the sport heads to Gloucestershire rudderless after Charles Allen, who took over as chair of the British Horseracing Authority just six months ago, turned out to be a temporary hire. There is even talk of a schism in the dysfunctional racing family as the showpiece tracks, and that includes Cheltenham, demand change “to ensure that significant views from key racecourses can influence outcomes”.
It may be a case of the heart ruling the head, but a horse I’ll be having a small each-way bet on in the opening Supreme Novice Hurdle is Barry Connell’s Eachtotheirown, who will be the trainer’s only runner at the meeting following the bitterly disappointing news last week that Marine Nationale had been scratched from his defence of the Champion Chase crown due to a minor injury.
Connell himself is fascinating and engaging character – a former stockbroker and hedge fund manager who learned to ride in his late 30s and rode several winners, including one here at Cheltenham, as an amateur in his 40s. He then moved into ownership and eventually into training his horses himself, in a yard built from scratch to his own design.
Connell never sends a horse to the festival for the sake of it, and his record at the meeting from just five runners is two wins – the other was Marine Nationale’s success in the Supreme three years ago - plus a second, a fourth and only one runner out of the frame.
Connell spoke in glowing terms about Eachtotheirown during a media event at his yard last month.
“He won his maiden hurdle in Galway and then we thought he was a certainty in the [Grade One] Royal Bond,” Connell said, “but in November we just seemed to have three or four weeks when the horses weren’t running well and he ran a shocker.
“Never one to waste a good crisis, I applied for a handicap mark for him and was given a rating of 124. We went to Thurles and he won by nine lengths and went up 13lb to 137.
“I think he is definitely capable of running to a mark significantly higher than that. He had to make his own running in his maiden hurdle and in the handicap. I think a truly run championship race where you can drop him in will suit him and he’s a super jumper. He’ll be a big price for the Supreme, but I definitely think he’ll be competitive.”
For anyone who is interested, there is 50-1 available about Eachtotheirown, including with bookmakers offering a quarter the odds and three places each-way.
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Sean Bowen can claim to be the best jockey in jumps racing by some distance. Next month he will be confirmed as champion jockey for the second successive year as, on 210 victories so far, he is 107 ahead of Harry Skelton, his closest rival. Bowen is already looking ahead to next season, where he harbours serious ambitions of becoming the first jump jockey to ride 300 winners in a single campaign. These are staggering numbers that stand in stark contrast to his miserable record at the Cheltenham festival.
The Welshman smiles more than any other jockey I’ve met – for he operates in a gruelling trade full of hard and often taciturn men who are all fated to lose far more often than they win. But Bowen has a remarkably phlegmatic outlook that means he grins when I read out his meagre statistics from the Cheltenham festival. Apart from not having a winner in 52 rides, the average starting price of those horses was 40-1.
Courtesy of Oddschecker, here are today’s three top market movers:
Kurasso Blue (Challenge Cup) 5/1 from 10/1
Sober Glory (Supreme) 7/1 from 11/1
Manlaga (Juvenile Handicap) 9/2 from 7/1
Plus! The top three most backed horses today.
Old Park Star – 34% of Supreme bets
Kopek Des Bordes – 40% of Arkle bets (Lulamba 35%)
Lossiemouth – 34% of Champion Hurdle bets
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Leader D’Allier is a non-runner in the first race, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, scheduled for 1.20pm.
Morning everyone, and thank you Greg for that comprehensive introduction. Exciting times.
Let’s take a look at the day one preview, written by none other than Greg Wood:
Preamble
Top of the morning from Cheltenham racecourse on day one of the 2026 festival. Oh, the places we’ll go over the next four afternoons, as the National Hunt season reaches a crescendo with 13 Grade One races, 13 handicaps with a depth of competitiveness that all but defies rational analysis, and a couple of Grade Twos that are a chance to take a breath.
This is a day that never loses its giddy, stomach-churning excitement, and I say that from experience as someone who has not missed an opening day at Cheltenham since my first in 1990, when Kribensis and Richard Dunwoody won the Champion Hurdle at the memorable odds of 95-40. The running order has changed down the years (along with the number of races and days at the meeting), but the tingle as the field walks toward the tape before the Supreme Novice Hurdle is, for me, up there with the finest moments in all of sport.
On the track, there are serious hopes that British stables will stage a revival after a decade of annual pummelling at the hands of the Irish. It did not occur to me at the time, but for what it is, or more probably is not, worth, I put up six British-trained horses and only one from Ireland in the tips for the opening day. The result that might get racing onto the front pages, meanwhile, would be a win for Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man in Friday’s Gold Cup.
Off the track, meanwhile, the daily attendance figures will be closely studied for evidence that Cheltenham’s extensive range of schemes and innovations to tempt customers back to the track have started to have some effect. The festival is the biggest meeting of the year bar none, and four straight years of falling attendance would be bitterly disappointing not just for the track, but the sport as a whole.
One key indicator that seems sure to be up (or, if you are being pedantic, down) is the number of odds-on shots over the week, a sign of the depth of competition overall. There have been seven odds-on chances in each of the last two seasons, but there are only four in the current lists and that can only be a positive for the betting turnover.
There is certainly no lack of competition in today’s seven races, which include three handicap chases and the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle, frequently the most impenetrably tricky event of the week. Race-by-race previews will be here throughout the afternoon, along with all the news, views, results, betting and gambles, as the 2026 Cheltenham festival finally gets under way.
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