BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.3//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3@sexyspider.xyz DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260313T234500 DTSTAMP:20260205T104020Z URL:https://sexyspider.xyz/events/cheltenham-festival-ante-post-tips-2026/ SUMMARY:Cheltenham Festival Ante Post Tips 2026 DESCRIPTION:Join Steve Mullington for his Cheltenham Festival ante-post tip s in the build up to the 2026 meeting...\n\n\nFull List Of 2026 Cheltenham Festival Tips:\nšŸŽ Fact To File - Cheltenham Gold Cup (6/1)\nšŸŽ Kawab oomga - Arkle (20/1)\nšŸŽ Marine Nationale - Champion Chase (4/1)\nšŸŽ T he Yellow Clay - Stayers Hurdle (8/1)\nšŸŽ Proactif - Triumph Hurdle (12/ 1)\nšŸŽ The New Lion - Champion Hurdle (4/1)\nšŸŽ Doctor Du Mesnil - Tur ners Novices Hurdle (14/1)\nšŸŽ Mydaddypaddy - Supreme Novices Hurdle (8/ 1)\nšŸŽ Sixmilebridge - Brown Advisory Novices Chase (33/1)\nšŸŽ Wodhooh - Mares Hurdle (4/1)\nšŸŽ Deep Cave - Kim Muir (25/1)\nšŸŽ Stumptown - Cross Country Chase (11/4)\nšŸŽ One Horse Town - Fred Winter (10/1)\nšŸŽ Bambino Fever - Mares Novice Hurdle (4/)\nšŸŽ Resplendent Grey - Ultima Handicap Chase (20/1)\nšŸŽ Il Etait Temps - Ryanair Chase (14/1)\nšŸŽ Be ntraghhill - Champion Bumper (12/1)\nšŸŽ Unexpected Party - Grand Annual (14/1)\nšŸŽ Anzadam - County Hurdle (20/1)\nšŸŽ No Drama This End - Albe rt Bartlett Novices Hurdle (12/1)\nšŸŽ July Flower - Mares Chase (14/1)\n šŸŽ Koktail Divin - Jack Richards Novice Handicap Chase (14/1)\n\nAntepos t betting can be like fishing in shark infested waters\, but if you do it right\, you can quite often land yourself a decent catch\, i.e. – your h orse wins the race at odds far superior to those returned on the raceday i tself.\n\nEach week\, I'll be adding to my Cheltenham Festival 2026 ante-p ost portfolio and you can keep track of my selections throughout the serie s below:\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 22\n🐓 Koktail Divin (Jack Richards Novice Handicap Chase @ 14/1)\nChristmas holiday scorer Koktail Divin is likely to go directly to the Cheltenham Festival following his ma iden chase victory at Leopardstown on December 28.\n\nThe Barry Maloney-ow ned six-year-old finished second to subsequent dual Grade 1 winner Romeo C oolio on debut before chasing home Oscars Brother in a Grade 2 on his seco nd start\, before things fell right into place in a beginners’ chase whe n his sound jumping led him to run out a 21-length victor.\n\nThe manner o f that victory was seriously impressive\, with winning trainer Henry de Br omhead saying afterwards: "He ran well at Punchestown behind Oscars Brothe r\, but we just thought that really testing ground didn’t help him over three miles. You’d be hopeful he’d be fine over three miles on nicer g round. Also\, I’d say he was beaten by a good horse there\, in fairness. \n\n"The lads would love to go to Cheltenham\, so I’d imagine we’ll go there\, and then it’s a matter of whether we’d have a run in between. The Dublin Racing Festival is a big meeting as well\, so we’ll see what everyone wants to do.\n\n"That was nice ground and he seemed to relish it . He jumped really quickly off it as well. His jumping was spectacular. It 's exciting\, as he’s still young.ā€\n\nKoktail Divin may also be targe ted at the other novices’ event at the Festival – the Brown Advisory\, so you may consider splitting your stakes at this juncture.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 21\n🐓 July Flower (Mares Chase @ 12/1)\nHenry d e Bromhead’s July Flower went straight into the notebooks after landing the Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham’s Novemb er meeting. After a clean round of jumping\, she pulled away in the closin g stages from the talented Be Aware.\n\nShe’s obviously now quoted as a 33/1 shot for the Arkle itself\, but I think De Bromhead will opt for the race where she will race against her own sex – the Mares’ Chase.\n\nUn derstandably\, she couldn’t quite live with the relentless Romeo Coolio in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day\, bu t put up a great fight nevertheless.\n\nGiven that’s she likely to run i nto some powerful geldings again in the Arkle\, my hunch is that connectio ns will place her in the Mares’ contest\, for which she is a generous pr ice in our ante-post horse racing betting market.\n\nCheltenham Festival A nte Post Tip 20\n🐓 No Drama This End (Albert Bartlett @ 12/1)\nNo Drama This End is becoming a talking horse after registering yet another victor y\, this time in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury over the festive period.\n\nThe Paul Nicholls-trained grey went off at odds-on under Harry Cobden as he came into the Grade One with two from two Grade Two victorie s to his name.\n\nThe strong galloper was prominent throughout and was sti ll on the bridle in the closing stages of the race\, going on to beat Klim t Madrik by a length and a quarter.\n\nThe exciting five-year-old was made 7-2 in our horse racing betting for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival\, but he will also be given the option of running in t he Albert Bartlett too\, with either of those races looking like his next port of call after it was confirmed he will head straight to Prestbury Par k in March.\n\nNicholls said after the Challow: ā€œHe just came right this week and I wanted to give him a nice bit of time off between now and the Cheltenham Festival so it has worked out beautiful and we’ll go straight there now.\n\nā€œWe’ll cover all options and he’ll get entries in bot h the Turners and the Albert Bartlett and I would say he’s just shown th ere how effective he is on good ground and how effective he is over the in termediate trip.\n\nā€œI would say that would be his last run over hurdles and God willing if all goes to plan he’ll go chasing\, jumping fences i s his job and we always say what he achieves over hurdles is a bonus and w ith him it’s true.ā€\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 19\n🐓 Anza dam (County Hurdle @ 20/1)\nWillie Mullins is confident Anzadam can make t he grade somewhere after finishing the runner-up in the Fighting Fifth Hur dle at Newcastle.\n\nThe five-year-old took an unbeaten record to the Gosf orth Park feature\, but despite Constitution Hill crashing out at the seco nd flight and The New Lion likewise two from home\, Anzadam was unable to cash in and had to simply watch in vain as Golden Ace stretched away from him.\n\nMullins said at the time: ā€œHe ran well and I’m sure he’ll im prove from it\,ā€ said the Closutton handler.\n\nā€œWe might just have a look at different tactics for him. Overall\, I was happy enough.\n\nā€œHe travelled well into the race and that’s why I think he will improve. We ’d be hoping for a better effort next time.ā€\n\nIf Anzadam doesn’t q uite manage to win a Graded event between now and March\, there is every r eason to believe he may go handicapping\, hence making him a lively conten der for a race such as the County Hurdle.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 18\n🐓 Unexpected Party (Grand Annual @ 14/1)\nWinner of the 2024 G rand Annual\, Unexpected Party was second in the same race in 2025\, and a ll roads appear to be leading there again in March 2026.\n\nHis Cheltenham reappearance this season caught the eye of the stewards and understandabl y so. Ridden by Harry Atkins\, the ten-year-old jumped off towards the rea r and raced in the rear division throughout before staying on gradually un der tender handling from the third last fence.\n\nAtkins was suspended for 10 days for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to en sure his horse was run on its merits. In his two subsequent runs he finish ed a reason second to Steel Ally at Carlisle\, but was pulled up the next time at Kelso after running a flat race.\n\nDan Skelton’s grey will be a n eleven-year-old by the time The Festival comes around\, but you just kno w he’s going to be a factor in the finish.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante P ost Tip 17\n🐓 Bentraghhill (Champion Bumper @ 12/1)\nHailing from the C oolmore Stud\, Bentraghhill made a winning start under Rules at Leopardsto wn over the Christmas period.\n\nThe four-year-old finished third in a poi nt-to-point at Fairyhouse in April before being sold to Willie Mullins for €150\,000 in May.\n\nRidden by Jody Townend\, Bentraghhill took up the lead in the closing stages to score by four and a quarter lengths from Nin e Toes at the line.\n\nMullins said: ā€œI was expecting that. I was amazed Patrick didn't make it back from Limerick to ride him here. He'd shown me plenty at home and I was very happy.\n\n"He's a nice type\, a big chasing type and I'm very happy with him. He'll stay in bumpers and go jumping ne xt season."\n\nThe winner was immediately installed as the 12/1 favourite in our horse racing betting for the Cheltenham bumper next March. Jody Tow nend herself won the 2025 Cheltenham bumper on Bambino Fever\, so she will be hoping that she can keep up the association with the Getaway-gelding f or the rest of the season.\n\nOn the other side of his pedigree\, Bentragh hill is out of the Definite Article mare Itsalark\, dam of the Grade 2-win ning hurdler Party Central\, and the Grade 3 winner Craigneiche.\n\nChelte nham Festival Ante Post Tip 16\n🐓 Il Etait Temps (Ryanair Chase @ 14/1) \nTingle Creek hero Il Etait Temps has failed to shine at three previous C heltenham Festivals\, but you would like to think this season will be diff erent based upon that Sandown demolition job.\n\nThe Willie Mullins’ cha rge finished fifth to Vauban in the 2022 Triumph Hurdle before coming fift h again behind Marine Nationale in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in 2023.\n\ nLast March Il Etait Temps came third behind stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle but there is a feeling amongst his connections that his win at S andown makes him an altogether better horse in the division as it stands\, which ultimately could lead to a possible appearance in the Ryanair Chase 2026.\n\nSpeaking to the Sporting Life recently\, Patrick Mullins (assist ant trainer) said: "I'd imagine he'll follow all those top-class\, two-mil e chasers from now. Whether he goes back (to Leopardstown) at Christmas\, we'll see how he comes out of the race but I'd imagine Leopardstown at Chr istmas\, the DRF and onto Cheltenham. He's won at Aintree and Punchestown. "\n\nNow that Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old now sits as the clear favou rite for the Champion Chase\, it would probably be prudent to have a back- up punt on him in the Ryanair Chase too.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 15\n🐓 Resplendent Grey (Ultima Handicap Chase @ 20/1)\nResplendent Grey started his jumps campaign last season with a victory over fences at Uttoxeter\, before ending it with an amazing display of stamina in the bet 365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park. \n\nHe’d actually given us an earlier ind ication that he was a thorough stayer when keeping on into fourth in the N ational Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase at The Festival. \n\ nThis season\, the seven-year-old grey got off to a flying start\, doggedl y winning the Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle\, with everything lo oking rosy for the rest of the campaign. However\, he had a disappointing run in the Coral Gold Cup\, finishing 11th after an unfavourable standing start scuppered his chances from the word go. He was well fancied in our h orse racing betting that day too.\n\nHis trainer Olly Murphy expressed his frustration with the start procedure\, noting it disadvantaged certain ho rses- including his.\n\nSpeaking about the future race planning for his st ar grey\, Murphy said ā€œI’ve got to have a chat with the owner and Sean Bowen has gone down the lines of he might be a horse we should run in a s maller field and something like the Denman Chase\, but there are also othe r handicap options for him.\n\nā€œThe Classic Chase at Warwick maybe and t here’s staying handicaps elsewhere but we will freshen him up for a mont h\, see where we are and we won’t make any decisions just yet.ā€\n\nRes plendent Grey looks very much like an Ultima type and I would chance an an te-post each-way bet on him at this juncture.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 14\n🐓 One Horse Town (Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle @ 1 0/1)\nCurrently known as the Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle\, the ā€œFred Winterā€ is always an exciting contest and the curre nt ante-post market is wide open at present.\n\nHarry Derham’s One Horse Town is already a four-time hurdle winner\, and he just keeps getting bet ter race by race.\n\nThe son of Threat faced his stiffest test to date at Cheltenham last time but rose to the occasion\, winning a Triumph Trial in the process.\n\nā€œOne Horse Town is going to run at Cheltenham this week end (Dec 12/13)\,ā€ said Derham.\n\nā€œI thought\, and I was anticipating \, that Cheltenham in November would take a lot out of him but he has boun ced out of it.\n\nIf the three-year-old doesn’t make it to Cheltenham fo r the forthcoming December fixture\, I’m pretty sure Derham will give th e youngster a long rest before picking up The Festival trail again.\n\nChe ltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 13\n🐓 Bambino Fever (Mares Novice Hurdle @ 4/1)\nThe meteoric rise of Bambino Fever was one of the fairytale stori es of the last jumps campaign\, and the Willie Mullins-trained mare can gi ve the O'Connell Morgan Syndicate plenty more excitement this season too.\ n\nThe daughter of Jukebox Jury landed an Irish point-to-point\, before cl ocking up a four-timer that included memorable victories in the Champion B umpers at Cheltenham and Punchestown.\n\nNovice hurdling will be next for her\, with Mullins recently declaring\, ā€œShe’s got a huge engine and i s a lovely big mare. I’d be hard-pressed to think of a mare better than her.ā€\n\nAt his pre-season open day\, the Irish training maestro said of Bambino Fever\, ā€œI’m always a believer to look at the races you can w in rather than be an unlucky loser so I’d imagine we’ll go down the ma res route\, but if she looks like she needs a trip we could go to the Ball ymore. I’d be hard pressed to think of a mare better than her.ā€\n\nShe ’s yet to race this season\, but a quick perusal of the Irish horse raci ng calendar sees her as early entry into the 2m Future Champions Novice Hu rdle (Grade 1) at Leopardstown on December 27th.\n\nObviously connections will plan from there\, but I would say at this stage of the season\, she ’s a prime candidate to run in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at The Fes tival and is worth a look in our sports betting.\n\nSuggested bets: \nFre d Winter Juvenile Hurdle – One Horse Town @ 10/1 (E/W)\nMares’ Novices ’ Hurdle – Bambino Fever @ 4/1 (WIN) \n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 12\n🐓 Stumptown (Cross Country Handicap Chase @ 11/4)\nI can assur e you\, odds of 11/4 in our horse racing betting will look massive about the Gavin Cromwell-trained Stumptown when he wins his customary hack aroun d Cheltenham’s sat-nav busting cross country course.\n\nThe William Hill ambassador revealed recently that Velka Pardubicka winner Stumptown is un likely to run in this season’s Grand National\, with the 2025 Cross Coun try hero being aimed at defending his Cheltenham Festival crown.\n\nThe tr ip to the Czech Republic and back took some doing\, so Cromwell will be re sting the near nine-year-old for some time yet\, with the task of getting him back to the Cheltenham Festival being the end goal for this season.\n\ nHe ran in the Grand National after Cheltenham last season\, but the Aintr ee marathon is not really on the itinerary for him this time\, and he’s likely to bypass it.\n\nNothing is certain\, but it’s not high up on his list of races for the season. That’s more the reason to get stuck into him in the ante-post betting for March 2026.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante P ost Tip 11\n🐓 Deep Cave (Kim Muir Handicap Chase @ 25/1)\nWhen the Chri stian Williams-trained Deep Cave went an won the 3m Weatherbys and Birdie Calendars Handicap Chase at Bangor in November\, he certainly went down in my tracker as a horse that could pick up a big chase at the Cheltenham Fe stival.\n\nDeep Cave had actually come to my attention back in April when he came from out of nowhere\, to land the 3m William Hill Top Price Guaran tee Handicap Hurdle on Grand National Day at Aintree.\n\nStaying on well i n the closing stages in soft conditions\, the seven-year-old beat a decent field of dour chasers that day at Bangor\, many of whom had won their fai r share of races at a higher level.\n\nIf he does eventually head to The F estival\, he will either be targeted at the Kim Muir or the Ultima. He’s currently priced at 25/1 for both\, but the Kim Muir does tend to be the slightly weaker race in terms of the annual entries\, and I believe Willia ms would enter him in that.\n\nAll these probable’s and maybe’s will u ltimately come down to how he performs in the Becher Chase at Aintree on D ecember 6th. If he doesn’t win that race\, but runs well into a place\, Williams may well put the Grand National to the back of his thoughts\, and plot a route to Prestbury Park.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 10\n 🐓 Wodhooh (Mares Hurdle @ 4/1)\nWodhooh is a steady 4/1 shot in our hor se racing betting market for the Grade 1 Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at T he Festival after winning in Graded company for the first time in the Asco t Hurdle. \n\nWith Lossiemouth looking as though she will be heading to t he Champion Hurdle\, the door potentially comes wide open for Wodhooh to land the Mares' Hurdle\, although the Stayers' Hurdle has also been banded around as a possible target.\n\nAfter her success in the Martin Pipe Hand icap Hurdle at last season's festival\, Wodhooh ran well behind Lossiemout h in Grade 1 company at Aintree in April\, and opened up this season with a late surgery victory over Celtic Dino. \n\nTrainer Gordon Elliott said after the race: ā€œShe’s a good mare and where she’ll end up I’m not quite sure\, but she keeps winning\, so I’m delighted.\n\nā€œWe knew th ey were going to go quick up front on that ground so we said we would take our time\, but I just liked the attitude she showed to quicken going down over the last\, it was great.\n\nā€œShe’s good and we’re lucky to hav e her. We’ll get her home now and have a chat about what we do next\, I ’m not too sure yet.\n\nā€œToday was the plan and she’s done great\, s o I’m delighted.ā€\n\nIf she can avoid Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurd le\, then you would like to think you’re sitting pretty on a betting sli p that has Wodhooh at 4/1 on it.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 9\n 🐓 Sixmilebridge (Brown Advisory Novices Chase @ 33/1)\nPunters looking for a speculative each-way longshot in the Cheltenham ante-post markets mi ght want to give Fergal O’Brien’s Sixmilebridge the once over.\n\nAfte r being a serial non-runner on the account of the ground in recent weeks\, the six-year-old finally got the green light to compete at Ayr and duly w on a three-runner 2m4½f beginners' chase.\n\nThis victory came over two a nd a half miles and Sixmilebridge was need to move up to three miles and t he Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.\n\nHowever\ , O’Brien is open over which trip his gelding may run over.\n\nā€œWe hav en’t made too many plans other than to try to get today out of the way f irst\,ā€ continued O’Brien.\n\nā€œI’ll speak to Kielan (Woods\, jocke y) and Mr and Mrs Megson (owners) and try make a plan of where to go next. "\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 8\n🐓 Mydaddypaddy (Supreme Novic es Hurdle @ 8/1)\nMydaddypaddy was made the clear 8/1 favourite in our hor se racing betting for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle after an impressive debu t victory over hurdles at Carlisle.\n\nTrainer Dan Skelton was pleased wit h the four-year-old's return to action\, after he came from the back of th e pack to easily pull four and a half lengths clear of his rivals at the b usiness end of proceedings.\n\nMydaddypaddy was already prominent in the b etting for next March\, after romping home in a bumper at Huntingdon by 11 lengths\, but was duly cut down to 8/1 from 14/1 after his success in Cum bria.\n\nDan Skelton said to Racing TV: ā€œI tried my hardest not to run h im last season because he was only four. To be fair\, Dermot who owns him put no pressure on to run but was itching to see him run because our repor ts have been quite favourable. He was so ready\, he was naturally ready an d I almost couldn’t hold him back.\n\nā€œHe’s only as fit as all my no vices are. I did explain to Dermot that he may take a blow and if he got b eat\, then he got beat\, but it was class that got him through in the end. \n\n"There was a bit of pressure because you want to go and see a nice c lear round\, but\, with the support of the owners\, we build into the seas on rather than set the fireworks off early\, with the novices especially\, which is a very helpful position to be in."\n\nBefore the big one at Chel tenham in March\, Skelton will probably have a tilt at Grade 1 company in the Formby Novices' Hurdle on Boxing Day.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 7\n🐓 Doctor Du Mesnil (Turners Novices Hurdle @ 14/1)\nDoctor Du M esnil has only appeared once on the racecourse for Willie Mullins\, but th e impression that he made was a lasting one in my opinion.\n\nHe was an 11 -length winner of a Cork bumper back in April\, leaving dual-bumper runner -up Thedeviluno floundering in behind.\n\nMullins trained Kopek Des Bordes to win the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival 2025 and D octor Du Mesnil is very much in the same mould as him. He is currently mar ked up at a 14/1 shot in our sports betting market for the 2m5f race.\n\nJ ockey Jody Townend said after the race: ā€œHe’s going to be a good horse . He’s so relaxed\, you can ride him anyway you want and he’s a differ ent horse on grass compared to even at home.\n\n"He picked up in two strid es and I knew I had them covered. If he can get off the ground at all over a jump\, I’d say he will be a very good horse.ā€\n\nCheltenham Festiva l Ante Post Tip 6\n🐓 The New Lion (Champion Hurdle @ 4/1)\nUnbeaten und er rules\, The New Lion is gearing up for a campaign aimed at landing the 2026 Champion Hurdle. This revelation is nothing new\, and it has been sig nposted to punters for some time now.\n\nAfter a few strolls in the park l ast season\, the Cheltenham Festival was the obvious next target and\, aft er a change of ownership to JP McManus\, it was decided that The New Lion would be entered in the Grade 1 Turners Novices' Hurdle.\n\nThe New Lion t hen sauntered home in that race to record the biggest victory of his caree r thus far.\n\nTrainer Dan Skelton earlier confirmed that the six-year-old would kick start this new season with a visit to the Grade 1 Fighting Fif th Hurdle at Newcastle\, setting up a potential clash with Constitution Hi ll.\n\nCurrently trading at a 4/1 shot in our antepost horse racing bettin g market\, I cannot see that price lasting too long should he win at Gosfo rth Park.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 5\n🐓 Proactif (Triumph H urdle @ 12/1)\nJP McManus and Willie Mullins have teamed up to purchase ye t another French recruit in the shape of Proactif.\n\nBack in September\, the three-year-old son of Masked Marvel won by six lengths going away in a n 18-runner field at Auteuil\, and he looked like a very forward horse bas ed on that run alone.\n\nPundit Mark Howard\, author of the annual ā€œOne Jump Aheadā€ publication\, wrote of Proactif in his book: ā€œIreland’s champion trainer was reportedly quick off the mark and secured the geldin g for a hefty six-figure sum from a stable who have supplied him with some top-class ammunition in recent years\, namely Majborough and State Man.\n \nA big\, scopey individual\, he could be very smart and develop into a ho usehold name.\n\nExpect him to make his Irish debut in a Graded contest af ter Christmas before a tilt at the Triumph Hurdle.ā€\n\nIt’s also inter esting to note that Masked Marvel\, sired 2024 Festival Stayers' Hurdle wi nner Teahupoo\, so hopes are high that the same greatness can rub off on t his runner.\n\nAnother significant point about this purchase was that McMa nus already had two other leading lights for the Triumph in the shape of M anlaga and Narciso Has\, but he still decided to go ahead and buy Proactif as well\, so the horse really must have captured his imagination.\n\nChel tenham Festival Ante Post Tip 4\n🐓 The Yellow Clay (Stayers Hurdle @ 8/ 1) \nThis race is often a wide open betting heat\, and it does make sense to take a position on it now\, and certainly before Christmas.\n\nIn recen t times Gordon Elliott has been the hot trainer to follow in the contest\, saddling two of the last three winners of the Stayers' and had the second and third in last March’s renewal.\n\nThere are early indications from Elliott that he will be targeting the Stayers’ with The Yellow Clay.\n\n The Bective Stud-owned six-year-old was only beaten ¾ of a length by The New Lion at The Festival\, and that horse is now one of the market leaders in the Champion Hurdle\, so you have to give The Yellow Clay some sort of a leading chance too in whichever race he goes for at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.\n\nElliott plans to run this son of Yeats in the 2m1f Bottlegre en Hurdle (Listed) at Down Royal on Friday 31st October.\n\nAt the time of writing\, seven runners are entered for the contest and The Yellow Clay l ooks like being one of the principle runners in the betting. If he wins\, his price is sure to trimmed for the Stayers’ Hurdle next March.\n\nChel tenham Festival Ante Post Tip 3\n🐓 Marine Nationale (Champion Chase @ 4/1) \nAn obvious starting point for the Queen Mother Champion Chase is th e 2025 winner\, Marine Nationale\, who scored by a slightly misleading 18 lengths after the late departure of his nearest rival.\n\nIt was however a n excellent effort\, and he will be hoping to emulate both Altior and Ener gumene in doubling up the following season.\n\nWith Barry Connell’s char ge having only run 12 times in his life\, Connell is confident he has not yet reached his peak.\n\nHe added: ā€œHe’s still very lightly-raced. We got held up the season before last with the suspensory injury\, but that ’s in the past now and he seems to be better than ever.\n\nā€œThe progra mme is there after the Fortria – Leopardstown at Christmas\, the Dublin Racing Festival\, Cheltenham and Punchestown.ā€\n\nThe Fortria Chase take s place at Navan on November 15th\, so you may want to place your Cheltenh am antepost bets well before then.\n\nCheltenham Festival Ante Post Tip 2\ n🐓 Fact To File (Cheltenham Gold Cup @ 6/1) \nFact To File’s odds for the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup have been shortening month after month\, bas ed mainly upon his dominant victory in the 2025 Ryanair Chase.\n\nThe Will ie Mullins-trained seven-year-old has proven form at The Festival\, regist ering two Grade 1 wins\, including the 2024 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. \n\nHe totally dominated the Ryanair Chase\, romping away to a nine-length victory\, showing a high cruising speed and excellent jumping ability.\n\ nJockey Mark Walsh reckoned there was still plenty of stamina reserves lef t\, meaning there is every reason to believe that a step up to the Gold Cu p distance of 3m2½ furlongs\, will suit.\n\nCoupled with Mullins’ magni ficent record in the Gold Cup\, it is easy to see why the momentum is buil ding up behind him for the 2026 Gold Cup at Cheltenham.\n\nIndustry tipste r Tom Segal – better known as 'Pricewise'\, said after the Ryanair for t wo years running now that he thought he’d seen a wonder horse win at Che ltenham – and it was Fact To File both times.\n\nā€œFact To File was jus t different class in the Ryanair. I can't think of many winners ever who t ravelled\, jumped and sprinted clear like he did with his ears pricked. Th e time was superb and he didn't come off the bridle.\n\n"That was a class above what I'd seen from him previously this season and if in the same for m I'd back him to win any race he runs in next season. \n\n"He certainly wouldn't be out of place in the Champion Chase\, but I reckon he'll be giv en a shot at the Gold Cup – and on good ground he'd win it.ā€\n\nChelte nham Festival Ante Post Tip 1\n🐓 Kawaboomga (Arkle Chase @ 20/1)\nKawab oomga suffered a training setback just three weeks short of the Cheltenham Festival last year\, and was forced to sit out the remainder of that seas on.\n\nThe strong Festival fancy was an impressive maiden hurdle winner ov er William Munny at Fairyhouse\, and had appeared to be among Willie Mulli ns' top novices heading over to Prestbury Park.\n\nThe JP McManus-owned fi ve-year-old was sadly unable to make the trip across the Irish Sea for eit her the Supreme or the Turners Novices' Hurdle on account of his injury.\n \nSpeaking in last February\, McManus’ racing manager\, Frank Berry\, sa id: ā€œUnfortunately Kawaboomga has had a setback and will miss the rest o f the season.\n\nā€œHe’s a grand\, big horse and it’s disappointing\, but hopefully all being well we’ll have him back for the autumn.ā€\n\nO f course it’s nigh on impossible to second guess Willie Mullins’ inten tions for Kawaboomga this season\, but given that JP has potential Champio n Hurdle contenders already\, there is every chance that this green and go ld candidate will go chasing\, with the Arkle being his ultimate goal.\n\n When is the Cheltenham Festival?\nThe Cheltenham Festival 2026 will take p lace between Tuesday 10th and Friday 13th March.\n[ip2location_world_clock design="d1" time="custom" utc="+0"]\nThis year Cheltenham Racecourse will celebrate 102 years of the Gold Cup\, the pinnacle event of the National Hunt calendar.\n\nThis is the one race they all long to win and every hors e\, jockey\, trainer\, breeder\, owner and racing fan will have their sigh ts set on the Cotswolds.\n\nFour breathtaking days of top class action wil l see a total of 28 races contested and numerous champions crowned.\n\nThe re will be plenty of interest in the horse racing betting too that week. S o\, what can we expect each day at the Cheltenham Festival?\nDAY 1 – Cha mpion Day (10th March)\nThe Grade 1 Supreme Hurdle raises the curtain to t he Cheltenham Festival with a famous roar. Last year we saw Kopek des Bord es land the spoils for popular trainer Willie Mullins.\n\nThe feature race of the day is the Champion Hurdle and last year Golden Ace secured one of the shocks of the season to give trainer Jeremy Scott a sensational victo ry.\n\nDAY 2 – Festival Wednesday (11th March)\nMarine Nationale was a p oignant winner of the 2025 Queen Mother Champion Chase and he sets the sta ndard in the two-mile division\, though the likes of Majborough and Sir Gi no\, returning from injury\, are obvious dangers to his crown.\n\nLecky Wa tson took advantage of a dramatic Brown Advisory Novices Chase to give Wil lie Mullins another big-race winner and connections will be targeting the Cheltenham Gold Cup with him this season. He will prove to be a popular pi ck in the Cheltenham betting odds.\n\nDAY 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday (1 2th March)\nThe Cheltenham Festival is a second home to the Irish and St P atrick’s Thursday reflects this both on and off the track. The day itsel f features the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers Hurdle.\n\nAnd the Irish had cause for celebration in 2025\, with Fact To File bolting up in the Ryanai r before a 1-2 for Robcour with Bob Olinger beating Teahupoo in the Stayer s race.\n\nDAY 4 – Gold Cup Day (13th March)\nThe day features the Chelt enham Gold Cup\, the blue riband race of jumping. The pre-race tension\, t he exhilaration of the race and the jubilations afterwards make it a truly remarkable day.\n\nThe 2025 renewal was won by the Gavin Cromwell-trained Inothewayurthinkin and many will fancy him to go on and retain his crown next spring. Can Galopin Des Champs defy the odds and return to win a thir d Gold Cup? Only time will tell.\n\nCheltenham 2026 Tips\nWe'll be here wi th daily tips on the 2026 Cheltenham Festival\, with our horse racing expe rt analysing every race at this year's meeting. You can find Cheltenham ti ps for each day via the links below:\n\n🐓 Cheltenham Day 1 Tips\n🐓 C heltenham Day 2 Tips\n🐓 Cheltenham Day 3 Tips\n🐓 Cheltenham Day 4 Ti ps\n\nHow do you get to the Cheltenham Festival?\nBy Road: Cheltenham Race course\, Evesham Road\, Cheltenham\, Gloucestershire\, GL50 4SH\n\nBy Rail : The nearest train station is Cheltenham Spa. There is a dedicated Races bus service for the Cheltenham Festival from Cheltenham Spa Railway Statio n. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://sexyspider.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2026/0 1/640.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR