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Act Of Innocence begins his winning run
Act Of Innocence has been taken out of the Supreme

Apache Tribe on course for Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham Festival

By Sporting Life
Horse Racing
Tue February 10, 2026 · 3d ago

The latest Cheltenham Festival scratchings from the Grade 1s have been published but Apache Tribe is firmly on course for Gloucestershire after winning at Ayr.

A winning pointer, Apache Tribe was beaten on his Rules bow in a Galway bumper but stepped up considerably on that form when winning at Listowel by 16 lengths.

Trainer Noel Kelly decided to travel for his hurdling debut and Apache Tribe was sent off the 4/6 favourite for a two and a half ile maiden hurdle at Ayr, beating the Gordon Elliott-trained Nopresentliketime by 13 lengths.

The delighted trainer spoke to Racing TV, saying: "We thought he was a very nice horse all along. He won a bumper very nicely. He was a bit unlucky at Galway, he was probably a bit of work short.

"If he goes to Cheltenham he'll want heavy ground and three miles, the further he goes, the better he goes. He's a quirky enough boy but he's a very nice horse. He's not the easiest to train but we'll get him to Cheltenham, we're heading to Cheltenham, all the Derry boys is going to Cheltenham!

"This was a prep run for Cheltenham, he was probably only 90% ready today. That's why we came over on the boat, just to get him to learn to travel over a wee bit."

Apache Tribe was cut to 25/1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle by Paddy Power and Sky Bet.

There are still 64 runners left in contention for the Grade 1 after 19 scratchings were revealed.

Notable withdrawals from the Grade 1 contests include El Fabiolo and Nemean Lion from the Unibet Champion Hurdle and Act Of Innocence from the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

That leaves the Turners Novices' Hurdle as his only entry while Kala Conti also has the one option [the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase] having been taken out of both the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy and the Brown Advisory.

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