Six British trainers with their tips for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Fri March 06, 2026 · 8h ago

Graham Clark speaks to six British trainers to find out their most confident chances ahead of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.

Their team sheets are virtually complete and star players ready to go, but the question remains who exactly are the British trainers backing to take it to the Irish at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

In recent years it has been the raiders from across the Irish Sea that have enjoyed the upper hand in the battle to clinch the Prestbury Cup. However, if results leading up to the meeting are anything to go by then a much closer battle looks on the cards this time around.

While Willie Mullins is odds-on to be the leading trainer at the meeting once again, and his stable jockey Paul Townend is a short-price to walk away with the leading rider trophy, the pair are unlikely to have things all quite their own way given the depth of the home team.

And in order to see where the best chances of British trained winners at this year’s Festival are likely to come from we have put it to five of the best trainers in the land to nominate, who they believe, represent their best chances of striking gold at the four-day meeting.

OLLY MURPHY

ACT OF AUTHORITY (Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle)

“He has come back down to a realistic mark and is only a pound above the mark when he finished second in the race last year.

“I might pop a set of cheekpieces on him. I don’t think the race looks as competitive as last year, but I’m sure there will be one or two less exposed ones than him.

“He seems to love the place and he loves decent ground, so that is coming right for him. I think he will run respectably well at a decent each-way price.”

WADE OUT (National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase)

“He has been trained for this race ever since November. He will be fitted with some cheekpieces and the drying ground should help with his jumping.

“If he can go around in a half respectable manner and be in touch at the top of the hill I don’t think you will see a horse come home stronger all week.

“Although Windsor wasn’t his ideal track last time out, running there will have done him good as that would have sharpened him up.”

PAUL NICHOLLS

NO DRAMA THIS END (Turners Novices’ Hurdle)

“He has advertised his own chances to be honest with you when you look at his form. There are loads of Irish battalions coming over we don’t really know about, but we think he has a lovely chance.

“He does things on the bridle all the time and you wouldn’t know what is in the locker.

"He has been working really nicely and we have given him an away day in Lambourn and at Kempton Park. He is definitely the leading British challenger in the race.”

REGENT’S STROLL (Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase)

“This has been my plan all season for him really. I think he has got a nice mark. It is a very competitive race, but he is very much in the same mould as Caldwell Potter, who won the race last year for us.

“He has probably got a bit more toe than Caldwell Potter, but I would still say that in the future he will end up being a three miler.”

Our team discuss the 2026 Cheltenham Festival on the podcast

BEN PAULING

DIVA LUNA (Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase)

“It is a red-hot Mares’ Chase, and it will be no walk in the park whatsoever, but she has every right to be there this year. She is in very good form and schooled well on Thursday.

“I think we have got her just about spot on. We have got plenty of work into her since she has returned from her setback. Although she is a novice I’m not worried so we will drive on.”

MONDOUI’ BOY (Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle)

“He won an egg and spoon race at Ludlow and then he beat a nice enough bunch at Ascot, but he won very well that day.

“I think he will improve for the step up in trip to three miles and he seems in particularly good order.

"It looks a pretty open race and I think he is a good each-way bet.”

Ben Pauling in conversation at his media day

DAN SKELTON

KATEIRA (BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle)

“I feel with the drying forecast that we have going into the meeting that Kateira has a big chance in what is now the BetMGM Cup.

"We have looked at this race for her for a little while and she would hold an each-way chance in the race.”

PANIC ATTACK (Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase)

“I think she has got a great chance in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase. She is in great form and has had a phenomenal season.

"I don’t know why that is at ten years old, but she just seems to be getting better and is worth her place in the line up here.”

JAMIE SNOWDEN

WENDIGO (Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase)

“He would be the most obvious one in our team at this year’s Festival as he is the shortest priced British contender in the Brown Advisory.

"I couldn’t be happier with him and he deserves to run a big race. He schooled last week and jumped super.

“He won a Grade Two at Newbury earlier in the season, but he just found Kempton Park’s right handed track, on quick ground, a little bit sharp for him, but he ran well to be third.

“He enjoyed a confidence boosting run at Ayr the other day and he goes there in great form."

WILDE’S LEGACY (Weatherbys Champion Bumper)

“He is a big price for the Champion Bumper, but he is a horse that I really like.

"He bolted up in his first bumper on the all-weather and he then followed up under a penalty in soft ground at Huntingdon.

"He has got bags of speed and I think he is massively overpriced.

“I think he is mentally ready for this as I think he is a smart horse. It will be a competitive race as you would expect, but I wouldn’t be swapping our lad.”

NICKY HENDERSON

ACT OF INNOCENCE (Turners Novices’ Hurdle)

“He was very good in the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon. I think he is pretty smart and he is a lovely horse. Of course the two miles and five furlongs around here is different to two and a half miles around Huntingdon, but we found plenty out that day.

"He stays two and a half miles around Huntingdon, but I would be surprised if stamina is an issue here.

JINGKO BLUE (BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle)

“He will go to what was the Coral Cup. He has been difficult and he didn’t enjoy jumping fences as well as he ought to have done. He had back problems and surgery, but he is still a talented horse.

"He ran a very good race at Cheltenham behind Kabral Du Mathan which was his best run for a while. He should run well in this, back in a handicap.”