The day four confirmations are through for Cheltenham on Friday and our team of Ben Linfoot, David Ord and Ian Ogg have tackled some of the key questions.
No Fact To File in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup as Willie Mullins relies on Gaelic Warrior – is this finally the year for Britain to reclaim the great race?
David Ord: It’s the best team in a while isn’t it – the fact that L’Homme Presse is the biggest price of the quintet says it all. The Jukebox Man and Jango Baie are absolutely plausible winners of the race and I think Grey Dawning is going to run a personal best but still have a nagging doubt another whether he’ll quite get up the hill as strongly as some of these. Twist my arm and I’d say Jango Baie is the pick and he’ll finish in the first three but I watched the King George on Boxing Day and felt Gaelic Warrior as the Gold Cup horse to take out from the race and won’t be deserting him now.
Ben Linfoot: Not necessarily but it looks healthier for the overall picture of British jumps racing that we have our best chance in years. Ireland have a strong team still; Gaelic Warrior is bang in the mix, you couldn’t rule out a Lazarus-like recovery from reigning champion Inothewayurthinkin and then Spillane’s Tower, Affordale Fury, Envoi Allen and Banbridge add depth to the team. But in Jango Baie, The Jukebox Man, Haiti Couleurs and Grey Dawning the British trainers have formed an excellent challenge and on balance I do think we might just be celebrating the first British-trained winner of the Gold Cup since Native River in 2018. The Jukebox Man, in particular, looks to have all the tools required to land the big one.
Ian Ogg: Ireland still have the current market leader, just, in Gaelic Warrior and the encouraging noises from the Inothewayurthinkin camp could be ominous but the home challenge is certainly the strongest that it's been for a few years and that's probably as close to getting off the fence as I'm going to at this stage of proceedings. Jango Baie ran a lovely race in defeat in the King George and, together with The Jukebox Man, obviously provide the British with a good hand and I do feel that it would be healthy for the state of the game on these shores if one of that pair or the lesser fancied Haiti Couleurs or Grey Dawning were to oblige.
Is Proactif a worthy favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle in the absence of Narciso Has?
Ian Ogg: It's a yes for me. There was talk of Proactif heading to the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle before Narciso Has was ruled out and, however much water that talk held, it's still a fair indicator of the ability and potential that Proactif has. He was very impressive on his stable debut at Fairyhouse and although it's early days for the form being tested, the fifth - Munsif - ran well in a useful race next time and is towards the top of the market for the McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Fred Winter).
Ben Linfoot: I don’t think so. This looks a case of the market reacting to Narciso Has’s defection by inserting his replacement as the default favourite as on the bare form it’s hard to argue his case to be market leader. Indeed, two or three chances arguably have better form and for all you do have to factor in Willie Mullins’ – and JP McManus’ – strength in depth, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a stablemate or two beat him in the Triumph. Macho Man could even reverse Fairyhouse form with him, so he looks a few points too short to me.
David Ord: Like Ben, I’m not sure he is. He’s promising but so is Macho Man who chased him home on their respective Irish debuts and might not have had the run of the race. He’s twice the price of the market leader. And this might be down to having attended a plethora of British stable tours, but haven’t Minella Study and Maestro Conti already achieved more? We don’t have much racecourse evidence to go on out outside these two and I think both are massive players.
After being taken out of the Turners are you for or against Doctor Steinberg in the Albert Bartlett?
Ben Linfoot: Against. I’m surprised he was taken out of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle as the intermediate trip looked ideal for him next week. Given he was keen over 2m6f at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival you have to question whether three miles at Cheltenham is the right route for him at this stage of his career, for all that he’s bred for a trip. I’ll be taking him on and, again, I wouldn’t mind backing a horse who has already trailed behind him this season as I like Gordon Elliott’s Kazansky. He looks a dour stayer, he won the Limerick novice hurdle over 2m7f at Christmas that is one of the best festival trials in the calendar and being a son of Milan I reckon three miles and better ground will suit him ideally. He was outpaced by Doctor Steinberg at Leopardstown, but the Albert Bartlett promises to be a very different kind of test.
David Ord: I’m against at the prices, as well. Straight after the DRF Willie’s instinct was to go for the Turners given how he tanked through the race that day and I think he was a better fit for that contest. Look clearly Paul Townend is clearly confident he can settle him and I’ve little doubt he’s the best horse in the race but the Albert Bartlett asks a very different question to any he’s been set before and I think it’s the sort of test Fruit De Mer will relish at a much bigger price.
Ian Ogg: He has a fair level of experience across bumpers and hurdles which is usually no bad thing for this contest nor is it a negative that he's surprised connections with his progress and it does appear to be a strong race that he won at the Dublin Racing Festival. His victory that day came despite racing too keenly which has been well-publicised and that would be my biggest concern moving up in trip for the Albert Bartlett. Coupled with his price and the tendency for the race to throw up some surprising results, I feel that I am far more likely to be against him than with him on the day although I'm yet to pin my colours to a mast.
What takes your eye in the handicaps at this early stage on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival?
Ian Ogg: That said, I am hoping he will run well enough to provide a pointer to the chances of Frankie John in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle. Doctor Steinberg had Frankie John back in second (five and a half lengths) at Galway in October and he, in turn, was 25 lengths clear of He Can't Dance. Frankie John improved on that to finish third in the Grade 3 Monksfield before opening his account with a defeat of 2024 Champion Bumper third Jalon d'Oudairies before, arguably, running as well as could have been expected in a pair of Grade 1s (27 lengths behind Doctor Steinberg latterly). The switch to handicap company should help him to prove more competitive and better ground won't be amiss either. Frankie John has suffered a little at the hands of the BHA handicapper as he has 7 lbs more than in Ireland but this test should be right up his street and he looks a useful prospect who has already put together a solid book of form.
Ben Linfoot: Workahead fluffed his lines in the Sky Bet Supreme last year when he was too keen and finished a well-beaten last, but his emphatic maiden hurdle win over William Munny marked him out as a smart prospect and he might put it all together in the County Hurdle. Henry de Bromhead’s horse looks to be building towards something this season and he bumped into a good one – the BetMGM Cup favourite Storm Heart no less – at Gowran last time, and after just five starts a mark of 148 could be lenient for him if he takes his chance in the County.
David Ord: Karbau is fascinating in the County Hurdle the Willie Mullins team. Campaigned at Grade One level as a novice, he shaped well when second in the Limestone Lad on his reappearance and an opening mark of 150 looks to have tempted connections down this route. He’s low mileage and it goes without saying in very good hands. And with a very similar profile stablemate Kel Histoire has to be of interest in the Martin Pipe. He too will be making his handicap debut as he steps out of Graded races and looks to have been crying out for this return to a trip beyond two miles. This is now his sole entry for the week and looks to have been the target for some time.
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Stable Tours
- Willie Mullins
- Dan Skelton
- Nicky Henderson
- Ben Pauling
- Paul Nicholls
- Philip Hobbs & Johnson White
- Gordon Elliott
- Joe Tizzard
- Harry Derham
More from Sporting Life
- Free bets
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
