The day two confirmations for Cheltenham on Wednesday featured a surprise or two - find out who our experts are backing to go well.
The Turners Novices’ Hurdle took on a different shape following Thursday’s forfeit stage – who do you like the look of at present?
John Ingles: Yes, Mighty Park would have been interesting stepping up in trip here but in his absence that seems to leave King Rasko Grey as Willie Mullin’s main contender. He was close behind Talk The Talk and Ballyfad at the Dublin Racing Festival, and with apparently little between several of the leading Irish contenders, that’s making me lean towards No Drama This End instead. He’s no Denman yet, but he’s going the right way, unbeaten over hurdles and an impressive course winner in November. He just did the necessary last time to land the odds in the Challow but that race on good ground showed he has speed as well as stamina, and he can follow in The New Lion’s footsteps and complete the same double as he did last season.
Tony McFadden: Connections of Talk The Talk have previously said they're leaning towards the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, but that looks like a potentially strong renewal with Old Park Star setting the standard and exciting prospects like Mighty Park and El Cairos also in opposition. The Turners could prove the best option for Talk The Talk who has been the pick among the Irish novice hurdlers so far this season and is unlucky not to be unbeaten in four starts. He looked the likely winner when coming down at the final flight in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle over Christmas but gained Grade 1 compensation in the Tattersalls Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, doing well to get up on the line having been held up in a steadily-run race. He could have too much pace for his rivals if allowed to take his chance up in trip in the Turners.
Matt Brocklebank: I hate to be a fence-sitter here but I've been a bit thrown by Mighty Park not standing his ground and, like Tony, strongly suspect that could now mean we see Talk The Talk take up his Turners engagement. It'll be one red-hot Supreme if he doesn't! Back to this event, though, and I wonder if the Mullins-trained Sortudo could be worth another chance. Bumper form, including a 12-length defeat of I'll Sort That at Fairyhouse in April, suggests he wasn't quite at his best when beaten a couple of lengths by that old rival in the Grade 1 at Naas in January, and I could be willing to give him another go at the top level if the price is right in the day-two opener.
The Brown Advisory Novices' Chase seems another open-looking Grade 1 on the card, is there a strong stayer you’re keen to back?
John Ingles: For most of the season, Final Demand would have been a much shorter price for this but then came that really disappointing defeat behind stablemate Kaid d’Authie at Leopardstown. Significantly, though, that hasn’t dislodged Final Demand as favourite and he’s rightly much better judged on some much more impressive displays, with four of his career wins gained by a dozen lengths or more. He’s not proven as a strong stayer yet, being still to race over three miles or more, but he’s another by Walk In The Park, sire of last year’s Gold Cup and Grand National winners, so the longer trip wouldn’t be a worry. It's worth remembering too that stablemate Gaelic Warrior bounced back from a worse performance in that same race at Leopardstown a couple of years ago to win at the Festival.
Tony McFadden: With the weather thankfully having taken a turn for the better in recent weeks, the ground is drying out at Cheltenham and the Brown Advisory might not be a slog it probably would be under testing conditions. Final Demand clearly has a question to answer having flopped so badly at the Dublin Racing Festival, but he'd created such a good impression previously that he might be worth another chance. His wide-margin win at the Punchestown Festival showed that he was one of last season's top novice hurdlers and the style of his first two wins over fences suggest he's also capable of taking top rank in the novice chase division if firing on all cylinders. Kaid d’Authie also looks like a big player having produced a very smart performance when making the most of Final Demand’s disappointing display at Leopardstown.
Matt Brocklebank: Well, I really like Koktail Divin but like everyone else I'm a little bit in the dark as to whether he's a strong stayer or not. I suspect the drying weather is a positive for him as he's gradually come good over fences and might enjoy conditions better than Oscars Brother, who he chased home at Punchestown on soft/heavy ground in November. Henry De Bromhead has been making all the right noises about this six-year-old and connections deserve a change of luck in the Brown Advisory as the same owners have had several fill the runner-up spot over the years.
Does the Queen Mother Champion Chase solely concern red-hot favourite Majborough or are you tempted to take him on?
John Ingles: If Majborough is able to back up that impressive display in the Dublin Chase where he beat last year’s Champion Chase winner Marine Nationale by nearly twenty lengths, then the rest are only playing for place money. But his overall record is far from bomb-proof, so he does look worth taking on as an odds-on shot. Stablemate Il Etait Temps is next-best in the ratings, but he’s got to bounce back from a heavy fall which left him on the floor for a while in the Clarence House Chase, so L’Eau Du Sud looks the best alternative. He was only just behind Majborough in the Arkle last year and has a good record at Cheltenham, winning his other two starts over fences at the track and finishing second in the County Hurdle at an earlier Festival. Dan Skelton has kept him fresh since he finished third to Il Etait Temps in the Tingle Creek, and if Majborough does fluff his lines, L’Eau du Sud looks the most likely to take advantage.
Tony McFadden: Majborough's wide-margin win at Leopardstown showed what he's capable of when everything clicks, but he'll face a sterner examination of his jumping around Cheltenham's undulating track and on less testing ground. His jumping didn't stand up to scrutiny in last year's Arkle and that has the potential to prove his undoing again. Il Etait Temps took a heavy fall when in the process of underperforming in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot when last seen, but he'd produced a top-class performance in the Tingle Creek on his previous outing. He needs to bounce back and also has to prove his effectiveness at Cheltenham, but he's a multiple Grade 1 winner and could offer some value against the favourite.
Matt Brocklebank: There's more than one way to skin a cat, as the old saying goes, and whisper it quietly but punters don't have to get involved in all 28 races at the Festival. I'd much prefer to take my chances at a couple of runners in the handicaps than lump on one at skinny odds in a championship race so for that reason I'll probably be sitting the day-two feature out. Having said that, Majborough's jumping has hardly been foot-perfect if you look at his chasing career on the whole and, like John has touched on, I could imagine a fresh L'Eau Du Sud will negotiate the fences with a bit more accuracy. He could really put it up to the favourite.
💬 "𝗜𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻."
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) March 4, 2026
🟢🟡 @Timeform's Billy Nash (@wjnash13) provides his thoughts on Majborough, ahead of the Champion Chase at @CheltenhamRaces.#CheltenhamFestival https://t.co/Lq0s7UmKyg pic.twitter.com/MOPUqkFBpe
Give us another name you’re looking forward to seeing on day two at the Festival…
John Ingles: Vanderpoel seems to be getting the hang of jumping fences as he gains experience and as a lightly-raced novice he’s got an interesting profile for the Grand Annual which his trainer Ben Pauling has won before with Global Citizen. The bigger field will be a new experience for him, but at the same time a soundly-run race will suit him well. He took a keen hold at Ascot but then travelled smoothly behind a brisker pace at Sandown when following up from an 8lb higher mark outside of novice company last time. He isn’t far away in the weight-adjusted ratings and has further improvement in him.
Tony McFadden: It's clearly not been plain sailing for Inthepocket who raced only once during the 2023/24 season and twice last term. Whatever setbacks kept him off the track are probably going to prevent him from fulfilling the abundant potential that was on display during his Grade 1-winning novice hurdle campaign, but he could still have a say in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase. He's been unplaced on all four starts this season but has had least stood some racing and didn't shape badly when fifth at Leopardstown last time. A return to a sounder surface could help him build on that and a mark of 146 could clearly be lenient depending on how much ability he retains.
Matt Brocklebank: There are two main handicaps on day two, plus the Cross Country Chase in which Stumptown looks a class apart to me, and I'll be tackling the BetMGM Cup and Grand Annual in more detail for the Value Bet column next week. The one horse I've not been able to resist nibbling at in recent days is the mare Break My Soul, who has been very cleverly campaigned by her new trainer Ian Donoghue. With an Irish hurdles rating of 140, the BHA chase mark of 136 looks potentially quite lenient for her return to the UK in the Grand Annual (has form over here during her time with Nicky Henderson) and it looks like ground conditions are coming in her favour as well. She'd be one of my strongest 20/1+ fancies of the week as things stand.
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Stable Tours
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