Our team pick out the short-priced horses they're looking to take on at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, with three Willie Mullins horses in the firing line.
Matt Brocklebank: Final Demand (Brown Advisory Novices' Chase)
Plenty of the Mullins horses come into Cheltenham with a question mark over them this season, for various reasons including a slower start to the season than has often been the case, but none more so than Final Demand who was beaten over 12 lengths in the Grade 1 at Leopardstown early last month and hardly impressed on the eye when winning at Limerick over Christmas either.
Hopes will be pinned on him putting it all together again in the spring, and it's hard to knock his good third to Champion Hurdle hope The New Lion in last year's Turners prior to his runaway success at the Punchestown Festival in May. However, I couldn't dream of backing him after the manner in which he jumped at the DRF last time and I'm amazed the impressive winner that, stablemate Kaid d'Authie, is a bigger price.
Throw in The Big Westerner getting the mares' allowance, Gordon Elliott's tough and experienced Western Fold, the Jamie Snowden-trained Wendigo and hopefully promising stayers Oscars Brother and Koktail Divin as well, and there's more than enough reason to be opposing the current market leader.
Ben Linfoot: Majborough (BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase)
With Marine Nationale out of the Champion Chase Majborough is now odds-on but I'd be very wary of getting involved with him at prohibitive odds.
Yes, he was superb at the Dublin Racing Festival but that was on soft ground in first-time cheekpieces and there's no guarantee he's going to get in a similar rhythm in this race.
Indeed, he made three mistakes in the last four fences in last year's Arkle and while that could be put down to immaturity given he was an inexperienced five-year-old, or even just an off day, there is a nagging doubt that Cheltenham might not be his track.
Certainly the long-range weather forecast suggests we are going to be looking at quicker ground than he encountered at the DRF and I have him down as a strong-staying two-miler who we might see go out in trip in future seasons.
He could be vulnerable to a horse that jumps really well and, in a race that has been a graveyard for favourites over the years, he'll be one I'll be dead keen to take a shot against.
Andrew Asquith: Bambino Fever (Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle)
Bambino Fever is a short price for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, but she is priced up on her bumper form rather than what she’s achieved so far over hurdles.
She was a star performer in bumpers last season, winning both the Grade 1s at the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals, but she was beaten by Oldschool Outlaw on her debut over hurdles at Naas, and the maiden hurdle she won at Fairyhouse in January was by no means a deep event.
Bambino Fever started the 10/1-on favourite that day and won as she liked, but that race didn’t produce a good timefigure, and the form has taken some knocks since. Admittedly, she could improve significantly again, but she will need to now faced with much sterner opposition, and she looks a little short in the betting for me in a race which is bound to be chock-full of potential.
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Stable Tours
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