Betfair ambassador Paul Nicholls runs the rule over his chances on day one of the Cheltenham Festival and nominates the race he'd most like to win this week.
Speaking in his latest Betfair blog, the 14-time champion trainer looks ahead to an open Sky Bet Supreme and a competitive Gold Cup on Friday as well as outlining his horse's chances on the opening day of the meeting.
He said: "It's a big-pressure week in lots of ways, but it's nice pressure, we'll have around 10 or 12 runners during the Festival so we're looking forward to it. I always say that if you have one winner at Cheltenham then that's fantastic, anything on top of that is a bonus.
"Away from my own runners I'm looking forward to the Gold Cup on Friday, that's the race you like watching. It's looking like an open race, and there are so many different avenues that can win the race so I'm looking forward to that.
"On the first day the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is a good race, I'm interested to see Mighty Park because there's a lot of talk about him, he's obviously quite smart.
"I'm also looking forward to the Arkle which looks like being a match between Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba. I've just got a feeling that Lulamba's got a bit more experience, he stays well which you need, last year's winner Jango Baie proved that, so that's going to be a great race, and I think Lulamba will be hard to beat. Come on the Brits!"
Paul Nicholls Day One 2026 Cheltenham Festival Runners
14:40 Cheltenham - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Fred Winter): Bibe Mus
"We were obviously very pleased with his win at Sandown on Saturday, his first run for us, which has got him into this race. It's not ideal having to run three days later having carried 12 stone on heavy ground, but he's right as rain, he's ate up, you wouldn't notice anything untoward with him, but it's a challenge. But we bought him to run in the Fred Winter and we are.
"Harry Cobden had a bit of a tight decision and it took him about an hour on Sunday morning to decide whether to ride him or Pourquoi Pas Papa as he was obviously quite impressed with him on Saturday. But he just felt that Pourquoi Pas Papa has been trained for the race, has good form and is fresh so he's gone with him and Sam Twiston-Davies will ride Bibe Mus."
14:40 Cheltenham - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Fred Winter): Pourquoi Pas Papa
"He can definitely outrun his odds as he's in good form, he keeps on improving and the stiffer track will suit him well as opposed to Haydock. He's got loads of stamina but initially I thought we'd shot ourselves in the foot going to Haydock and going up 7lbs, but if he hadn't have gone up 7lbs he wouldn't be getting in the race, so it's actually worked out okay.
"It's a very open and competitive race, it's all about jumping and galloping but I think he's got a chance."
15:20 Cheltenham - Ultima Handicap Chase: Quebecois
"Last night it was good to soft, good, but they had a bit of rain on Saturday night so it's now good to soft all round which is what he ran on earlier in the season in his trials when he ran so well over two and a half miles. It looks a dry forecast between now and Tuesday evening so that should suit him.
"He's won over three miles, he's a half-brother to an Albert Bartlett winner and I was talking to Harry last night who was in no doubt that he'll get three miles so that's what we're doing. It's been our aim with him all season really, if the ground was soft, I definitely wouldn't run him in this but it's a dry forecast so here we are.
"But it's a competitive race with 22 runners so although it's going to be hard to win, I would say he's my best chance on Tuesday if it doesn't rain."
16:00 Cheltenham - Champion Hurdle: Tutti Quanti
"I don't know the answer to whether we'd have preferred softer ground for him, I didn't know going into Newbury whether he'd act on heavy ground but he did. I don't see it being a problem, he's run on all sorts of ground, good to soft is perfect.
"It's a big challenge, he's stepping up in grade, it's a good race though it's not the hottest Champion Hurdle, there have been harder ones so that's why we're taking our chance. Win, lose or draw I'm sure he'll give a good account of himself."
Would love to add the Turners Novices’ Hurdle to my Cheltenham Festival record
"Regent Stroll has got to be one of my best chances in a handicap at this year's Cheltenham Festival without a shadow of a doubt, we are certainly mirroring what we did with Caldwell Potter. He had some lovely experience at Christmas jumping at Cheltenham and we can improve enormously from that run.
"He'd had three quick runs at Newbury, Wincanton, then Cheltenham, and I'm really looking forward to that race, and you know, he's on about the same mark as Caldwell Potter was last year too.
"If there's a race I'd love to add to my record at the Cheltenham Festival, I think it would be the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, I haven't won that yet. I got close to it with Denman when he was second, and it would be a nice race to win. This year at the Cheltenham Festival I'm most looking forward to No Drama This End."
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