Cheltenham Festival 2026 Betting Preview – Day Three

Horse Racing Tips

11 Mar

Racing switches to the New Course for Day Three and Day Four. What does that mean? Well, it’s a longer home straight and the New Course places slightly more emphasis on stamina rather than speed. We’ve seen prominent runners do very well over the first two days and although I wouldn’t expect a complete change in terms of tactics, I also wouldn’t suddenly start actively searching for hold-up horses. However, the New Course does give horses ridden from off the pace a slightly better chance of getting involved late.

If you’re short on time and just want to see today’s recommended bets, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can find the Day Three multiple selections.

MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE - 2m 179y (Grade 2) - New Course

Ireland have won 7 of the last 10. Willie Mullins five times and Henry De Bromhead twice
All of the last 10 winners were aged 5 or 6
The past four winners of this race had all won a bumper
Eight of the last ten winners had won over 2m2f or further
The last three winners returned double-figure odds

Bambino Fever

This horse will be in a lot of people’s multiples this week and it’s easy to see why. She’s trained by Willie Mullins, has already won over further and won the Champion Bumper at last year’s Festival, so on paper she looks rock solid. For many people she’ll be seen as a banker for the meeting and it will take a very good performance from something else to beat her here. We’ve already seen Willie Mullins banging in the winners over the first two days whereas Bambino Fever’s main rival today is trained by Gordon Elliott, whose stable hasn’t been firing quite as well so far this week.

Oldschool Outlaw

The main danger to the favourite based on the form. She beat Bambino Fever at Naas back in December, although Oldschool Outlaw was race fit having already won a Listed bumper at Navan in November, whereas Bambino Fever was having her first run of the season that day. I’d expect Bambino Fever to reverse that form back at Cheltenham. Gordon Elliott is currently 0-9 in this race whereas Willie Mullins has an excellent record in it. Elliott’s overall Festival form so far would also be a slight concern.

Selection – Bambino Fever
Danger – Oldschool Outlaw

JACK RICHARDS NOVICES’ LIMITED HANDICAP CHASE - 2m 4f 127y (Grade 2 Limited Handicap) - New Course

12 of the past 13 winners were trained in the UK
13 of the last 17 winners were aged 6 or 7
7 of the past 10 winners carried 11st 7lb or more
7 of the past 11 winners had run at Cheltenham earlier in the season
Only one of the last 17 winners had won more than twice over fences

There’s no maximum rating in this race which means horses rated 150+ can run here if connections feel this is the right trip for their horse. With no graded option over an intermediate trip, connections can either run their horse here in a handicap, step up in distance to run in the graded Broadway, or wait for Aintree where there are Grade 1 novice chases over several distances. Because of this, the overall quality of the race has gradually improved, something we saw clearly last year. The trends still point towards a UK-trained horse who is relatively lightly raced over fences.

Sixmilebridge

There’s a strong chance this horse will be one of the main pace angles in the race and I just think there’s every possibility that those going forward will end up setting the race up for something ridden a little more patiently. I’m not convinced he has a huge amount of room to manoeuvre off a mark of 150 and if he does go forward and try to make all, he might simply end up setting things up perfectly for a horse sitting just behind the pace who is slightly better treated by the handicapper.

Meetmebythesea

He won his first two chase starts really nicely before struggling at Newbury last time where he was pulled up. That run was disappointing on the face of it but there’s a possibility that the race was simply used to get his third run over fences, which would allow him to keep his handicap mark intact for a race like this. If that’s the case then he remains on 139 and, if you’re willing to forgive the last run, that mark could prove to be very workable. Ben Pauling also had Mambonumberfive entered in this race but has chosen Meetmebythesea as his runner instead. He’ll probably be ridden somewhere around midfield and look to stay out of what should be a strong early gallop.

Regents Stroll

A nephew of the incredibly talented Denman and in many ways he looks a very similar type to Caldwell Potter, who won this race last year and was also trained by Paul Nicholls. He finished second at Cheltenham last time out, travelling strongly and briefly looking the most likely winner before just being outstayed late on. He’s another horse likely to be ridden fairly prominently and that again might help ensure a solid gallop, which could benefit something ridden slightly colder.

Jordans Cross

There are several horses in this race who like to go forward and the stronger the pace the better it should be for Jordans Cross. Sixmilebridge and Regent’s Stroll are almost certain to be prominent while Wingmen and Ben Solo are also likely to sit fairly close to the pace. Jordans Cross looks like a horse who will stay this trip really well and he should be finishing strongly if they go a proper gallop. He’s three wins from four starts since switching to fences and might even have been four from four but for falling at the final fence back in November. If they go hard early, which I expect they will, he could easily be the one picking up the pieces late on.

Selection – Jordans Cross
Danger – Meetmebythesea

MARES’ HURDLE - 2m 3f 200y (Grade 1) - New Course

15 of the last 18 winners were trained in Ireland
11 of those winners were trained by Willie Mullins
12 of the last 18 winners were rated 153 or higher
11 of the last 18 winners were French bred

Wodhooh

Her only defeat came against Lossiemouth at Aintree last spring but that race probably suited Lossiemouth more. The early pace wasn’t particularly strong and Lossiemouth simply out-quickened Wodhooh when the race developed into a sprint. Today there’s no Lossiemouth and it looks as though Dream On Baby and Jade De Grugy may go forward, which should ensure at least an even gallop. That type of race should suit Wodhooh much better. She also fits many of the trends for the race as she’s Irish-trained, French bred and already has Cheltenham Festival form having won last year’s Martin Pipe Hurdle. She’s also unbeaten in two starts at Cheltenham. The only small concern would be Gordon Elliott’s stable form during the first couple of days of the Festival.

Jade De Grugy

This horse has spent the season chasing which always raises a slight question when returning to hurdles as sometimes they can jump as though they’re expecting a fence rather than a hurdle. Before going chasing she had a very solid record over hurdles, winning five of her seven starts and finishing second in this race behind Lossiemouth last year. If Gordon Elliott’s horses fail to hit top form again in this race then she looks the most likely horse to give the selection something to think about.

Take No Chances

She jumped very well in this race last year but was held up in a race where the pace wasn’t particularly strong. She finished strongly up the hill but was beaten by the superior turn of foot of Lossiemouth and eventually finished third. Given how the race developed that performance can probably be marked up slightly. Dan Skelton has said that the horse should run at least as well as she did when finishing third here last year.

Selection – Wodhooh
Danger – Jade De Grugy

STAYERS’ HURDLE - 2m 7f 213y (Grade 1) - New Course

13 of the last 19 winners were rated 160 or higher
17 of the past 29 winners had won or placed at the Festival previously
Ireland have won the last five renewals and seven of the last ten

I’m struggling slightly to pick the bones out of this race because it looks as though it could become quite tactical. If that happens it may favour horses with a bit more speed rather than those who rely purely on stamina. With that in mind I’m leaning towards a horse who can sit close to the pace and use a turn of foot if the race develops into something of a sprint in the closing stages.

Teahupoo

He has form figures of 3-1-2 in this race over the last three years and will be attempting to reverse last year’s form with Bob Olinger. In last year’s renewal two horses went very hard for the lead which created a strong early pace and that scenario ultimately suited Bob Olinger, who was ridden patiently and was able to capitalise when the leaders began to tire. Teahupoo arguably has the better turn of foot but was just caught late that day. This year there doesn’t appear to be an obvious pace angle which could make the race more tactical. Ideally I’d like Teahupoo to sit quite close to the pace before using his turn of foot turning for home. He has already won this race and remains the top-rated horse in the field. The only slight concerns would be the ground potentially being a bit quicker than ideal and the fact that Gordon Elliott’s yard hasn’t been firing at full strength during the Festival so far.

Bob Olinger

He won this race last year, continuing the recent trend of older horses running very well in the Stayers’ Hurdle. Two of the last three renewals have been won by horses aged ten or older, including Sire Du Berlais in 2023. Bob Olinger was given a superb ride by Rachel Blackmore when winning last year, coming from off a very strong pace to catch Teahupoo late on. The two met again at Christmas where Teahupoo reversed the form in a race that wasn’t run at quite the same relentless tempo. If this year’s race becomes tactical it might not play as strongly to Bob Olinger’s strengths. He also no longer has Rachel Blackmore on board and Henry De Bromhead’s stable form has been fairly quiet.

Kabral Du Mathan

He looked very impressive at Cheltenham last time when given a typically well-judged ride by Harry Skelton. He travelled strongly just behind the leaders before quickening away nicely to win. He’s won four of his seven starts over hurdles up to two miles four furlongs and now steps up to three miles here. If the race does become tactical then his turn of foot could prove to be a major asset. He’s tactically versatile and should again sit fairly close to the pace.

Impose Toi

He has run three times at Cheltenham and has never finished outside the first two. He won a novice hurdle here in 2023 and then finished second in the Coral Cup before being beaten by Ma Shantou here last time out. On that occasion he was the odds-on favourite but was giving the winner six pounds and the ground conditions may also have favoured Ma Shantou. He’s likely to be ridden patiently again but if the race turns into a sprint he could find himself finishing strongly when it’s already too late.

Honesty Policy

A six-year-old who could still be improving. When he stepped up to three miles for the first time he ran a very good race behind Jasmin De Vaux and again shaped well on his seasonal return at Ascot this year in a strong race. He stayed on nicely at the finish on both occasions and has been kept fresh for this race. The only concern would be that he’s yet to run at Cheltenham but if he handles the track then he could easily emerge as the main danger.

Ma Shantou

He has won three of his four starts at Cheltenham which fits perfectly with the horses-for-courses angle. He beat Impose Toi comfortably here last time but was receiving six pounds that day on soft ground. They meet here on level weights which may narrow the gap between them.

Selection – Kabral Du Mathan
Danger – Teahupoo

RYANAIR CHASE - 2m 4f 127y (Grade 1) - New Course

All of the previous 12 winners were French bred
Horses rated 170 or higher have won four of the last six renewals
18 of the last 21 winners were in the top three in the betting
16 of the last 17 winners were aged between seven and nine

Another race that Willie Mullins has dominated in recent years. He often targets the Ryanair with one of his top class horses and he appears to have another outstanding candidate this year.

Fact To File

He won this race by nine lengths last year and could easily prove just as dominant again. Connections even considered supplementing him for the Gold Cup but have chosen instead to return here and try to win the race back-to-back. He has an excellent Cheltenham Festival record having finished second in the Champion Bumper in 2023, won the Brown Advisory in 2024 and then won this race in 2025. He has never finished outside the first two in any of his runs at Cheltenham. With Croke Park and Jonbon likely to ensure a solid early pace, the race should set up perfectly for him to travel comfortably before striking turning for home.

Jonbon

If this were my horse I would probably skip Cheltenham and aim for the Aintree Bowl instead. His record at Cheltenham is two wins from seven starts and on his seasonal debut here he was beaten comfortably by L’Eau Du Sud. Since then he has run well, finishing second at Sandown before winning the Tingle Creek and the Ascot Chase. However the Ryanair trip is still a slight question and at ten years old he also has the age trend firmly against him.

Heart Wood

He finished second to Fact To File in this race last year and the stiff two and a half miles here suits him well. If Henry De Bromhead’s stable form improves during the week he could easily run another very solid race and again finish in the places. Reversing the form with Fact To File might be difficult but he looks an obvious forecast contender.

Impaire Et Passe

He won the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the 2023 Festival and therefore already has winning form at Cheltenham. Paul Townend is likely to ride him patiently again before delivering him late. However his overall form still looks a little short of the level set by Fact To File and he may once again be playing for minor honours.

Selection – Fact To File
Danger – Heart Wood

PERTEMPS NETWORK FINAL HANDICAP HURDLE - 2m 7f 213y (Premier Handicap) - New Course

13 of the last 14 winners were aged 8 or younger
11 of the last 14 winners had 10 or fewer runs over hurdles
7 of the last 10 winners were trained in Ireland
Only one of the last 42 winners was older than 9

Supremely West

This horse has been spoken about as the Dan Skelton plot for the race, but the fact he hasn’t won since December 2024 has to be a concern. Connections may well have had this race in mind for some time and he has been campaigned accordingly, but he still needs to prove he retains the same level of form he showed previously. Given how competitive this race usually is, he looks short enough in the market and I’ll be looking elsewhere.

Melbourne Shamrock

A point-to-point winner who appears to have improved with racing under rules. He was pulled up on his hurdles debut but has gradually progressed and arrives here after winning his first handicap off a mark of 132, which has allowed him to sneak into the race. That victory came in what looked a fairly modest contest but he remains unexposed and could still have a bit more improvement in him. The headgear angle is also interesting as he switches to first-time blinkers, replacing the cheekpieces he wore last time. Headgear has had a surprisingly strong impact on this race historically, producing nine winners in the last twenty-five years, so that small detail could be significant.

Bold Endeavour

He has a very solid record at Cheltenham which immediately catches the eye. He finished fifth in the 2023 Coral Cup off a mark of 140 and followed that by finishing fourth in this race in 2024 when racing from a mark of 143. On his other two starts at the track he finished second on both occasions off marks of 142 and 139, so he clearly handles Cheltenham extremely well. The obvious negative is his age as he’s now ten years old, and the historical trends suggest that horses of that age have a very poor record in this race.

Staffordshire Knot

Gordon Elliott has a very strong record in the Pertemps Final and has won the race three times in the last decade, including back-to-back victories with Sire Du Berlais who carried big weights on both occasions. The addition of blinkers combined with a step up in trip has completely revitalised Staffordshire Knot this winter and he has started to show much better form as a result. The one slight question mark is whether he will be just as effective on slightly better ground, but if he handles those conditions he could easily run a very big race. I’ll be taking a chance on both Melbourne Shamrock and Staffordshire Knot each-way.

Selections – Melbourne Shamrock & Staffordshire Knot (small each-way bets)

KIM MUIR CHALLENGE CUP - 3m 2f (Handicap) - New Course

Six of the last seven winners were novices
Ten of the last fifteen winners had not won earlier in the season
Seven of the last ten winners were trained in Ireland
JP McManus has won four of the last fourteen renewals
There has been only one six-year-old winner since 1971

Waterford Whispers

I’ve already mentioned that Henry De Bromhead’s stable form has been a concern during the early part of the Festival, although he did have several horses run extremely well at big prices yesterday which could indicate the yard is beginning to hit better form. Waterford Whispers ticks a number of the key trends for this race. He remains a novice over fences, hasn’t won a race this season and runs in the familiar JP McManus colours. He also looks relatively unexposed at this trip and already has Cheltenham Festival form having finished second in the Martin Pipe Hurdle in 2024. Off a mark of 137 he appears to have a very solid chance in what is always a competitive race. If the day has gone well up to this point I’ll probably have a slightly bigger bet on him.

Road To Home

Willie Mullins has never won a handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival which is a fairly striking statistic and not something that can easily be ignored. Aside from that negative trend, however, this horse actually fits many of the other profiles we typically see for winners of this race. He’s a novice chaser, hasn’t won a race this season and is trained in Ireland. He should also appreciate the better ground conditions he’s likely to encounter here and, at a decent price, could easily run into a place if ridden patiently and allowed to finish strongly from off the pace.

Selection – Waterford Whispers
Danger – Road To Home

RECOMMENDED MULTIPLE BETS

Win Treble

Bambino Fever (1:20) - 1/1
Wodhooh (2:40) - 4/5
Fact To File (4:00) - 8/11

CLICK TO ADD THIS BET to your bet slip - open in bet365

Each-Way Trixie

Jordans Cross (2:00) - 6/1 - 5 places
Kabral Du Mathan (3:20) - 7/2 - 4 places
Waterford Whispers (5:20) - 4/1 - 5 places