Weekend Winners - Days One & Two of Cheltenham

Below is a race-by-race breakdown of the major players and whether they fall into the Banker or Blowout category on Days One and Two.

The Cheltenham Festival is almost upon us once again, and with the roar ready to echo around Prestbury Park, it’s time to take a proper look at some of the leading contenders for the biggest races of the week. Every year throws up its fair share of certainties, hype horses, false favourites and overpriced dangers, and 2026 looks no different. With form lines now well established, trials run, markets beginning to settle, and the final pieces of the puzzle falling into place, we can start to separate the genuine bankers from those who might just come up short when it matters most.
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Supreme Novices’ Hurdle - Old Park Star @ 2/1 - BANKER

Kicking things off in the opener is Old Park Star, who bids to provide his trainer Nicky Henderson with his sixth victory in the Supreme. After failing to win a bumper last year with Paul Nicholls, he has excelled when jumping and arrives here with three consecutive successes to his name, with wins at Kempton, Cheltenham (New Course) and most recently at Haydock. His official rating of 151 puts him clearly ahead of his rivals in this sphere, and from what we have seen, his temperament is top-class and will get the home team off to a flyer. You do have to take into consideration that his rivals were undoubtedly better than him last year and are major threats with the likes of El Cairos, Talk The Talk and Mighty Park (should he run here).

Arkle Novices’ Chase - Lulamba @ 13/8 - BLOWOUT

By saying Lulamba is a blowout is extremely harsh, but with the nature of this game, you have to choose either/or, and I’m afraid I can see him getting beaten. In no way am I saying that he cannot win an Arkle because, on pure ability, of course, he can. However, I haven’t been as impressed with his jumping as most are making out, and as shown at Newbury, he can throw in a poor jump, but undoubtedly is learning all the time. There is some classy opposition behind, and his biggest danger will undoubtedly be out in front, Kopek Des Bordes. He hasn’t run since his monstrous chasing debut, but he has had plenty of away days in recent weeks, and you can rely on Mullins and Townend to fire a big bullet in this, as usual.

Unibet Champion Hurdle - The New Lion @ 9/4 - BLOWOUT

If I were a bookmaker, this would be one I would really want to get stuck into. After winning the Turners at last season’s Cheltenham Festival, beating both Final Demand and The Yellow Clay, Dan Skelton was quick to say that the Champion Hurdle would be the plan. However, from what I have seen, both at Cheltenham and elsewhere, he will be a much better horse and is a more talented animal when running over further. That was shown to effect when outbattling two horses who are now running over three miles this year. He took a tumble in the Fighting Fifth when travelling strongly, but that looked to be the quickest that the horse had ever been, and he took a chance and unfortunately didn’t rise at the other end. There are also big dangers behind, including Lossiemouth (potentially), Brighterdaysahead and last year’s winner Golden Ace. Plus, you could also take him on with Poniros, who has seen plenty of market support recently and is another Festival winner when successful in the Triumph last year.

Turners Novices’ Hurdle - Mighty Park @ 7/2 - BLOWOUT

38 lengths. That is the distance in which Mighty Park destroyed his opposition at Fairyhouse, and with comparisons to some of the greats that Willie Mullins has trained, it is easy enough to see why he has shot to the top of the market in this. But I don’t think it will be as easy as that, and he will certainly have to dig deep if he wants to be successful here. There are plenty with chances, including No Drama This End, who bids to give his owner, Max McNeill, his first Festival winner, and he is unbeaten in three starts, including a victory here when he absolutely romped home to beat Heads Up, a very smart horse who has won recently. That was a monstrous effort on hurdling debut, and it’s not just him in here either. Ballyfad will be a lively player after going down by a whisker at the Dublin Racing Festival, along with his stablemate Skylight Hustle, who is a Grade 1 winner thanks to his victory in December. There is also the recent Sidney Banks winner Act Of Innocence and Grade 1 winner I’ll Sort That involved. The latter will be a big danger if he gets out alone in front. Therefore, you can argue that Mighty Park might be on the short side despite him being extremely talented.

Cross Country Handicap Chase - Stumptown @ 11/4 - BANKER

You need a certain type of horse to win the Cross Country, but you also need an able jockey, and Stumptown with Keith Donoghue match that bill to perfection. Donoghue has won five of the past seven renewals, and his ability to ride horses around this track should not be underplayed. He is a genius. Tiger Roll, Delta Work and now Stumptown, there is not another jockey in the weighing room who can ride it as well as he can, and he looks to go back-to-back with Stumptown, having convincingly won this race last year. Following a disappointing run at Aintree, Stumptown went on to win one of the most prestigious races in Europe and certainly one of the hardest - the Velka Pardubicka in the Czech Republic. After nearly falling at the Taxis fence, an infamous obstacle, Stumptown gathered them all up and surged on to win. He has to contend with five extra pounds this year, but he is coming here fresh from that race, and I expect a huge run. Favori De Champdou gets seven pounds from the favourite and is no forlorn hope, given his connections and represents Gigginstown and Gordon Elliott, a combination Keith Donoghue has won before with the likes of Delta Work and the legend Tiger Roll.

Queen Mother Champion Chase - Majborough @ 7/4 - BANKER

Majborough has the strongest profile in this year’s Champion Chase, in my opinion and arrives with the kind of credentials that can win this race. Willie Mullins has found the trick with the horse after applying cheekpieces at the Dublin Racing Festival, where he put in arguably the performance of his life, destroying the field and beating Marine Nationale in the process. He travelled and quickened in last year’s Arkle and showed that he does handle the Old Course, and if it wasn’t for walking through the second last, where he did remarkably well to stand up, he would have won. If in the same sort of form, he will demolish the field, and I expect him to do so.