As the Cheltenham Festival 2026 gets underway this Tuesday, our horse racing expert Steven Mullington identifies his three best bets for Champion Hurdle Day.
3.20pm The Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3m 1f
Yorkshire trainers Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith's star chaser KONFUSION can make a big impact on the opening day of the Festival.
Konfusion has had a really successful winter thus far, claiming the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle and the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby on Boxing Day, and will be ridden by Callum Bewley on the day.
The eight-year-old will be bidding to emulate Vintage Clouds who Smith trained to win the three-mile-and-a-furlong Ultima in 2021, and at odds of 14/1, and with the stable going well, he’s well worth an each-way flutter.
4.00pm The Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m
GOLDEN ACE essentially is the horse who represents the most value in this field. She cannot be overlooked as she has shown just what a battle hardened mare she is, and she possesses talent by the bucket load.
Yes, she got lucky in last year’s renewal, and again to a certain degree when Constitution Hill and The New Lion both fell at Newcastle in the Fighting Fifth. But she still had to put both those races to bed and fought off the remaining opposition with tenacity.
Trading at around the 8/1 mark, she’s one of those each-way plays that you ideally want to win for an added bonus.
5.20pm The Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase 3m 6f
The Rebecca Curtis-trained NEWTON TORNADO fairly dotted up in a 3m Novices' Limited Handicap Chase in soft conditions at Doncaster.
I was there that day, and you could tell a long way out that the seven-year-old was going to pick up the leaders and run away with it.
Curtis clearly rates the gelding and with a bit of juice in the ground on Tuesday, he’s a major contender.
*Odds subject to change - prices accurate at the time of writing*
