Last Updated on 26/02/2026 by Andy Clark
Kevin Blake is one of the most respected analysts in Irish and British horse racing, and At The Races’ lead pundit for the Cheltenham Festival. Based in Ireland, his knowledge of the Irish-trained horses that dominate the modern Festival is second to none, and his Cheltenham coverage — through his weekly column, his video analysis for At The Races and his appearances on the At The Races preview night — makes him one of the most sought-after voices in the build-up to the meeting. On this page, you will find all of Kevin Blake’s confirmed Cheltenham 2026 selections, his analysis from the At The Races preview night, and his daily tips updated each morning throughout the four days from Tuesday 10th March.
Kevin Blake writes his regular column, The Kevin Blake Take, for attheraces.com and provides tips and analysis for the Betfair Betting Podcast as well as his own At The Races video content. He is particularly strong on Irish form and the ante-post markets, with a deep understanding of how Irish trainers like Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Joseph O’Brien approach their Cheltenham squads.
Kevin Blake’s Cheltenham 2026 At The Races Preview Night Selections
Kevin Blake appeared on the At The Races Cheltenham Preview Night on Tuesday 24th February 2026, alongside Matt Chapman, trainer Ben Pauling and host Sean Boyce, live from 8pm. The panel assessed the major championship races ahead of the Festival.
His confirmed selection from the preview night is below. Further selections from the video will be added to the tips table once reviewed.
Talk The Talk — Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Tuesday 10th March)
Kevin Blake was enthusiastic about Talk The Talk’s chances in the opening race of the Festival, praising the Joseph O’Brien-trained five-year-old as a horse with a very obvious chance. Blake highlighted that with slightly different luck, Talk The Talk would be arriving at Cheltenham as an unbeaten two-time Grade 1 winning hurdler — his record only blemished by a costly final-flight error at Leopardstown over Christmas when he looked to have the race at his mercy. Blake was also keen to relay the strength of O’Brien’s own regard for the horse, noting that the trainer — not known for talking his horses up publicly — had been on record in glowing terms about Talk The Talk’s ability. The selection is expected to take on Supreme favourite Old Park Star in the opening race of the meeting.
Kevin Blake’s Daily Cheltenham Tips — Updated Each Morning During the Festival
During the 2026 Cheltenham Festival — Tuesday 10th March to Friday 13th March — this section will be updated each morning with Kevin Blake’s tips for that day’s racing from At The Races and the Betfair Betting Podcast. His selections are published across attheraces.com and his video content, typically from the evening before each day.
Champion Day — Tuesday 10th March Kevin Blake’s Champion Day tips will be added here on Tuesday 10th March.
Ladies Day — Wednesday 11th March Kevin Blake’s Wednesday tips will be added here on Wednesday 11th March.
St Patrick’s Thursday — Thursday 12th March Kevin Blake’s Thursday tips will be added here on Thursday 12th March.
Gold Cup Day — Friday 13th March Kevin Blake’s Gold Cup Day tips will be added here on Friday 13th March.
Who is Kevin Blake?
Kevin Blake is an Irish-based horse racing analyst and tipster who has been one of At The Races’ most prominent pundits for several years. He writes the weekly column The Kevin Blake Take for attheraces.com, covering the major races and storylines in British and Irish racing throughout the season, and provides tips and analysis through the Betfair Betting Podcast, making him one of the most widely-followed voices in horse racing analysis.
His particular strength is his depth of knowledge on Irish racing and the Irish-trained horses that have come to dominate the Cheltenham Festival in recent years. With trainers like Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott sending over increasingly powerful squads each March, Blake’s close understanding of Irish form, Irish handicap marks and the thinking of the major Irish yards gives his Cheltenham analysis a distinctive and valuable edge that British-based pundits often cannot match.
The Cheltenham Festival is where Blake’s profile is at its highest. His At The Races preview night appearance — which he has done alongside Matt Chapman in recent years — is one of the most widely watched pieces of Cheltenham build-up content in the sport, and his race-by-race assessments in the weeks before the Festival are essential reading for anyone looking to understand the Irish challenge.
Bet on Kevin Blake’s Cheltenham Tips with a Free Bet
The Cheltenham Festival is the best time of year to open a new betting account, with bookmakers offering their most generous sign-up deals to coincide with the four days of racing. The free bet offers below can all be used to back Kevin Blake’s selections — whether that is his preview night picks now or his daily tips during Festival week itself. See our full Cheltenham free bets guide for the complete list of current offers.
More Cheltenham Festival Tipster Predictions
Kevin Blake is one of several expert pundits whose Cheltenham 2026 tips we are tracking across the Festival. For more selections and race-by-race analysis from the leading voices in horse racing, see the pages below.
Ruby Walsh Cheltenham Tips — Paddy Power Racing Ambassador and ITV Racing pundit. All of Ruby Walsh’s confirmed 2026 Cheltenham selections and daily tips are updated throughout the week.
Tom Segal (Pricewise) Cheltenham Tips — The Racing Post’s Pricewise column. All of Tom Segal’s confirmed 2026 Festival selections across all four days.
Matt Chapman’s Cheltenham Tips — ITV Racing and At The Races presenter. Matt Chapman’s five championship race selections for 2026, updated throughout the Festival.
Mick Fitzgerald Cheltenham Tips — Former Gold Cup-winning jockey and ITV Racing pundit. Mick Fitzgerald’s Lucky 15 selections and daily tips are updated throughout the Festival.
Templegate Cheltenham Tips — The Sun’s Templegate tips for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Five confirmed ante-post handicap selections with full reasoning, plus daily best bets updated throughout the four days.
Newsboy Cheltenham Tips — The Daily Mirror’s Newsboy tips for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, updated daily throughout the four days.
Dave Nevison Cheltenham Tips — Professional punter and Racing UK pundit Dave Nevison’s Cheltenham 2026 tips and best bets.
For all pundit tips in one place, see our Cheltenham Festival Pundit Tips hub.