Last Updated on 29/01/2026 by Andy Clark
Adam O’Brien is a seasoned horse racing tipster with a particular focus on Cheltenham Festival ante-post betting. With years of experience analysing form, trainer patterns, and festival trends, Adam provides expert insights to help punters navigate the high-stakes world of National Hunt racing. Known for his clear, practical advice and knack for spotting value in early markets, he has built a reputation among both casual punters and serious Festival followers.
As the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival 2026, Day 1 features top-class races that attract leading trainers, jockeys, and racing fans from across the UK and Ireland. The card includes key contests such as the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Champion Hurdle trials, and feature handicaps, setting the tone for an exciting four days of racing.
Our Cheltenham Day 1 tips cover every major race, highlighting top contenders, potential upsets, and value betting opportunities. We combine expert analysis, proven Festival trends, and up-to-date odds to give punters a competitive edge. Plus, we showcase the best free bet offers and new customer promotions to help you get the most from Day 1 at Leopardstown.
Cheltenham Day 1 2026 Ante-post Tips
This article looks at a few of my thoughts and fancies for Day 1 of the festival. My colleague from across the Irish Sea, Ciaran, will keep you educated with his thoughts on day 2 and day 3, whilst I close the festival with my thoughts on day 4.
With not every horse’s target 100% known or locked in currently, the shape of some races will look very different to what the betting suggests, come the day. My selections below are horses I believe that will not only shorten from now until the off, but horses that I think are good enough to win their respective races. My opinion has changed on a couple of them from the start of the season, but you can’t be too stubborn in this game, and I’m happy to back them now and have confidence they all run their race.
1.20pm – The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tip
This race saw a new name at the top of the market following last weekend’s action due to a demolition of a performance from Old Park Star in the Rossington Main (Supreme trial) at Haydock, which saw him beat a well-respected Hurricane Pat by 18 lengths. That performance was given a RPR of 150, and he rightly sits at the top of the pile and is surely the one the others must get up to, if they are going to compete in the day 1 opener.
Before that weekend, I would have said the race was wide open. The majority of the top 10 in the betting seem destined for the race, and they all look like they can be competitive based on their previous performance. At a time when Willie Mullins (seemingly) has no standout novice or a certain A-lister in the race, plenty of trainers would be fancying their chances.
Old Park Star is short enough now (9/4 across the board), but he’s earned that right after 3 solid performances, which have seen him improve with every run, and he has done this with the minimum of fuss.
The next 3 in the betting seem very talented and pose a threat, but they still have questions to answer. El Cairos (5/1) looked very good at Xmas on hurdling debut, but the Champion Bumper 5th from last season, took a stumbling fall at the last (unlucky to do so) to pass up his chance of winning in the style it looked like he would. He’s skipping the DRF in favour of an easier prep in a maiden, so will arrive in the Supreme, with no graded form to note. You couldn’t be but impressed though, and if he shows that ability again in his next start, then hes 1 of only a few that I believe can beat the favourite.
3rd in the betting takes us to another horse who impressed over Christmas but couldn’t finish the job, in Talk The Talk, who also stumbled on landing when coming to win the Grade 1 Future Novices Hurdle. Pardon the pun, but there has been a lot of talk on this horse since that race, and he is now as short as 8/1 in places (having been 14/1 for a few days after). He did his impressing in a Grade 1, though and even though many in the race didn’t fire, you would have to be impressed with the way he went past horses before unshipping. Although he impressed many and isn’t without a chance, he’s one at the top end of the market that I’m not keen on, as I wasn’t sure about his jumping technique or landing. I’m more inclined to favour and forgive El Cairos over Talk The Talk.
You can win a Supreme Novices Hurdle (Shishkin) with an F (fall) in your form book, but you would want to see both horses complete in their prep run to be taking a shortish price.
Mydaddypaddy (12/1) was the horse at the top of the betting at Christmas, but now finds himself down the pack due to his loss to Idaho Sun (16/1) in Aintree’s Grade 1 feature. I wouldn’t be surprised if either won the Supreme, but I would say they have a fair few lbs to find if they are going to go close here. Idaho Sun is probably overpriced for that win, though. Even though some hurdles were omitted, he found more and beat Mydaddypaddy fair and square, and there’s no guarantee MDP could turn that form around, so I’m surprised he’s 4 points shorter.
Another notable contender is MOSSY FEN ROAD (16/1), who bolted up at Chepstow over Christmas. How good that race was or how good this horse is can be questionable, but he’s one that can’t be dismissed. It looks like the Harry Derham horse and Idaho Sun will race again before Cheltenham (MFR entered at Musselburgh at the weekend), so here’s hoping we see them and get more answers about the ability they may or may not possess.
Other horses who could interest me, but I’m not sure if they will turn up here or go elsewhere, are King Rasko Grey (could go to the Turners Novices Hurdle) and Mighty Park (impressive on debut last week but could also be a Turners horse). KRG has shortened for the 2m race at the DRF at the weekend, and also consequently the Supreme, which may give us a steer. But I would want to see what he can do on the weekend before committing.
Old Park Star is clearly the likely winner and the one that is very likely to go off favourite come the start of the Festival. In terms of a bet now though, I would suggest that EL CAIROS (5/1) is the one that could put it up to Old Park Star and I want him on my side as I believe he could be just as good.
One at a bigger price for a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle each-way tip that I hope can run well for the smaller stable is Mossy Fen Road (16/1). Due to his connections, it’s not crazy to see him going off an even bigger price on the day, though, so he’s one I would wait for until we see his final run.
Read our full Supreme Novices’ preview and tips here >
2.00pm – The Arkle
With 6 weeks until the Arkle and around a week (at the time of writing) until the Irish version at the Dublin Racing Festival 2026, this race is somewhat murky. The reason for this is due to the uncertainty at the top end of the market, with rumours of Kopek Des Bordes’ well-being heavily talked about and ‘discussed’ in the racing channels. The betting suggests the 2025 Supreme winner won’t be making his target at the DRF (after already missing his engagement at Christmas due to a small setback in his knee) and as a result has drifted for the main event in March.
That added to the uncertainty around 3rd fav Romeo Coolio’s destination at Prestbury Park has meant Lulamba has shortened to a skinny 6/4 for the race. The KTDA team have said they will decide late on whether their horse takes in the Arkle on Day 1 or wait 24 hours to go up in trip in the 3m Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. If Gordon Elliott’s horse goes to the DRF on Saturday and runs in the Arkle, I would be surprised if he were to then step up all the way to the Brown Advisory trip.
I believe Romeo Coolio should be going up in trip, and I would happily take him on at 2m (just short of) at Cheltenham. He’s a good yardstick, but I think Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba will have too much speed for him.
The race does look like having some depth to it (if the 3 above turn up), and it would be grand if the majority of the top 6-7 in the betting go to post. It also wouldn’t surprise me if we have another race like last year, though, and an outsider wins the race. Kargese, Irish Panther and Mambonumberfive are certainly not without a chance.
At the prices, though, and because I love a risky ante-post punt, I would suggest the play here is backing KOPEK DES BORDES (3/1) and I think he’s too big at 3/1. It’s almost like it has been inevitable that he was going to be ruled out for the season or have confirmation of a setback of some sort, over the last week or so. That hasn’t arrived, and with little snippets of comments from Closutton that show a sign of positivity, I’m happy to believe that he’s going to get to the Arkle. And if he does get there (even off 1 run), he won’t be going off at 3/1. He is laden with ability, and if any horse can win an Arkle in 2026 off of 1 chase run, then it’s going to be a horse trained by Willie Mullins.
Read our full Arkle Novices’ Chase preview and tips here >
2.40pm – The Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
MUNSIF (25/1) is the last horse on the list and one I’m hoping qualifies (gets his 3rd run in) for that race in a couple of weeks by running in the famous 4yo race at Naas that has such a good record of producing Fred Winter winners over the past decade. If he goes to the race, I can’t see him going off anywhere near the 25/1 that he is currently.
3.20pm – Ultima Handicap Chase
MOON ROCKET was on my list before the weekend, and even though he was last of 6 runners at Windsor on Sunday, he’s still firmly on the radar. You can get a massive 50/1 on him in the village, and I think that is a huge price.
4.00pm – The Unibet Champion Hurdle
The race has been turned on its head since the weekend due to the injury suffered to ante-post favourite Sir Gino at Cheltenham on trials day. A broken pelvis to the Seven Barrows star is another setback that the yard has suffered in this division this season following the dramatic falls for Constitution Hill.
The current favourite now hails from Ireland in the form of Lossiemouth. But all is not that simple as there is also a chance that she doesn’t turn up for the day 1 feature and instead diverts to the Mares Hurdle later in the week. As a result, we have another murky race/market that is very much up in the air.
2nd in the betting (but a guaranteed runner) is The New Lion who was the grateful recipient of Sir Gino’s injury when winning the Unibet Hurdle. Last season’s Turners Novice Hurdle winner is to be respected in the race and showed a good turn of foot when needed, after a slowly run race where they crawled for the majority of the 2 miles. However, the JP McManus charge is a horse I’d want to take on in this race – whether or not Lossiemouth turns up. I think that horse had to show more against far inferior horses if it was to show its good enough to win a Champion Hurdle.
With doubts over Lossiemouth’s potential participation and without seeing the biggest trial we now have left (the Irish Champion Hurdle at the DRF), it’s currently a hold on what to back and be committed to here. Anzadam is an intriguing runner again at the weekend and we shall also hopefully see a fully fit and raring to go Brighterdaysahead against them. Let’s see what the market and chances of those horses look like in 7 days’ time.
4.40pm – TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase
I’d say it’s still fairly early for strong handicap thoughts, but that hasn’t stopped me from having a few on a shortlist as potential bets nearer the time. MADARA (16/1) seems to be a horse that could be targeted for this pot by team Skelton, and he’s one I would be on side with if he does run. Now best price 16/1 following a bit of support in the last 10 days seems fair, but it could be that he shortens drastically again if declared.
Cheltenham 2026 Day 1 Race Schedule
There’s plenty to back across day one of the Cheltenham Festival, and you’ll find tons of great offers too from all the top brands like SBK, Betfred and beyond. The racing gets underway at 1.30pm on March 10th, running through until the early evening.
You can find the full day’s schedule for day one below:
| TIMES | RACE | DISTANCE | TYPE |
| 13:20 | The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) | 2m | Hurdle |
| 14:00 | The Singer Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) | 2m | Chase |
| 14:40 | The Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) | 2m 87y | Hurdle |
| 15:20 | The Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) | 3m 1f | Chase |
| 16:00 | The Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m | Hurdle |
| 16:40 | The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) | 2m 4f 44y | Chase |
| 17:20 | The Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase |
Cheltenham Day 1 Free Bet Offers
The bookies will be out in full force on Cheltenham Day 1, and there will be tons of offers to choose from too (many mentioned below). The likes of bet365, Betfred and even brands such as LiveScoreBet have some fantastic odds and offers for day one of the festival.
We always scour the bookies for the best odds, and you’ll find many of our favourite, and most trusted bookmakers to play with below…
Key Trends – Cheltenham Festival 2026 Day 1
- Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – Favourites with strong recent RPRs and proven Grade 1 form perform best; horses improving with each run are more likely to deliver.
- Champion Hurdle Trial Form – Horses that have shown a turn of foot in competitive 2-mile hurdles over the winter often carry their form into Day 1 races.
- Grade 1 Debutants – First-time G1 runners can be competitive, but inexperience over top-level hurdles often sees them fall short unless extremely progressive.
- Trainer Patterns – Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, and top Irish yards have strong Day 1 records; horses from these trainers are often overrepresented in the top 3.
- Prep Race Performance – Horses coming off a convincing winter win, especially at Cheltenham or similar tracks, tend to outperform those that struggled at recent trials.
- Jockey Influence – Experienced Festival jockeys increase the chances of novices handling pressure; consider jockeys with proven success at the Cheltenham Festival.
- Fall Risk – Horses with a history of jumping errors or previous falls at the Festival or major trials are higher-risk bets.
- Pricing Signals – Early market favourites often perform, but overreaction to small trial wins can make slightly longer odds runners (5/1–16/1) valuable.
- Age and Experience – 5-7 year olds tend to dominate novice hurdles, with younger horses often needing more time to settle into top-level racing.
- Ground Conditions – Horses proven on soft or testing ground typically have an advantage on Day 1, given winter weather trends at Cheltenham.
What Are Other Pundits Predicting For Cheltenham Festival Day 1?
Of course, you shouldn’t just be looking at our top tips; there’s a wealth of horse racing expertise out there for you to make the most of. It’s the time of year all the best horse racing pundits have their say, and we do our best not to miss a thing, bringing you all the top picks on our dedicated Pundit Tips page.
You’ll find top picks from the likes of Ruby Walsh, Matt Chapman, Kevin Blake and many more, all complete with the latest odds and best places to bet on them.
Cheltenham Day 1 Bookies Offers
There’s no better way to kick off your Cheltenham Festival betting than with a free bet. We always collate the finest free bet offers for you to enjoy, with brands like SBK offering some pretty incredible promotions not just for the first day, but right across the festival.
You’ll find all the very best Cheltenham Day 1 free bets below and all you need to do is click your favourite, sign-up and start betting.
Cheltenham Day 1 FAQs
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