Last Updated on 28/02/2026 by Andy Clark
Ladies Day is the second day of the Cheltenham Festival and takes place on Wednesday 11th March 2026 and we have the key Cheltenham Day 2 trends to help with your betting.
It features seven races, including four Grade 1s, headlined by the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase. It is also the day BetMGM sponsors for the first time as the naming rights holders of both the Champion Chase and the newly renamed BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle — formerly the Coral Cup after 51 years. Below are the key historical trends for every race on Day 2 to help you build your shortlists.
Cheltenham Day 1 Trends | Cheltenham Day 3 Trends | Cheltenham Day 4 Trends
Turners Novices’ Hurdle – Cheltenham Trends
🥇2025 Winner: The New Lion – Dan Skelton / Harry Skelton
Age: 11 of the last 12 winners were aged 5 or 6. This mirrors the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle — older novice hurdlers have almost no record in either race.
Price: 6 of the last 12 winners started as outright favourite, and 10 of the last 12 came from the top 3 in the betting. The market is a strong and reliable guide here.
Last Run: 11 of the last 12 winners won their most recent race — one of the strongest last-time-out trends across the entire Festival. Every single winner (12/12) at least placed on their previous run, and every winner ran within the last 74 days. A horse who has not won or placed last time out has almost no chance.
Previous Course Form: Course experience is not required. Only 2 of the last 12 winners had previously run at Cheltenham, and just 2 had a previous win at the course. Like the Supreme, a Festival debutant can win.
Previous Distance Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 1 previous run over 19–21 furlongs, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 1 win over that trip. Proven form at two-and-a-half miles is close to a prerequisite, even if 6 of the last 12 only had 2 previous runs at the distance.
Previous Hurdle Form: Every winner had run over hurdles at least twice (12/12), 9 of the last 12 had at least 3 hurdle runs, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 2 hurdle wins. Very lightly-raced novices are against the trends.
Rating: Every single winner (12/12) was rated 146 or higher. This is a top-level novice hurdle and horses on modest ratings are very unlikely to feature.
Graded Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had at least one previous win at Grade 1, 2 or 3 level.
Season Form: 9 of the last 12 winners had run at least 3 times that season, every winner (12/12) had at least 1 win that season, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 2 wins. A horse yet to win twice in the current season is working against a strong trend.
❌Horse to Avoid: Any horse who did not win or place last time out — every winner in the last 12 years at least placed on their previous run. Also avoid horses rated below 146, as not a single winner in the sample fell below that mark.
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase – Cheltenham Trends
🥇2025 Winner: Lecky Watson – Willie Mullins / Sean O’Keeffe
Age: 9 of the last 12 winners were aged exactly 7. This is one of the narrowest age profiles of any race at the Festival.
Price: 6 of the last 12 winners started as outright favourite, and 9 of the last 12 came from the top 3 in the betting. The market is a sound guide, though not as dominant as in the Turners.
Last Run: 9 of the last 12 winners won their most recent race, and 11 of the last 12 at least placed. Every winner (12/12) ran within the last 77 days. A horse without a recent run is firmly against the trends.
Key Trials: The Ladbrokes Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown has produced 2 of the last 12 winners, both of whom won it. The Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham’s January meeting has produced 2 of the last 12 winners (1 won, 1 placed).
Previous Course Form: This is the most emphatic Cheltenham course form trend of any race on Day 2 — every single winner (12/12) had previously run at Cheltenham, and 7 of the last 12 had already won there. If a horse has never run at Cheltenham before, the record is against them.
Previous Distance Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 1 previous run over 23–25 furlongs, 9 of the last 12 had at least 2 previous runs over that trip, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 1 win over the distance. Proven three-mile form is effectively a requirement.
Previous Hurdle Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had at least 4 runs over hurdles, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 1 hurdle win. A solid hurdles foundation is consistent across all winners.
Previous Chase Form: Chase experience is essential. Every winner (12/12) had at least 2 previous chase runs, 9 of the last 12 had at least 3, 11 of the last 12 had at least 1 chase win, and 10 of the last 12 had at least 2 chase wins. Horses with just one chase run have no winning record.
Rating: 10 of the last 12 winners were rated 152 or higher. This is a top-level novice chase and the ratings bar is high.
Graded Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had previously won a Grade 1, 2 or 3 race.
Season Form: 9 of the last 12 winners had run at least 3 times that season, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 1 win.
❌Horse to Avoid: Any horse who has never run at Cheltenham before — every winner in the last 12 years had at least one previous run at the course. Also swerve horses with only 1 chase run under their belt, as every winner had at least 2.
BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle – Cheltenham Trends
🥇2025 Winner: Jimmy Du Seuil – Willie Mullins / Sean O’Keeffe (Formerly the Coral Cup. BetMGM became the new sponsor for 2026 following Coral’s exit after 51 years)
Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged between 6 and 8. Young four and five-year-olds and older veterans both struggle.
Price: This is one of the most open races of the entire Festival. Only 1 of the last 12 winners started as favourite, just 3 of the last 12 came from the top 3 in the betting, and 8 of the last 12 were priced at 12/1 or bigger. Backing short prices in this race has been a losing strategy historically.
Weight: 10 of the last 12 winners carried between 10st 7lb and 11st 8lb. Extreme weights at either end of the handicap are against the trends.
Last Run: Only 4 of the last 12 winners won their last race, fitting the competitive handicap nature of the contest. However, 9 of the last 12 had their previous run within the last 77 days.
Previous Course Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had previously run at Cheltenham, and 5 of the last 12 had a previous win at the course. Course experience is a meaningful positive.
Previous Distance Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 1 previous run over 19–21 furlongs, 9 of the last 12 had at least 2 previous runs over that trip, and 8 of the last 12 had at least 1 win over the distance.
Previous Hurdle Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had at least 6 previous hurdle runs, 11 of the last 12 had at least 2 previous hurdle wins, and 8 of the last 12 had at least 3 wins over hurdles. This is a race for seasoned, battle-tested hurdlers.
Rating: 10 of the last 12 winners had a rating of 140 or higher.
Season Form: 8 of the last 12 winners had run at least twice that season, and 7 of the last 12 had at least 1 win. This is a noticeably lower season-form bar than the Grade 1 races — horses in reasonable rather than sparkling form can still win.
❌Horse to Avoid: The favourite — only 1 of the last 12 won. This is the single strongest anti-favourite trend on the entire Day 2 card. Also swerve horses aged 5 or younger and those without any previous Cheltenham experience.
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase – Cheltenham Trends
🥇2025 Winner: Stumptown (5/2 JF) – Gavin Cromwell / Keith Donoghue (The race reverted to handicap status in 2025 after nine years as a conditions race)
Age: 10 of the last 11 winners were aged 8 or older. This is one of the oldest winner profiles at the Festival — young horses have an almost non-existent record in this unique test.
Price: 5 of the last 11 winners started as favourite or joint-favourite, and 10 of the last 11 came from the top 3 in the betting. Despite the race’s quirky nature, the market is remarkably reliable.
Last Run: Only 4 of the last 11 winners won their last race. However, 7 of the last 11 ran within the last 46 days — recent fitness matters even if sparkling recent form does not.
Key Trial: The Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham’s December meeting has produced 3 of the last 11 winners, though none of those 3 actually won the December trial — they placed or ran creditably in it.
Previous Course Form: This is the most extreme course form trend at the entire Festival. Every single winner (11/11) had previously run at Cheltenham, and 10 of the last 11 had previously won at the course. If a horse has never run at Cheltenham before, they have almost no chance.
Previous Distance Form: 10 of the last 11 winners had at least 1 previous run over the cross-country distance (29–30 furlongs), and 7 of the last 11 had at least 1 win over that trip. Experience of this specific test is essential.
Previous Hurdle Form: 9 of the last 11 winners had at least 9 previous runs over hurdles — this is a race for experienced, older horses with long careers. Every winner (11/11) had at least 1 hurdle win.
Previous Chase Form: 10 of the last 11 winners had at least 14 previous chase runs, and 10 of the last 11 had at least 3 previous chase wins. Lightly-raced chasers are firmly against the trends.
Rating: 10 of the last 11 winners were rated 142 or higher.
Season Form: 8 of the last 11 winners had run at least 3 times that season, though only 6 of the last 11 had at least 1 win that season. Horses arriving without a win in the current season can still land this race.
❌Horse to Avoid: Any horse who has never run at Cheltenham — the record is 0 from 11 in the last 12 renewals. Also note that Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls have never trained the winner of this race across a combined record of 0 from 30+.
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase – Cheltenham Trends
🥇2025 Winner: Marine Nationale – Barry Connell / Sean Flanagan
Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged between 7 and 9. The Champion Chase is a race for horses in their prime — young six-year-olds and older ten-year-olds both have poor records.
Price: Only 4 of the last 12 winners started as outright favourite, but 11 of the last 12 came from the top 3 in the betting. The market narrows the contenders reliably even if the favourite is vulnerable.
Last Run: Only 5 of the last 12 winners won their most recent race — a surprisingly low last-time-out hit rate for a Grade 1 championship race. However, 9 of the last 12 ran within the last 53 days.
Key Trial: The Clarence House Chase at Ascot is the most important prep — 6 of the last 12 winners ran there last time out, with 3 winning and 1 placing.
Previous Course Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had at least 2 previous runs at Cheltenham, and 7 of the last 12 had a previous win at the course. Cheltenham experience — and specifically multiple visits — is important.
Previous Distance Form: Every single winner (12/12) had at least 8 previous runs over 15–17 furlongs, and 10 of the last 12 had at least 6 wins over that trip. The Champion Chase is for elite, seasoned two-mile specialists — horses without a deep record over the trip simply do not win.
Previous Chase Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had at least 7 previous chase runs, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 5 previous chase wins. Every winner was a highly experienced chaser.
Rating: 9 of the last 12 winners were rated 162 or higher. The ratings bar for this race is the second highest of any race at the Festival, behind only the Gold Cup.
Graded Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had at least one Grade 1 win, and 11 of the last 12 had at least one Grade 2 win. Horses without a strong graded CV are against the trends.
Season Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had run at least twice that season, and 10 of the last 12 had at least 1 win.
❌Horse to Avoid: Horses who haven’t won their Grade 1 — 11 of the last 12 winners had at least one Grade 1 to their name. Also avoid horses with fewer than 7 chase runs and anything rated below 158.
Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase – Cheltenham Trends
🥇2025 Winner: Jazzy Matty – Cian Collins / Danny Gilligan
Age: 10 of the last 12 winners were aged between 6 and 9.
Price: The Grand Annual is the most unpredictable race on the entire Day 2 card. Only 1 of the last 12 winners started as favourite, just 2 of the last 12 came from the top 3 in the betting, and 9 of the last 12 were priced at 10/1 or bigger. This is one of the races where a big-priced winner is not just possible but historically the norm.
Weight: 9 of the last 12 winners carried between 10st 10lb and 11st 6lb. Neither top weight nor the lightest in the field tend to win.
Last Run: Only 1 of the last 12 winners won their last race — the lowest last-time-out strike rate of any race at the Festival. However, 9 of the last 12 had their previous run within the last 92 days.
Previous Course Form: 9 of the last 12 winners had previously run at Cheltenham, but only 4 of the last 12 had a previous win there. Having run at Cheltenham is useful; having won there is not required.
Previous Distance Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had at least 10 previous runs over 15–17 furlongs — this is a race for highly experienced two-mile specialists, not horses finding their feet at the trip. 11 of the last 12 had at least 2 wins over the distance, and 9 of the last 12 had at least 3 wins over it.
Previous Hurdle Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 6 previous runs over hurdles, and 11 of the last 12 had at least 2 hurdle wins.
Previous Chase Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 5 previous chase runs, every winner (12/12) had at least 1 chase win, and 8 of the last 12 had at least 2 chase wins.
Rating: 10 of the last 12 winners were rated between 135 and 147. The top weights above that band and lightly-weighted horses below it both struggle.
Season Form: 10 of the last 12 winners had run at least 3 times that season, but only 5 of the last 12 had at least 1 win. A horse without a win this season can absolutely take this prize — season form is far less important here than in the Grade 1 races.
❌Horse to Avoid: The favourite — only 1 of the last 12 has won, making this one of the worst races in the Festival to back the market leader. Also swerve horses with fewer than 5 chase runs and anything rated above 147 or below 135.
Weatherbys Champion Bumper – Cheltenham Trends
🥇2025 Winner: Bambino Fever – Willie Mullins / Jody Townend
Age: Every single winner of the last 12 renewals (12/12) was aged 5 or 6. Four-year-olds are 0 from 24 in the last decade. This is the most absolute age trend of any race at the Festival.
Price: Only 3 of the last 12 winners started as outright favourite, but 9 of the last 12 came from the top 3 in the betting. The market is a good guide even when the favourite is beaten.
Last Run: Every single winner (12/12) won their most recent race. This is the strongest last-time-out trend at the entire Festival — a horse who has not won last time out has never won the Champion Bumper in the last 12 years. 9 of the last 12 also ran within the last 45 days.
Key Trial: The Future Stars INH Flat Race at Leopardstown has produced 3 of the last 12 winners, and all 3 won it.
Previous Course Form: Course experience is not required here, mirroring the Supreme and the Turners. Only 2 of the last 12 winners had previously run at Cheltenham, and just 2 had a previous win at the course.
Previous Distance Form: 11 of the last 12 winners had at least 1 previous run over 15–17 furlongs, 10 of the last 12 had at least 2 previous runs over the trip, 11 of the last 12 had at least 1 win over the distance, and 8 of the last 12 had at least 2 wins. Proven form at the bumper trip is a consistent feature.
Previous NH Flat Form: Every winner (12/12) had previously won at least 1 NH flat race, 11 of the last 12 had run at least twice in bumpers, and 9 of the last 12 had at least 2 bumper wins. A horse with just one bumper run and win has a very poor record.
Rating: 10 of the last 12 winners were rated 124 or higher.
Season Form: Every winner (12/12) had at least 1 run and 1 win that season.
❌Horse to Avoid: Four-year-olds — they are 0 from 24 in the last 10 years and the trend shows no sign of changing. Also avoid any horse who did not win last time out, as every winner in the last 12 years came into the race off the back of a victory.
Looking for the best free bets to use across Ladies Day? Our Cheltenham free bets hub covers every current sign-up offer from our affiliate partners.
For tips and selections across the week, head to our Cheltenham Festival tips hub where we’ll be posting day-by-day best bets throughout the meeting.
For pundit analysis to sit alongside these trends, Ruby Walsh’s Cheltenham tips and Mick Fitzgerald’s Cheltenham tips are both well worth reading — Mick in particular has strong views on the Champion Chase.
For new accounts to open before the Festival, the BetMGM Cheltenham offer is well timed, given they sponsor two races on Ladies Day, while Betfred’s Cheltenham offer includes NRNB on all 28 Festival races.
Andy is the founder, owner and editor of thatsagoal.com, with over 20 years of experience in betting on sports. He has a keen eye for stats, particularly when looking at players to be carded, and these form a large part of the bet builder tips you see on the site. As well as creating daily football tips, Andy also keeps thatsagoal updated with all the best bookmaker promotions and offers for our readers.