Your 2026 Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide for Day 2 Races

by Roy Brindley, 10 March 2026

Stumptown is fancied to retain his Cross Country crown on day two of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, where big fields and open-looking races are a theme.

Majborough, seen winning the 2024 Triumph Hurdle, seeks a second Festival victory in Wednesday’s Champion Chase.© Getty Images

Key Facts:

• Ireland is expected to come out on top on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
• Romeo Coolio can prove himself a future Gold Cup candidate in the Brown Advisory.
• Majborough should confirm the figures count in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
• Willie Mullins’ outstanding record in the Bumper is predicted to be extended.

Day two of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival features big fields and several open-looking contests. Despite this complexion, it would be a surprise if Irish runners do not claim at least four of the day’s seven races.

While Majborough is clearly best on form in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, it is Stumptown, in the cross-country race, that has been awarded our ‘nap’. The ‘next best’ distinction goes to Love Sign d’Aunou in the concluding race on this exciting card.

Here, our horse racing betting expert, Roy Brindley, gives his views on the day’s action and explains why Majborough and Stumptown are his best bets on a card that features 128 runners.

1.20 pm – The Turners Novices’ Hurdle Race

Better known by its previous names, the Sun Alliance, Neptune, and Ballymore Hurdles, this contest normally proves to be the strongest of the four novice hurdle races run at the Cheltenham Festival.

Unlike previous years, 2026’s race has attracted a full field of 22 runners – ten above its decade-long average – with more than half being Irish-trained. Over the past eight years, four winners have been odds-on favourites, and three others were priced at 3/1 or shorter.

Betting 5/1 the field this time around, the Turners Novices’ Hurdle has not been so open in almost 20 years, and many stats may be inapplicable. Particularly for Placepot players, a ‘cluster bomb’ approach is recommended here – meaning taking several selections is advised.

Joseph O’Brien-trained horses seem to run better than their form suggests, so his 66/1 shot, Zeus Power, is among our picks. Others are the Dan Skelton-trained Bossman Jack (20/1) and Soldier Reeves (50/1). Act Of Innocence and Sober are also included, albeit they are trading at shorter prices with the UK’s online bookmakers.

2.00 pm – Brown Advisory Novices’ Steeple Chase

The top staying chase for novices at Cheltenham, this three-mile contest has produced Gold Cup winners Lord Windermere, Bobs Worth and Denman, plus stars such as Might Bite. More recently, Minello Indo finished second (in 2020) before winning the following year’s blue-riband contest.

Once again, the field is larger than normal. Sixteen horses are entered this year, and the betting is wide-open. However, nine of the field are struck out as they are rated under 150, and the past 11 winners were all rated 150-plus.

As the joint top-rated, being unbeaten in all four chase starts, and a runner at last year’s Festival (11 of the last 15 Brown Advisory winners ran over hurdles at the previous year’s Festival), Romeo Coolio is the selection here.

He is stepping up in trip and has a hood applied for the first time. If it settles him and helps Romeo Coolio to concentrate – he appeared to idle on his most recent start – this Gordon Elliott-trained horse could prove himself to be a future Gold Cup candidate on Wednesday.

2.40 pm – The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle

In 2026, the maximum field size is cut to 24, and it sold out once again. Stats show the two-mile five-furlong contest is a favourites graveyard, with market principles stuck on a one-from-22 record. Similarly, top-weights are one-from-32.

Like the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, it is prudent to have a handful of horses going for you here. Lightly-raced types, potentially unexposed, are the ones to concentrate on. Amongst these we like Putyourhandstogether, Bunting and Kopeck De Mee.

HMS Seahorse, who has unseated and fallen in two runs since a victory, carries nine pounds less than he did in this contest in 2023 (when starting amongst the favourites), and is an interesting big-priced contender.

3.20 pm – The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase

The Emerald Isle has won the ‘Cross Country’ 17 times – an impressive stat given the race only has a 20-year history! That amazing record could become 18 if Stumptown lands his sixth successive cross-country race and defends his title in the process.

WHAT A RACE! 👏

The favourite, Stumptown wins the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase 🥇#ITVRacing | @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/tdkNqKSos2

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 13, 2024

As 10 of the past 12 winners came from the top three in the betting (only one of the past 11 victors had an SP of greater than 7/1), Stumptown’s chances are obvious. He is disputing favouritism with Favori De Champdou.

Desertmore House sits third in the betting at 4/1. All three are Irish-trained, suggesting it is highly unlikely that any of the 11 other runners will stake a claim on the destiny of this £75,000 contest despite it being a handicap for the first time in 2026.

4.00 pm – The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase

The hugely prestigious BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase is the biggest race on the Festival’s second day. Nicky Henderson has won this two-mile 13-fence contest six times, but he is without a representative in 2026.

Henderson’s absence turns attention to the two Willie Mullins-trained runners: even-money favourite, Majborough, and 9/2 shot, Il Etait Temps. This duo is well clear of the eight other contenders on official ratings and could easily produce a 1-2 finish.

4.40 pm – Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase

Race fans who are on the back foot heading into the sixth race on Wednesday’s card will do well to get back on track in the ‘Grand Annual’. This 20-runner handicap is a black hole for punters as the most recent winners had SPs of 12/1, 22/1, 28/1, 14/1, 7/2, 66/1 and 15/2!

The golden rules here are: Ignore top-weights – as they are on a nought-from-32 run. Ignore favourites – who are two-from-21. Do not look for runners with recent winning form and concentrate on British-trained runners.

With stats suggesting the winner is likely to carry between 10 stone 11 pounds and 11 stone 6 pounds, our crystal ball has chosen Vanderpoel and Ryan’s Rocket in this two-miler.

5.20 pm – The Weatherbys Champion Bumper

The answer is ‘Willie Mullins’, the question is, which one of his horses will win this contest! Oh, and the key stat: 26 of the past 33 Champion Bumper winners were trained in Ireland, with 14 of these representing Willie Mullins.

Love Sign d’Aunou has a strikingly similar profile to Mullins’ 2024 Champion Bumper winner Jasmin De Vaux, and this French-bred looked awesome when winning at Naas in January. 5/1 early odds are surprising but are not to be sniffed at either.

How Can I Watch the 2026 Cheltenham Festival?

The first six races of each of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival’s race days will be broadcast live on ITV 1 and streamed live on ITVX. Subscription channel, Racing TV, will broadcast all seven daily races live.

Sports betting sites will also stream the action for customers who place a qualifying bet. New customer sign-up offers, free bet concessions and additional place positions for each-way place bettors will be commonplace amongst online bookmakers during jump racing’s biggest week.