See Andy Newton’s Cheltenham Festival tips for DAY TWO when the meeting moves into Wednesday – with the action continuing with a cracking seven-race card that’s headlined by the Queen Mother Champion Chase at 4pm.
Cheltenham Festival Tips – Day Two Best Bets (Wednesday 11th March, 2026) 🏇
- 1:20pm – Turners Novices’ Hurdle: MIGHTY PARK
- 2:00pm – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase: WENDIGO
- 2:40pm – BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle: KATEIRA / BALLYADAM
- 3:20pm – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase: STUMPTOWN
- 4:00pm – BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase: MAJBOROUGH
- 4:40pm – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase: JAZZY MATTY / VANDERPOEL
- 5:20pm – Weatherbys Champion Bumper: THE MOURNE RAMBLER
Also see Andy Newton’s Cheltenham Festival trends for day two – giving all the key stats based on past history.
Plus catch Andy’s weekly horse racing views and tips on The Final Furlong podcast with host Emmet Kennedy and guests.
And get his popular daily horse racing cheat sheet here, with top stats and tips to help your punting each day.
Andy Newton’s 1-2-3 Cheltenham Festival Tips On Wednesday (Plus Three BIG Stats For Each Race)
1:20pm – Turners Novices’ Hurdle
No Dramas This End is a likely horse that was a tidy winner of the Challow Hurdle, but I’m not sure what he’s actually beaten so far.
His trainer Paul Nicholls is also 0-10 in the Turners, in contrast to Willie Mullins – who is 7/17.
He could run the exciting MIGHTY PARK here, who dotted up at Fairyhouse last time – beating Roc Dino by a massive 28 lengths.
Yes, that could have been a fluke, but connections of Might Bite’s brother have made no secret they think this 5yold is smart and JP McManus also won this prize 12 months ago with The New Lion.
Mullins might also send King Rasko Grey here, but the small worry would be the quicker ground.
Gordon Elliott won this before with the mighty Samcro and Envoi Allen and his Skylight Hustle is noted too.
While the Declan Queally-trained I’ll Sort That has done nothing wrong winning his last four and you feel if he was trained by Mullins, Hendo, Nicholls or Elliott he wouldn’t be 14/1.
Especially after winning a Grade One Novice Hurdle at Naas last time in decent fashion.
🥇MIGHTY PARK
🥈SKYLIGHT HUSTLE
🥉I’LL SORT THAT
KEY STATS 📈
- 10 of the last 12 winners Irish-trained
- Willie Mullins is 7/17
- Challow Hurdle winners 1-22 in recent years
2:00pm – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Final Demand, for this next ITV Racing Cheltenham race – no thank you.
Okay, he could win, but I’m not happy siding with a favourite that was beaten in the Turners last season and flopped at the DRF last time.
It’s actually and insult to Kaid d’Authie, who beat Final Demand in the Ladbrokes Novices Chase last time and I’d rather be with his other Willie Mullins runner over FD.
Western Fold was also back in second that day and ahead of FD and with his consistent profile has to be noted too.
I think Sixmilebridge is over-priced too after doing nothing wrong in winning his last three – the last coming in the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown.
He’s another that if trained by a more fashionable handler (no disrespect to Fergal) – he’d be a lot shorter than 14/1.
The Big Westerner was only just chinned (2 1/2 lengths) in the Albert Bartlett last season and she’s done well over fences since.
I like her, and she also gets the handy 7lbs mares’ allowance. but WENDIGO was just behind her in the potato race last season (5th) after meeting trouble late on.
He’s also impressed since going chasing and despite having 3 3/4 lengths to find with Kitzbuhel on their Kempton run on Boxing Day, that track won’t have suited.
Cheltenham will be a lot more up this dour stayer’s street.
🥇WENDIGO
🥈KAID D’AUTHIE
🥉THE BIG WESTERNER
KEY STATS 📈
- Willie Mullins is 3/5 in recent years
- Five of the last 9 favourites have won
- No Kauto Star Novices’ Chase winner ever
2:40pm – BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle
Like most years the old Coral Cup is a race with a stack of chances – with Gigginstown’s Storm Heart and recent DRF runner-up I Started A Joke two leading players.
The former could easily have the last laugh – but are they value?
We could also see this season’s Lanzarote Hurdle winner Iberico Lord here as trainer Nicky Henderson looks to follow-up his wins in 2019 and 2020.
Gordon Elliott has done well here too, with wins in 2016 and 2022. So anything he runs is noted, especially last season’s Turners runner-up The Yellow Clay.
But it’s also a prize that Dan Skelton has loved – winning two of the last three, with Langer Dan, who we sadly lost recently.
He’s could throw a few darts at the race, but KATEIRA is the most interesting.
This mare looks to have been laid out for this to me with her mark down to 141 and having run well in Listed and Graded races.
Don’t forget she beat last season’s Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace (albeit a below par one) at Wetherby earlier this season.
At Doncaster in December the trip was too far (3m 1/2f) and the last twice has had to shoulder 12st – she’s only got 10-13 this time.
Then, the old boy BALLYADAM is the call to hit the top 5 in the place markets again.
This 11 year-old was 3rd last year off 151 and is now only a pound higher (152).
A recent spin on the flat at Dundalk (3rd) will have him spot on and he loves Chelts.
He’s run here six times and is yet to finish out of the top five.
🥇KATEIRA
🥈BALLYADAM
🥉I STARTED A JOKE
KEY STATS 📈
- 19/25 had 9 or less runs over hurdles
- 4/16 (Henderson), 3/14 (Elliott)
- Four of the last seven wore headgear
3:20pm – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
The Cross Country race is not everyone’s cup of tea but as least it’s now a handicap – making it more competitive (in theory).
Ireland have dominated, winning 17 of the last 20, with the last British handler to win Phillip Hobbs with Balthazar King in 2014.
Previous experience of the track is also key, with 18 of the last 20 winners having run in a Cross Country race in the past.
Desertmore House will have a low weight and won the Risk Of Thunder at Punchestown in November, but will be his first try at Cheltenham.
Final Orders won over this course at the December Meeting and is up 9lbs but will like the drying ground.
He was 5th behind Favori De Champdou here in January but is 8lbs better off for 16 lengths this time.
Both are noted, but the pair are taken to struggle to beat last year’s winner STUMPTOWN.
This Gavin Cromwell runner is only 5lbs higher than 12 months ago and warmed up for this with a win in the Pardubicka in the Czech Republic in October.
He’s been kept fresh since but goes well off a break and this would be his big target all season.
Favori De Champdou can give him most to think about as Gordon Elliott looks for his sixth win and would become the winning-most trainer in the race (currently tied with Enda Bolger)
🥇STUMPTOWN
🥈FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU
🥉FINAL ORDERS
KEY STATS 📈
- 17/20 – Irish-trained winners
- 17/20 – Returned 7/1 or shorter
- Gordon Elliott has trained five winners, Keith Donogue has ridden 5 of the last 7
4:00pm – BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
No Marine Nationale, who won this race last season, which has paved the way for MAJBOROUGH to finally fulfill his potential.
He fluffed his lines with some jumping errors in the Arkle last season but got back on track last time with an easy win at the DRF in the Dublin Chase.
Those against him will look to the poor record of favourites in this race – with 7 off the last 10 odds-on jollies losing.
While 31 of the last 39 winners were aged 7-9 – Majborough is 6, with the last 6yold to win Master Minded in 2009.
However, last time he seemed to have sorted his jumping out (had jumped to the left at times). And if repeating that should be hard to beat – he’s still only aged 6 too.
L’Eau du Sud has been freshened up and can go well too after winning the Shloer Chase here earlier this season.
But you feel it would be a bad year if he’s good enough to win a Champion Chase – he’s just shy of the top level for me.
Then Il Etait Temps is a horse I like and thought earlier in the season he might be able to end his Cheltenham hoodoo (0-3). But that fall at Ascot last time in the Clarence House wasn’t ideal.
On a plus, he’s still 7-10 over fences and maybe last time he just didn’t like Ascot (first run there).
Of the rest, Thistle Ask could outrun his odds from the front and looks a back-to-lay option.
But Majborouogh is the call to give Willie Mullins a third Champion Chase.
🥇MAJBOROUGH
🥈L’ EAU DU SUD
🥉THISTLE ASK
KEY STATS 📈
- 7 of the last 10 odds-on favourites have lost
- 31 of the last 39 aged 7-9
- Ireland have won the last 5
4:40pm – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
Be Aware is sure to be popular here for the Skelton team, but despite his consistency has won only one of this last 11.
Ryan’s Rocket is another to shortlist – however, has unseated in two of his last three.
I thought Inthepocket wasn’t given too hard a time in his last race at the DRF (5th) and is down a pound here.
He’s interesting too, for the De Bromhead yard, who also won this in 2023 with Maskada.
But the two I like here are VANDERPOEL and JAZZY MATTY.
The former is 2-4 over fences and was a tidy winner at Ascot last time. The second Stencil has since franked the form and with only seven runs over fences should have more to come.
While Jazzy Matty loves the Festival!
He won this race in 2025 and the 2023 Fred Winter.
Is 8lbs higher this time from last year, but a recent 6th at Thurles will have him spot on and with 12 of the last 14 winners rated 135-147 he fits the bill off 143.
🥇JAZZY MATTY
🥈VANDERPOEL
🥉INTHEPOCKET
KEY STATS 📈
- 12/14 – Rated between 135-147
- 19/21 – No winning favourites
- 15/17 – Aged 9 or younger
5:20pm – Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Tricky way to end the day three coverage, with the Bumper always the subject of many Cheltenham Festival tips.
Most of these unexposed horses all have tall reputations already, but there are many unknowns too – mainly how will some improve after their opening few runs.
The last 4yold to win was Cue Card in 2010, so I can’t have the likes of Our Trigger and Quiryn – both Willie Mullins runners.
Talking of Mullins – this race has been his own since it was first run in 1992 – he’s won the pot a remarkable 14 times….and counting.
Ireland have dominated too – winning 26 of the last 33, with the last British runner to win Ballyandy in 2016.
Mullins has Love Sign d’ Aunou as the one that looks set to go off as the shortest price. He bolted up at Naas last time over 2m 2f, but that came on heavy ground.
Can he do the same on quicker as owner Rich Ricci looks to win this race for a second time. Having won it with Champagne Fever in 2012.
But another Mullins runner – THE IRISH AVATAR was another to impress last time. Winning well at Navan and the second Low Kick has boosted the form to win since at Naas.
Of the rest, The Mourne Rambler could go okay at bigger odds.
Trained by Noel Meade, who is yet to win this race, but would certainly like to get his name on the roll of honour.
He won at Leopardstown on Boxing Day and been freshened up with 75 days off since.
🥇THE IRISH AVATAR
🥈THE MOURNE RAMBLER
🥉LOVE SIGN D’AUNOU
KEY STATS 📈
- Willie Mullins has won this 14 times
- Ireland have won 26 of last 33
- 8/10 returned 7/1 or less
