Road to the Cheltenham Festival 2026 – 3 weeks to go

It’s that time of year again, where we look ahead to the Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival in March and with just under a month to go – here is our second post!

For those who haven’t followed Severn Sport during the run up to and the Festival itself, our coverage includes posts at 8, 4 2 and 1 week to go markers, as well as a Tipster League during Festival week – where figures from football in Gloucestershire compete to be crowned our King Tipster.

In January, Severn Sport’s Ryan Butler was joined by Tipster League veteran, Damon Highet, and Slimbridge Co-Manager, Tom Deakin, for our first preview post, where the boys looked at their Best and Worst Priced Favourites and Longshots.

At the 3 weeks to go mark, the bookies are now “non-runner no bet” for the most part and horses are being scratched off the entries list. So Butler, Deakin and Highet will be looking at Two Horses & One Race to watch at this stage.

As always, Severn Sport encourages everyone to bet responsibly and the prices below are taken from Oddschecker at the time of writing, so are subject to change.

To kick things off, Tom Deakin gives us his horses and race to watch:

TD: The first horse to watch is Mighty Park. I know this possibly goes against my selection four weeks ago of No Drama This End in the Turners, but when Willie Mullins says this horse could be in the Faugheen category of horse you have to listen.

He won last time by 38 lengths and the horse he beat was only beaten by 3 lengths by El Cairos, so if he goes to the Supreme then I’m all over it. He has an engine and I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet – I am just not sure which race he goes for at this stage!

Best Price – 8/1 (Supreme Novices Hurdle – betway, BetVictor); 4/1 (Turners Novices Chase – betway, BetVictor, Bet365)

The second horse is more of a 2 for 1 tip as I do think Jimmy Du Seuil for the Jack Richards Novice Handicap as he has a previous festival record of 2nd and 1st, which gives him a chance…but…off the back of the form, The Big Westerner will give you a great run in the Browns Advisory or the Mares Chase.

She was 2nd in last year’s Albert Bartlett and is an end to end galloper. Getting the mares allowance in what could be a gruelling Browns means she could be the one staying on the best.

Best Price – 5/1 (Brown Advisory Novice Chase – betway, BetVictor, Boyle Sports); 8/1 (Mares Chase – Skybet)

For the race to watch, it has to be the Gold Cup. It is the pinnacle of the week and with the story of the season at this stage, there’s so much to take on from a punter’s point of view.

The Jukebox Man won the King George, Gaelic Warrior won the John Durkan and got beat in the photo in the King George himself. Based on the King George, Jango Baie can’t be ruled out, Fact To File has bounced back, so much so he may now be supplemented and the question is there whether Galopin Des Champs has still got it or not?

Plus you never know whether the Skelton’s will include Grey Dawning, whether Haiti Couleurs and that’s even before you mention the defending champion…what a race on paper!

Best Price (selected) – Fact To File 4/1 (BetVictor, Bet365, William Hill), Jango Baie 5/1 (betway, BetVictor), The Jukebox Man 6/1 (BetVictor), Gaelic Warrior 7/1 (William Hill, BetVictor), Haiti Couleurs 8/1 (BetVictor, Bet365, Boyle Sports), Galopin De Champs 8/1 (betway, BetVictor, Bet365), Grey Dawning 14/1 (BetVictor, Bet365, Boyle Sports), Inothewayurthinkin 16/1 (Bet365, BetVictor), I Am Maximus 28/1 (BetVictor), Envoi Allen 40/1 (BetVictor, Boyle Sports)

Next up is Damon Highet:

DH: I like two things in antepost selections, Cheltenham form and value. First up, a bit of both in Marine Nationale in the Champion Chase.

A horse that has won the Supreme and last year’s renewal of the Champion Chase HAS to be taken seriously, even if not really firing on all cylinders this season.

Unless the ground is heavy, I fancy Marine to romp up the hill again and given talk of the likes of Jonbon maybe heading for Ryanair and question marks over L’Eau du Sud and Majborough at Cheltenham, you have to look at Festival form to give you a bit of value.

Best Price – 5/2 (betway)

The next pick does both again, give good value and has Cheltenham form in Bob Olinger in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

He won last year’s race and has won three times at the Festival and four times at the course – what more could you want for your money?

Once again the Stayers division doesn’t look amazing either, with Teahupoo diving opinions and the “new generation” in Honesty Policy, Kabral Du Mathan, Ma Shantou and Impose Toi not guaranteed to deliver on the big occasion – with Ballyburn thrown in the mix alongside them.

Bob gives you value in a horse that will give you a run for your money and for me, goes close once again.

Best Price – 6/1 (betway, BetVictor, Bet365)

There are so many races that are worth keeping an eye on, mainly due to how wide open the markets are at this stage, but all eyes on the Champion Hurdle for me.

I love seeing the best horses winning the best races and with a month to go I could not tell you who will win this race. The New Lion won the Turners last year, Golden Ace won this race last year, whilst Lossiemouth and Constitution Hill have multiple grade one’s between them.

Alongside that, Brighterdaysahead needs to fulfil her potential soon surely? Poniros won at Cheltenham last year at 100/1 an there are a number of minor players like Alexei, Tutti Quanti, Anzadam and even Ballyburn holding entries at this stage.

Hopefully we see a bigger field that last year and Lossiemouth doesn’t go to the Mares Hurdle as I just want to watch a race where more than two horses have a live chance of winning at the off.

Best Price (selected) – The New Lion 5/2 (betway, BetVictor, Boyle Sports), Brighterdaysahead 3/1 (BetVictor, Paddy Power), Constitution Hill 9/2 (BetVictor), Lossiemouth 6/1 (BetVictor), Golden Ace 7/1 (BetVictor, William Hill), Poniros 16/1 (betway), Tutti Quanti 20/1 (BetVictor, Bet365), Ballyburn 20/1 (BetVictor), Alexei 20/1 (BetVictor, Bet365), Anzadam 20/1 (BetVictor, William Hill), Casheldale Lad 66/1 (BetVictor)

Finally, Butler makes his selections:

RB: My first horse to watch is Favori De Champdou in The Glenfarclas Country Chase on the Wednesday. In a race that Gordon Elliott has a great record in, having won the race five times in the last eight renewals, this 11 year old looks set to be the Elliott/Kennedy partnered entry this term.

Heading into 2026 if you had said this horse, you’d have raised eyebrows when you see the two appearances at Cheltenham saw Favori De Champdou pull up in the Albert Bartlett in 2023 and then fall just before Christmas – but after coming back to Prestbury Park and winning six weeks later having won at 66/1 just after Christmas at Leopardstown, he is now a serious contender to Stumptown’s crown.

Stumptown hasn’t been seen in the UK since pulling up at Aintree in April so there will be an element of unknown with him going into March, so Favori De Champdou is worth a look at this stage and depending on how Elliott’s fleet start the week, he could go off favourite.

Best Price – 7/2 (betway, BetVictor, Bet365, Boyle Sports)

The second horse to watch is Slade Steel in the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase on the Thursday. He is a previous festival winner, having won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2024, and after an injury saw him miss last year’s festival he has had three really good runs over in Ireland.

He came second at the start of December in his first run for a year, before being brought down when looking really good on New Year’s Eve at Punchestown and lead well at a longer trip (3 miles) at Navan in January before being done in the run in, which suggests the 2 miles 4 furlong trip of the Jack Richards could suit him and at a double digit price, he is definitely worth a look.

Best Price – 12/1 (Bet365, Paddy Power, William Hill, Sky Bet)

For me the race to watch is the opener, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday. It is a market that has seen so many horses burst through to be the market favourite and it has changed drastically over the months.

Davy Crockett looked set to be Willie Mullins’ shot during 2025, but after an injury and a struggle for fluency since, he has been scratched from the entries.

Mydaddypaddy was fancied by most when winning well for Dan Skelton at Carlisle and Haydock, but after being beaten in a sun-impacted race by Idaho Sun at Aintree on Boxing Day, it seems the confidence isn’t at all there anymore. I like Idaho Sun and I think he is a great price as it stands.

El Cairos came fifth in the bumper at last year’s festival and was eye-catching when falling well clear over Christmas and after winning at Thurles at the end of January the online community are split on whether he is the real deal, whilst another Gordon Elliott horse, Ballyfad, was headed at Leopardstown and is seemingly going to be pointed towards the Turners.

Mossy Fen Road also held favouritism after winning at Chepstow over Christmas, before a torrid run at Musselburgh two weeks ago.

Sober Glory, Eachtotheirown and Heads Up are all on my radar after good wins recently, but the market is headed by two horses in Talk The Talk and Old Park Star and whilst Talk The Talk also holds an entry for the Turners – like Mighty Park, it feels like we will get a proper battle of two really fancied horses from the getgo.

Nicky Henderson’s Old Park Star is the current market favourite having won at Kempton, Cheltenham and Haydock and the British will be hopeful he can get the week off to a great start for the home side.

Best Price (selected) – Old Park Star 15/8 (BetVictor, Bet365, Boyle Sports), Talk The Talk 4/1 (betway, BetVictor, Bet365), El Cairos 11/2 (BetVictor, Boyle Sports, William Hill), Mighty Park 8/1 (betway, BetVictor), Mydaddypaddy 12/1 (Bet365), Sober Glory 12/1 (BetVictor, Paddy Power, Boyle Sports), King Rasko Grey 16/1 (BetVictor), Idaho Sun 16/1 (BetVictor), Leader d’Allier 16/1 (BetVictor), Ballyfad 20/1 (BetVictor), The Reverend 33/1 (betway, BetVictor), Heads Up 40/1 (BetVictor, Bet365), Windbeneathmywings 40/1 (Paddy Power, Sky Bet), Eachtotheirown 50/1 (Bet365), Mossy Fen Road 66/1 (BetVictor)

We will have a preview post every week between now and the Cheltenham Festival week, including the launch of the 2026 Tipster League!