Whistle jacket
Cheltenham 2026 off to a good start
With two winners and an e/w second we are pretty pleased with our first day.
We didn't get the winner in the first – that went to the favourite Old Park Star – but our e/w tip Sober Glory ran an excellent second and we hope you got the 11/1 as he came into quite a bit of interest! Mydaddypaddy took third. Leader d'Allier was scratched as found to be lame before the start
We were delighted with the win of Kargese with the mare jumping beautifully to out-do stablemate Kopek des Bordes who put in a bad jump at the last. Favourite Lulamba was third and needs longer. A Mullins quinella.
And then the wonderful Lossiemouth winning the Champion Hurdle for the fourth time – she is so tough and works wonderfully well with Paul Townend. Brighterdaysahead from the rival Gordon Elliott yard was second but that was 6 1/2 as Lossiemouth sailed imperiously home and looked like she could go round again, and The New Lion third .
Wednesday's card is harder as there are bigger fields and quite a few "unknowns". The Novices' Hurdle Gr 1 (or the Baring & Bingham) has 22 runners and here we are going for Sober on 13/2 for Mullins WP and Mr PW. He's 2/2 in chases and was a group winner on the flat. Favourite is No Drama This End on 3/1 for Nicholls-Cobden. Ballyfad has quite a following and 10/1 looks good – Elliott-Kennedy. And with a large field a fourth pick is King Rasko Grey on 13/2 for Mullins-Townend.
The Novices' Chase Gr 1 (or the Broadway) has 16 runners and here we are going for one of our favourites Romeo Coolio on 11/4 for Elliott-Kenney going for a 5th consecutive win! The main Mullins rival here is Final Demand on 5/1 with Townend riding and stablemate Kaid d'Atheo 6/1 with Mark Walsh on top and another from the stable is Kitzbuhel who parted company with his jockey last time so provided Cobden stays on they could be in the money – on 16/1.
The feature is The Queen Mother's Champion Chase Gr 1 with 10 runners. All the talk has been for Majborough who is on 10/11 but we are going to stick with Il Etait Temps with Townend in the irons and Walsh on Majborough. Also of interst is L'Eau du Sud on 9/2 for the Skeltons.

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