By RacingBase | Published 10 March 2026 | 10 min read
All times AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time = GMT+11)
Day 2 of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival — Ladies Day — is headlined by the Queen Mother Champion Chase, one of the most electrifying races in the jumps calendar. The full card of seven races also includes the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, the Grade 1 Champion Bumper, and a pair of fiercely competitive handicaps. Here is your complete race-by-race guide.
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Race 1
12:20 AM AEDT
Turners Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1 · 2m 4f 56y · 72 runners · Going: Soft
Registered as the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle, this is the Grade 1 novice hurdle for horses who stay further than the Supreme trip. With 72 runners it is the biggest field of the Festival, and the race is notoriously difficult to predict.
Doctor Steinberg
Willie Mullins · Rating 156 · Form: -15111
Four wins from last five starts — jumps well and stays strongly. Shares top rating in the field.
No Drama This End
Paul Nicholls · Rating 156 · Form: 19-111
Co-top rated — consistent performer freshened up specifically for this race.
Mighty Park
Willie Mullins · Rating 155 · Form: 1
Also appears as an alternative to the Supreme — the Mullins second string but highly unexposed.
Verdict
With 72 runners, each-way betting is the only sensible strategy. Doctor Steinberg (Willie Mullins) is the selection on form, but the race is wide open and a big-priced winner is entirely possible.
Selection: Doctor Steinberg (Each-Way)
Saver: No Drama This End (Each-Way)
Race 2
1:00 AM AEDT
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Grade 1 · 3m 80y · 32 runners · Going: Soft
Registered as the Broadway Novices’ Chase, this is the Grade 1 novice chase for the three-mile division.
Kaid D’Authie
Willie Mullins · Rating 173 · Form: P-1211
Highest-rated horse in the field — three wins from last four starts. Jumps well and stays strongly. The clear selection.
Romeo Coolio
Gordon Elliott · Rating 168 · Form: 2-1111
Main danger if connections opt for the Brown Advisory over the Arkle — four consecutive wins.
Western Fold
Gordon Elliott · Rating 167 · Form: 111132
Consistent performer who has been placed in this race before — solid each-way option.
Verdict
Kaid D’Authie (Willie Mullins) is the clear selection — highest rating in the field, excellent form, and profile of a horse who will thrive at Cheltenham. Romeo Coolio is the danger if he runs here.
Selection: Kaid D’Authie (Win)
Each-Way: Western Fold
Race 3
1:40 AM AEDT
BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle
Premier Handicap · 2m 4f 56y · 85 runners · Going: Soft
One of the most competitive handicap hurdles of the entire Festival with 85 runners declared. The race is a lottery, but a few horses stand out.
Came From Nowhere
Jeremy Scott · Rating 152 · Form: 3-3211
Two wins from last three starts — the selection on form in a race that demands recent, consistent performances.
Forty Coats
Henry De Bromhead · Rating 151 · Form: 224-73
Consistent performer placed in this race before — De Bromhead horses at Cheltenham always deserve respect.
Franciscan Rock
M F Morris · Rating 153 · Form: 833495
Freshened up for this race — an interesting runner at a potential big price.
Verdict
In a race of this size, each-way betting is the only sensible strategy. Came From Nowhere (Jeremy Scott) is the selection on form, but the race is genuinely wide open.
Selection: Came From Nowhere (Each-Way)
Saver: Forty Coats (Each-Way)
Race 4
2:20 AM AEDT
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
About 3m 6f · 23 runners · Going: Soft
The Cross Country Chase is a unique race over a course of natural obstacles — banks, ditches, and hedges. It rewards horses with specific experience of the course, and form figures from conventional races provide very little guide.
Verdict
This is a race to watch rather than bet on unless you have specific knowledge of the cross-country course and its demands.
⭐ Race 5 — Key Race
3:00 AM AEDT
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
Grade 1 · 2m 87y · 18 runners · Going: Soft
The speed championship of the Festival — two miles of relentless pace over the stiffest fences in the sport. Headlined by the Willie Mullins pair of Majborough and Il Etait Temps, with Jonbon (Nicky Henderson) the main British challenger.
Jonbon
Nicky Henderson · Rating 177 · Form: 2-2211
Proven Grade 1 performer — Arkle winner, Champion Chase placed. Superb jumper with high cruising speed. Available at a bigger price than the Mullins pair.
Majborough
Willie Mullins · Rating 175 · Form: 3-1231
Three wins from last four starts — travels strongly and jumps well. The main Mullins danger.
Il Etait Temps
Willie Mullins · Rating 174 · Form: 11-11F
Brilliant Arkle winner last year — fell at the last most recently, which is a concern but not a disqualifier.
Verdict
A fascinating three-way battle. Jonbon (Nicky Henderson) gets the nod at a bigger price than the Mullins pair — a proven Grade 1 performer specifically prepared for this race, with Henderson’s exceptional Cheltenham record behind him. Majborough is the danger.
Selection: Jonbon (Win)
Each-Way: Majborough
Race 6
3:40 AM AEDT
Grand Annual Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap · 2m 87y · 47 runners · Going: Soft
A two-mile handicap chase that often produces a big-priced winner. With 47 runners, horses who jump well and handle soft ground have a significant advantage.
Sans Bruit
Paul Nicholls · Rating 155 · Form: -66544
Nicholls has a strong record in Festival handicaps — this horse has the profile to run a big race at a price.
Dr T J Eckleburg
Evan Williams · Rating 154 · Form: 876333
Consistent performer placed in this race before — a solid each-way option at a price.
Verdict
A race for each-way punters. Sans Bruit (Paul Nicholls) is the selection — Nicholls has a strong record in Festival handicaps and this horse has the profile to run a big race.
Selection: Sans Bruit (Each-Way)
Race 7
4:20 AM AEDT
Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Grade 1 · 2m 87y · 36 runners · Going: Soft
A flat race for horses who have never run over hurdles or fences — the traditional closing race of Day 2 and often a glimpse at future jumps stars. Gordon Elliott dominates the market with two co-top-rated runners.
Broadway Ted
Gordon Elliott · Rating 135 · Form: 11
Two wins from two starts — the selection on form and profile. Elliott’s record in the Champion Bumper is exceptional.
With Nolimit
Gordon Elliott · Rating 135 · Form: 412
Co-top rated stablemate — Elliott could dominate the finish with both runners.
Quiryn
Willie Mullins · Rating 135 · Form: 1
The Mullins representative — highly unexposed and dangerous if he has improved as much as the camp believes.
Verdict
Broadway Ted (Gordon Elliott) is the selection — two wins from two starts and the profile of a future champion. Quiryn (Willie Mullins) is the danger if he has improved as much as the Mullins camp believes.
Selection: Broadway Ted (Win)
Each-Way: Quiryn
Day 2 Summary: The Bets
| Race |
Time (AEDT) |
Selection |
Strategy |
| Turners Novices’ Hurdle |
12:20 AM |
Doctor Steinberg |
Each-Way |
| Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase |
1:00 AM |
Kaid D’Authie |
Win |
| BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle |
1:40 AM |
Came From Nowhere |
Each-Way |
| Cross Country Chase |
2:20 AM |
No bet |
— |
| Queen Mother Champion Chase ⭐ |
3:00 AM |
Jonbon |
Win |
| Grand Annual Handicap Chase |
3:40 AM |
Sans Bruit |
Each-Way |
| Champion Bumper |
4:20 AM |
Broadway Ted |
Win |
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