2026 Cheltenham Festival tips: Harry Allwood's four best bets

Race: Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (1.20, Tuesday).

Best odds: 9-4.

Some performances give you the ‘wow’ factor visually, and that was the feeling after Old Park Star’s stunning victory at Haydock last time out where he travelled strongly and powered clear of some rivals who had shown useful form. 

The figures back that effort up, too, as the RaceiQ data shows he clocked the top speed (35.84mph) there plus also recorded the highest Jump Index score by gaining over nine lengths via his jumping. 

I believe that performance makes him the one to beat, and he also recorded a useful time plus impressed in the jumping department when scoring at Cheltenham in December. 

I won’t list all the facts and figures again here, but my colleague, Andy Stephens, has outlined why Old Park Star’s RaceiQ figures are so impressive, which is worth a read. 

The six-year-old appears to tick every box, and the fact he likes to race prominently is also a positive, while Nicky Henderson has won three of the past ten renewals of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. 

The ground is also set to be in his favour, and he should be primed after enjoying a racecourse gallop at Kempton in February. He’s my banker of the meeting. 

Race: BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (2.40, Wednesday).

Best odds: 12-1 (each-way).

Iberico Lord was supplemented for the Unibet Champion Hurdle two years ago having landed two valuable handicaps that season, including the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle, and looked set to be a Graded performer.

He was pulled up in the day one highlight - when Nicky Henderson's Cheltenham string failed to fire - but it did showcase the belief connections had in their talented hurdler.

Surprisingly, he lost his form after making a successful chasing debut the following season, which may have been due to falling on his next outing, and his rating declined considerably thereafter, despite reverting back to hurdles.

He appeared to be in doldrums, but bounced back to form in style when landing the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle last time out, which looked a strong race on paper, and I think that effort is worth upgrading.

After making rapid headway from the rear, he challenged widest of all, but still managed to quickly pull clear turning for home, and won with plenty to spare. 

That was his first outing over 2m5f, which he seemed to relish, and should therefore be suited by this course and distance.

Although an 8lb rise for his Kempton victory does make life trickier, he is an eight-year-old, and the manner of that success suggests he will be competitive off a rating of 144. 

It's also worth noting the form of his handicap wins two seasons ago have worked out well, and a big-field contest clearly suits. 

I struggled to make a strong case for others towards the top of the BetMGM Cup market, and the 12-1 available for Iberico Lord appeals each-way. 

Race: Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (3.20, Thursday).

Best odds: 5-1.

Will he stay three miles? That is the million dollar question for Kabral Du Mathan who oozed class in the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham last time out, a performance which hinted he is potentially a top-class three-miler in the making.

Connections were quick to dismiss the Cheltenham Festival afterwards, with Dan Skelton explaining the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle may come a year too soon for his six-year-old who has never raced over three miles.

With the ground unlikely to be no worse than good to soft, he is now set to run, and he must be showing the right signs at home for connections to have a rethink. 

The penultimate furlong he clocked (12.82s) in the Relkeel is the fastest penultimate furlong recorded at Cheltenham in RaceiQ's current database (from 2260 runners over hurdles and fences), so he clearly has a useful turn of foot, and his finishing efforts this season suggest three miles will be within reach. Skelton strongly believes that, too. 

Although the selection raced a shade keenly last time out, he found plenty under pressure, and will be given a patient ride by Harry Skelton before pouncing late. The RaceiQ data also shows no other entry has a higher Career Jump Index score (8.1) than him.

With just eight starts under his belt, further progress may be on the horizon, and if he does stay this new trip, he is surely going to be a massive player, while his record following an absence of 85 days or more reads 1121, so arriving here fresh is not a concern.

I was lucky enough to attend Skelton's Cheltenham Festival media morning, hosted by The Jockey Club, in February, and Kabral Du Mathan stood out from the crowd. Make of that what you will, but last year it was The New Lion!

Race: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (2.00, Friday). 

Best odds: 6-1.

Willie Mullins, Paul Townend and Kenny Alexander landed this contest last year with Kargese, who struck off a rating of 141, and the top team look to hold strong claims of repeating that feat with Murcia.

The five-year-old has been given a rating of 142 - a 3lb rise on her Irish rating - and while she has not achieved as much as Kargese had before her win last year, she remains with bundles of potential.

The French recruit arrived in Ireland with a lofty reputation prior to last season, and arguably proved a shade disappointing before claiming Grade One glory at Aintree last year. That may not have been the strongest contest, but she impressed with the way she travelled and quickened clear.

She finished eighth in the Fred Winter prior to that, but clearly took a big step forward afterwards, and while she was no match for Lulamba at Punchestown, she didn't appear at her best there. 

Her form suggests she relishes decent ground, so has not been seen to best effect this season having looked ring rusty on her return, and raced wide when failing to handle testing conditions at the DRF.

Conditions are set to be in her favour here, and racing handily should also be a plus. It's easy to envisage her travelling powerfully and attempting to kick clear on the run to the last.

You can argue a rating of 143 is stern enough based on what she has achieved so far, she still has the potential to be a Graded performer. I also expect connections would be disappointed if she wasn't better than this rating.

The general 6-1 on offer is worth taking now, if you agree with the above, as her odds will shorten should Townend chooses to ride her, which I think he will.