Lydia Hislop's Friday Cheltenham tips: 11-1 chance among eight fancies
By Lydia Hislop
Last Updated: Thu 12 Mar 2026
Top presenter Lydia Hislop is flying high after long-time ante-post fancy Meetmebythesea did the business in the Jack Richards on Thursday and bids to find more winners as the 2026 Cheltenham Festival comes to a close. Watch every race live and exclusive on Racing TV.
At the time of writing, rain and increasingly strong winds were expected during the final two days of the Festival. An extremely wet winter has left the sub-soil with a high moisture content which, combined with selective watering carried out on Monday and overnight into Thursday’s racing, must mean there’s potential for markedly softer conditions on opened ground for Friday’s racing.
If the 5-10mm that’s forecast actually arrives, the going on the final day will be very different.
1.20 JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
Winston Junior enhanced Minella Study’s form credentials when second to the better positioned Saratoga in Tuesday’s Fred Winter, having chased Adam Nicol’s stable star six-and-a-half lengths adrift (could have finished much closer) over the course and distance in December.
His conqueror’s Triumph prep hasn’t gone to plan, however – he missed his intended stepping-stone at Musselburgh – and a sizeable chunk of the forecast rain could be a negative for this Flat recruit, albeit that is an unknown rather than a known negative and his family stay well in that discipline. He might drift to a price worth risking on the day, however.
I liked how MAESTRO CONTI got himself out of trouble to win the course-and-distance Grade Two here on Trials Day, despite failing fully to settle. I’m going to side with his evident ability and potential for progress and trust the occasion won’t get to him.
Long-term ante-post favourite Narciso Has was clearly head-and-shoulders the best juvenile at Wille Mullins’ yard this season until a setback forced him to miss the race. Macho Man has since emerged as his deputy, but clearly not by the same margin. That said, form is always volatile among juveniles, and the yard won this with a 100/1 hurdling debutant last year.
BACK NOW: MAESTRO CONTI at 7/1
2.00 William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
Team Mullins must fancy KARBAU because Paul Townend is booked to ride, unlike every other handicap this Festival. It’s been Grade Ones only this week for Cheltenham’s leading active rider. Take the hint, if you didn’t already take it from Ruby Walsh during the past two weeks. I ignored the obvious last year with Kargese and regretted it.
The form is there, too. A likeable novice hurdler at a level below the best, placing in Grade Ones at Aintree and Punchestown last season, he caught the eye when chasing home the smart and hard race-fit Glen Kiln in the Limestone Lad last time, having conceded track position to the winner.
Provided the ground hasn’t moved beyond good-to-soft on times, I’d be inclined to have a saver on HELLO NEIGHBOUR. Sixth in last year’s Triumph despite back-pedalling after a last-flight error, he backed up that form at Punchestown and shaped well on his return in the Grade One December Hurdle. Heavy ground wouldn’t have suited at the DRF, and he wasn’t asked too many questions on it. Gavin Cromwell’s team are also in much better form now.
BACK NOW: KARBAU at 4/1
Back tomorrow if the ground isn’t worse than good-to-soft on times: Hello Neighbour
2.40 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2)
This is a much deeper race than last year and yet titleholder Dinoblue’s odds don’t reflect that. Her habit of throwing in one heart-stopping mistake of staggering suddenness has both re-emerged and become more ingrained this season. The upper end of the forecast rain at this trip wouldn’t help either. Let’s take her on.
Stable companion Spindleberry was the chasing find of the season until her sights were raised too high, too soon in the Irish Gold Cup. I’m not yet convinced she’s as good left-handed, too, if you look at how her mistakes at Doncaster occurred at fences immediately after a bend. The galloping New Course might be more forgiving, but it’s on my mind.
PANIC ATTACK has been turned inside out by Dan Skelton this season, winning autumn’s two premier handicaps and since dominating against her own sex. A positive ride to utilise her excellent jumping should offset the drop back in trip.
The main danger is Diva Luna, on the up as a chaser and third in last year’s Dawn Run. She’s twice the price of my selection and I’ve only jumped the other way because (at the time of writing) the Skelton team seems in slightly better order than Ben Pauling’s Festival team and their mare has enjoyed the smoother preparation.
I’m convinced Only By Night is a bang two-miler and should have chanced her luck in the Champion Chase.
BACK NOW: PANIC ATTACK at 4/1
Ruby Walsh’s Lucky 15 Leg 3, advised 12/02/26 (all NRNB): Dinoblue at 13/8
Josh Stacey’s Lucky 15 Leg 4, advised 12/02/26 (all NRNB): Only By Night at 7/1
3.20 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
At the time of writing (Thursday morning), I’m not convinced Henry de Bromhead’s yard has hit its Festival straps in the way we have come metronomically to expect each year, whatever happens during the rest of his season.
If you’re reading this and Echoing Silence or Full Of Life has won the Dawn Run, Slade Steel the Jack Richards and Bob has retained his Stayers’ title, feel free to permit yourself a smirk of derision – and make sure you back King’s Bucks and/or Fruit De Mer.
These horses were my provisional position in this race on Monday. Both have run creditably in graded races over shorter distances, shaping as though they would blossom over further. Stoutly bred Fruit De Mer’s form is stronger, but King’s Bucks has course experience and stable jockey Darragh O’Keeffe prefers him.
Instead, I’m now trusting on the rain to arrive in time for THE PASSING WIFE, who was supplemented by Gavin Cromwell for this race in a move reminiscent of his pre-Gold Cup decision 12 months ago. This novice was qualified for the Martin Pipe, had his trainer wanted to jump that way. Drying ground in the run-up to the Festival might have cause him to prefer a longer trip but that would also have been a doubt for me after watching him on goo ground over Christmas.
He’d caught my eye as a stayer with potential when third over two miles in the Royal Bond and has since bounced back over 2m3f at Punchestown by thumping Doctor Du Mesnil (who, by the way, wears a first-time tongue-tie for aid-switching king of the week Willie Mullins).
The Passing Wife’s form ties in with River Don hero Thedeviluno – who will surely run well if enough rain falls – and therefore that horse’s Navan hurdle conqueror and favourite Doctor Steinberg, who must settle better on this step up in trip.
BACK NOW: THE PASSING WIFE at 11/1 with Ladbrokes
Gary O’Brien’s Lucky 15 Leg 4, advised 12/02/26 (all NRNB): They Call Me Hugo [NR]
4.00 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
Unless you believe in miracles – and they have been known to happen here – then this year’s Gold Cup surely comes down to which of the King George principals you believe is most suited to an extra two-and-a-half furlongs. Softening ground – if comes to pass – is another factor, with Kempton’s flagship race having been staged on a sound surface.
For me, it’s a straight shoot-out between GAELIC WARRIOR and JANGO BAIE. Both are proven at Cheltenham as past winners of the Arkle; the former also boasts seconds in the Turners and Fred Winter. Both stay three miles, the former more exposed over that trip. Both handle as much cut in the ground as seems likely to transpire, the former more proven on extremes.
Each has been prepared by trainers who know how to win Gold Cups with different horses. Each is ridden by a jockey who has won the race – Paul Townend on two different horses. If those points appear to accrete the argument in favour of his mount Gaelic Warrior, bear in mind he has the harder job of settling a hothead. He may need more things outside his control to roll right.
It’s a cop-out but I can’t split them. I’m going to back them both.
Questions linger about whether The Jukebox Man is as effective on an undulating track, as opposed to a flat one, and whether he’ll stay the extra distance. Even allowing that he pressed on the gas too hard from two out, he was on fumes when caught by Stellar Story in the 2024 Albert Bartlett and he’s got two-and-a-half furlongs further to go.
I prefer to use my eyes rather than my ears with titleholder Inowthewayurthinkin. Conspiracy theorists believe the titleholder will appear, bathed in sunlight, at the top of the hill like Langer Dan. The Vibes from Gavin Cromwell have certainly improved by the day – albeit he is not bullish, as he was 12 months ago when supplementing for the race.
Rumours abounded on the preview circuit the horse has received treatment on his back. True or false, that snippet at least correlates with how uncomfortable he looked when running down his fences to the right in the Irish Gold Cup.
Unfortunately, that race also concluded with Inowthewayurthinkin taking a heavy fall at the last, but (as mentioned in this space for Wednesday’s card) this is by no means a statistical negative you might imagine. Most recently, Il Etait Temps enhanced it in the Champion Chase. I guess selection bias is at play – the horse believed to have recovered if lining up – but back-to-back wins are still not for me.
Spillane’s Tower would need all the rain he can get, but I maintain he’s unexposed as a stayer – and that’s what I’m sure he is. Conversely, Grey Dawning would be better suited by the least rain possible. In that scenario, I expect him to post a career best following a smooth preparation and defensive ride, especially after the mistake at the second last, in the Cotswold Chase. I fear Haiti Couleurs will set things up only to be swept past.
BACK NOW: GAELIC WARRIOR win-only at 4/1
BACK NOW: JANGO BAIE win-only at 4/1
Ruby’s selection, advised 08/01/26: I Am Maximus at 33/1 [NR]
Josh Stacey’s Lucky 15 Leg 4, advised 12/02/26 (all NRNB): Only By Night at 7/1
Others know better than me in this sphere, but I’ll be cheering on Music Drive for Kelly Morgan – winner of the Jonathan Neesom Memorial Cup and fourth on his hunter-chase debut for this yard in this race last year.
Ruby Walsh’s Lucky 15 Leg 4, advised 12/02/26 (all NRNB): Panda Boy at 6/1
No strong view here but the combination of Willie Mullins and the highly talented Michael Keneally looks dangerous with former talented novice KEL HISTOIRE. He won’t be as big a price as when I recommended him last year, but last year’s runner-up ACT OF AUTHORITY – to Wodhooh, damn it – will again be suited by the way this race is run and is worthy of each-way support on the day.
BACK NOW: KEL HISTOIRE at 9/2
Back each-way on the day (possibly on the Tote): Act Of Authority
FRIDAY RACE GUIDES
1.20 JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
2.00 William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
2.40 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2)
3.20 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
4.00 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
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