Paul Nicholls 2026 Cheltenham Festival stable tour

With less than a week until the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, leading trainer and Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls runs through his team of runner’s for each day.

No Drama This End, ante-post favourite for the Turners Novices' Hurdle, looks to hold strong claims on day two, and the 14-time champion trainer sounds bullish about his chances. 

A number of chances in the handicaps, and some live outsiders also feature among Nicholls' team. 

“Touch wood, everything is going well ahead of the Festival," says Nicholls. "We did our final bits of work last Tuesday at Kempton and I'm very happy with everything. A couple of horses will have a little school this week, but we're where we want to be.”

Read what Nicholls has to say about each contender below.

Race: The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

Minella Yoga looked impressive when beating Act Of Innocence, who was previously with us and ran well at Cheltenham. I think 128 is a fair mark on what we've achieved, and the Act Of Innocence form is good.

He ran very well in the Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham. He didn't really get the best of runs from turning into the straight, but he ran very well. I think 128 is a nice enough mark. In time, he'll end up a lot higher than that, but he's still a big, immature horse really. We are very happy with him. 

 Race: McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

I talked highly of this horse at the start of the season, and he's run well in all his races. We shot ourselves in the foot a bit last time out as we went up 7lb from 121 to 128.

Actually, if we'd been 121, he might not have got in. He ran very, very well behind the winner. I'd say the filly Manlaga off 130 is actually quite nice form, because she won with plenty in hand.

I'm surprised there's only 3lb difference between the two of them, and I think the handicapper was very harsh on him. But he's definitely improving . I could see him running a big race. 

Race: McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

He is a new arrival from Ross O'Sullivan. I don't know too much about him at the moment, but he has got some pretty decent form. He ran very well at Aintree back in the season and he's a winner over hurdles and ran well at Punchestown recently. 

We've just bought him to go in this race, so we just hope he's high enough to get in. From what we've seen of him, he's a nice enough horse. I'd say he'd want soft ground, but we need to pray that he can get in the race. 

It's similar to what we did a few seasons ago, Colin fancied having a runner in the Fred Winter, and I asked Anthony Bromley if he knew of anything. He came up with this horse through Simon and Isaac in the Double Green partnership, and we ended up buying him. I Just hope after all that we can get him in but 122 seems a fair mark. 

Race: McCoy Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

I mean, he's about the price he should be in a competitive race like this, to be honest with you. He won first time out, but he is what he is, basically. Off 119 though, I don't think he'll get in the race. 

Race: Ultima Handicap Chase or Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase.

He's got entries in the Ultima but also the Kim Muir, I'd say he'd run in the Ultima, if he runs in anything. He was slightly disappointing last time at Musselburgh. He didn’t run so well on New Year's Day.

I think three miles and a little bit of cut in the ground suits him well. So, we’ll likely run him in the Ultima. I think the owners are very much looking forward to a nice day out. 

Race: Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase,Sun Racing Plate or Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

Quebecois has three entries across the handicaps where he’s 16/1 across the board for all of them. The ground will depend on a lot with this horse. At Newbury the other day on soft ground he proved again that he is a happier horse on better ground. When he ran on Trials Day on decent ground, he ran very, very well. 

We've got these two options, and also the Jack Richards later in the week. If the ground is soft, he definitely won't run in the Ultima, because he won't get three miles and one furlong in really soft ground. If the ground's decent, we have the option of those two. If it's still soft or wet, we could wait and go on the better ground later in the week on Thursday and take on Regent's Stroll in the Jack Richards. 

It's ground-dependent where we run, but the intention is to run him in something. 

Race: Unibet Champion Hurdle or William Hill County Handicap Hurdle.

The way he worked last Tuesday at Kempton with No Drama This End suggests he's on a forward projection. He seems very, very well. We'll decide nearer the time. We haven't got to confirm until Wednesday. I see at the moment in the County Hurdle he's got 11st 8lb, but I'd say the weights have got quite a lot to rise. If he ended up top weight, it wouldn't surprise me.

I'll have a discussion with Colin, and then we'll make a plan this week, but I could see us running in the Champion Hurdle. 

It's a wide-open Champion Hurdle with Constitution Hill not running. I'd have been surprised if he did turn up to be honest. Now, it's an open Champion Hurdle so it's worth a go. I’ll probably confirm him for both early in the week, but I'd say we run in the Champion. 

Race: Sun Racing Plate or Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup.

Rubaud has entries in the plate and the Grand Annual, but I haven't really got many options with him. You wouldn't want to run in the Champion Hurdle; you know where you're going to finish in that. I just stuck him in a couple of these races.

Again, he wouldn't want the ground soft. He has also got that very valuable two-mile chase, the Sussex Champion Chase, on Easter Monday at Plumpton, and I find that a little bit more attractive at this stage.

We haven't made a definite decision, but it would need to dry up for him to run over fences. 

Race: National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase.

He doesn't run at the Festival. He runs in the Midlands Grand National on the Saturday after Cheltenham. 

I've always thought the Midlands National would be a great race for him. He stays longer than a mother-in-law, and the four and a bit miles around there might suit him if it's soft ground.

That's where he's going. 

Race: Turners Novices’ Hurdle.

This is our big runner of the week. As we have previously said, he worked very well with Regent's Stroll at Lambourn the other week. He did his final piece of strong work at Kempton last Tuesday, and went very nicely, we were very happy with that. He worked with Tutti Quanti, and Tutti Quanti's going well. 

It was all good. It was just another little piece of work; we didn't do too much. We've got a week now just to put the finishing touches on them, but I'm very, very happy with him. Couldn't be happier. 

Look, there's all these stories every day about all these Irish challengers, that associate with one Wonder Horse who's only run once over hurdles. Who knows how good they are

If someone's better than him, they'll probably beat him, but we think there's a lot more to come from him. He’s had a great prep, and he's in good shape. 

Race: The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup.

All these races have changed to different slots on different days. The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual was always on the Friday, which is on decent ground on the new track. Now it's on the old track, which could shoot both Rubaud and Sans Bruit in the foot. 

I'd love to run Sans Bruit in the Grand Annual. He's got 10st 6lb now, he's coming on a nice winnable mark, but he might not get in. If it was soft, I wouldn't run him anyway. But if it kept drying and it was nice ground, and he got in off 10-6, I'd be very keen on his chances. 

The plan would be to run here and Aintree. He's got a month between races this year, which is dead handy. He comes good this time of year, he looks great in his coat now, he looks a proper spring horse. He worked very nicely at Kempton last Tuesday. 

We'll be sweating a bit to see if we get in. If he does, he's definitely a dark horse. He'll run well. 

Race: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

He is very much a similar type of horse to Caldwell Potter last season. I've had this race in mind for a long time. He ran very well at Cheltenham the last time we ran there, which we wanted to do. We wanted to get him fresh, and he's now had three quick runs at Newbury, Wincanton, and Cheltenham. 

There's lots of improvement to come from him. He worked very nicely last week. The new track on decent-ish ground would suit him. He wouldn't want it too soft. 

It's a competitive old race, but we like his chances. As I said, Quebecois may well join him yet if the ground was too soft early in the week. We could have two lovely chances in that race. 

He's been a bit of a fizzy horse over fences, but he's been a lot more settled lately. He was very settled at Cheltenham the other day with the crowd and everything, and when we took him to Lambourn and galloped him last week, you'd think he was an old handicapper.

He's getting there now, at long last. He's a lot fitter and straighter than he was in the autumn. I wouldn't mind doing what we did last year with Caldwell Potter, but I'll leave that to Harry. You never know who wants to go forward and who doesn't, we'll sort that out on the day. 

Race: Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final.

He's been a wonderful horse all season. I wouldn't mind the weight staying at 10st 4lb as that's a nice racing weight, but I can't see that happening. I'm not sure two or three of the top ones will come out, so the weights will go up. 

We have got the option of claiming a few pounds off him if we want to. He started off on 113, he's crept up to 135, but he keeps winning. He's a tough horse, he stays strongly. I could see him running very well. 

Race: Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase or Sun Racing Plate.

He's been a brilliant yardstick for us. I think he's dying to go up in trip. He'll probably run in the Kim Muir rather than the Plate, but I'll confirm him for both and have a little look and see. 

I'd love to run him in the Kim Muir. Olive's ridden him before around Cheltenham, so I'd say that's probably the race for him. The ground might be better on the Thursday on the new course, which always seems to suit him. 

Like a number of horses, if it's soft, it's a waste of time, they need decent ground. He's no good at all on soft. 

Race: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle.

He won’t run, he won’t get in. I’ve just looked at the weights. He’ll go for the Imperial Cup at Sandown on the Saturday beforehand. He ran well in that race last year so that’s the plan for him.  

Race: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle.

I've had this race in mind for her for a while. It's quite obvious, unless the ground’s very fast, as she doesn't get two and a half miles. She’s been running really well this year. I think a fast-run two miles, two-mile-one-furlong will suit her very nicely. 

I think she's actually got a lovely little each-way chance. 

Race: Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase.

I thought he was a bit disappointing the other day at Haydock. He might improve a little bit for the run, but he is very fragile. As long as we get a clear run between now and then, he'll run, but if we don't, we'll have to go somewhere else. He's got it all to do. 

Race: Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase.

We are very pleased with him. He's got a new lease of life, just down in grade a bit has given him plenty of enthusiasm. He's jumped very nicely. Olive rides him, I think he's got a lovely chance and he's the right age to go well in this race.

We can have some fun with him in this race over the next couple of years. He's very much in the mould of Pacha Du Polder, who I've won it with before. Good, solid jumper and we are looking forward to him running. 

Race: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle. 

If he gets in, he will run. He didn't get the trip over three miles last time, and this is much more suitable. He's a horse who could run really, really well if everything went right for him. It's all got to go right for him. 

I'm going to say No Drama This End. I've got to believe that, haven't I? He's got the favourite's chance. I think him and Regent's Stroll are probably our best chances on betting terms, but it doesn't mean they're the best chance of the week. We've got some lovely chances in those handicaps and some of those other races. 

Obviously, I'd love to see any of them win, but No Drama This End is one we've prepared for this, and he's done the talking really. He's won two Grade Two’s and a Grade One in three starts over hurdles and is still unbeaten. Let's hope that continues. 

Regent's Stroll in the Jack Richards to do the same as Caldwell Potter last season.

I think Jubilee Alpha. She has a cracking each way chance in the County Hurdle.