Cheltenham Festival 2026 Day 1

Cheltenham Festival Tips for Day 1 Races 2026

Our Tuesday Cheltenham tips will cover all these races in fantastic detail, so make sure to check out this page regularly for our latest predictions. If you’re looking for tips for other days please check back to the Cheltenham Festival homepage.

Check out all of the Racing Post’s hottest tips for day 1

Day 1 Tuesday Feature Racing Tips – Champion Hurdle

The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race that promises to provide all the excitement that the headline act has in years past.

The 2026 Champion Hurdle will take place at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, England, on Tuesday 10th of March, 2026. The race is open to horses aged four years or older and is run over a distance of two miles and half a furlong.

Champion Hurdle 2026 Race Preview & Tips

The Champion Hurdle has been a happy hunting ground for Nicky Henderson who boasts a leading nine wins in the race with five of those shared between two horses, See You Then (three) and Buveur d’Air (two). State Man put an end to his terrific record in 2024 as stable star Constitution Hill missed out on the race due to an infection, while Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace was the surprise package in 2025.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) – Preview & Tips

The roar as the tapes go up for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival is one of the must-feel moments in sport. A race won seven times in the last 13 years by Willie Mullins. The maestro from Closutton holds a strong hand again this time around and, in recent years, his entries are always the first to take a look at on the racecard.

Arkle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) – Preview & Tips

Mullins has also been responsible for six of the last 11 winners of the Arkle, even with his success with El Fabiolo in 2023 breaking a snap of 3 years without one. Gaelic Warrior bolted up in 2024 for the yard and contenders are plentiful at this stage with many horses’ paths still undecided, but Nicky Henderson won it last year with Jango Baie and has the ante-post favourite in the form of Lulamba this year.