'He can be a sketchy jumper' - Cheltenham Festival favourites that can't be trusted

‘He can be a sketchy jumper’ – Cheltenham Festival favourites that can’t be trusted

Adrian Wall

Published: February 3, 2026

Adrian has loved racing from an early age, and regularly visits his local tracks in the west of Ireland. With a love for both UK & Irish flat and jumps racing, his favourite festival is the Galway Races and he goes there every year.

The ultimate goal for any punter heading into the Cheltenham Festival is to land a massive accumulator across the week. There are plenty of strong favourites but which ones can’t be trusted at this moment in time and what horse might be the value in the race?

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CLAIM

Majborough – Champion Chase

I fancied Majborough to win at Leopardstown at the weekend, but I am dead set against him at Cheltenham unless the ground turns up heavy. Willie Mullins’ 6yo ran out an impressive 19-length winner of the Dublin Chase, and he has some engine, but he can be a sketchy jumper at the best of times.

It was the heavy ground and a slower pace of race that helped him to settle on the day. On better ground at Cheltenham at a frantic clip, he won’t get that luxury. He was turned over in the Arkle last season and Marine Nationale will probably have his measure here.

Marine Nationale

Analysis

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Doctor Steinberg – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

There’s no getting away from how impressive Doctor Steinberg was in the Grade 1 Novices’ Hurdle over 2m6f at Leopardstown at the weekend but I was amazed at how well he won considering how keen he was throughout the early part of the race. If he races that freely at Cheltenham in a much deeper race, I am not sure he will last the three miles.

I am also not so sure about the form. Kazansky, who was second, narrowly beat County Final at Limerick’s Christmas meeting, but the latter was pulled up in a Listed handicap on Monday. Thedeviluno could be the value in the race.

Paul Nolan went close in this race with Latest Exhibition in 2020 and the impressive Doncaster winner on latest also beat a subsequent Grade 1 winner in Skylight Hustle at Gowran on reappearance.

Thedeviluno

Analysis

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