Day two of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival kicks off with the Turners Novices’ Hurdle and Browns Advisory Novices' Chase. The card also includes the BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle and the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase where last year’s winner Stumptown could bid to retain his crown.

What to Expect on Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival

The second day of the Cheltenham Festival has the same structure as last year with two opening Grade 1 novice races. The Turners Novices’ Hurdle kicks off the day before the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Two competitive handicaps follow with The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle and the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase where last year’s winner Stumptown could bid to retain his crown.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the feature of the opening day and the highlight of the season for the 2 mile chasers, a race that has been weakened by the late defection of Marine Nationale.

The Grand Annual Handicap Chase precedes the Champion Bumper which is a race that often provides exciting novice hurdlers and novice chasers of the future.

Cheltenham Festival Day Two Race Card

1.20 The Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m5f
2.00 The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 3m 80y
2.40 The BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2m5f
3.20 The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase 3m6f 37y
4.00 The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 1m7f 199y
4.40 The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 1m7f 199y
5.20 The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) 2m 87y

Notable Cheltenham Festival Day Two Omissions

Turners Novices’ Hurdle
Mighty Park, Doctor Steinberg, Lazare De Star, Moneygarrow and Thedeviluno.

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Kappa Jy Pyke, Sixmilebridge and Soldier In Milan.

BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle
A Pai De Nom, Feet Of A Dancer, Potters Charm, The Passing Wife and Tripoli Flyer.

Cross Country Chase
French Dynamite

Champion Chase
Calico, JPR One, Senecia, Thistle Ask and Marine Nationale.

Grand Annual
Captain Guinness, Jacob’s Ladder, Brookie, Mambonumberfive, Libberty Hunter and David’s Well.

Champion Bumper
Oh My Word, Outofafrika, Premier Division and Peace Belle.

Key Cheltenham Stats & Trends for Day Two

Turners Novices’ Hurdle Trends:

  • 12 of the previous 12 winners were rated 146 or higher
  • 11 of the previous 12 winners were aged 5 or 6
  • 11 of the previous 12 winners won last time out
  • 11 of the previous 12 winners had a win over 19f-21f
  • 10 of the previous 12 winners had already won a graded race

 

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase Trends:

  • 12 of the previous 12 winners had previously run at Cheltenham
  • 10 of the previous 12 winners were rated 152 or higher
  • 10 of the previous 12 winners had already won a graded race
  • 9 of the previous 12 winners were aged 7
  • 9 of the previous 12 winners won last time out

 

Champion Chase Trends:

  • 11 of the previous 12 winners had already won a Grade 1
  • 10 of the previous 12 winners were aged between 7 and 9
  • 10 of the previous 12 winners had at least 2 previous runs at Cheltenham
  • 10 of the previous 12 winners had at least 7 chase starts
  • 9 of the previous 12 winners were rated 162 or higher
  • 6 of the previous 12 winners had run in the Clarence House Chase on their previous run

 

Cheltenham Festival Weather Update for Day Two

Day two of the Cheltenham Festival looks set to be run in largely favourable conditions, with only 0.5mm of rain recorded overnight and a dry, partly sunny forecast throughout the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to reach around 12°C, though a brisk westerly wind with gusts up to 50 km/h could make it feel a little cooler on course. The official going remains Good to Soft on both the Old and New Courses, with the Cross Country track Good to Soft, Good in places, and with only a 25% chance of precipitation and limited cloud cover, the surface should ride fairly consistently through the card. Overall, conditions look ideal for racing, with no significant deterioration expected as the day unfolds.

Exclusive Cheltenham Tips from Our Premium Tipsters

Andy Holding Cheltenham Day 2 Tips

Racing Lee Cheltenham Day 2 Tips

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Today’s Best Bets from Our Tipster 

Cheltenham Festival Best Bet 1

Race: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
Tip: FINAL DEMAND
Best Price: 11/2 (Tipped at 6/4 ante post)
Stake: 1pt

The most likely winner of Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival is Final Demand who looks made for the test of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. The Willie Mullins trained seven-year-old has won six of his seven career starts with his only defeat coming when 3rd in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the festival last season.

Final Demand was foot perfect on his chasing debut at Navan winning by 13 lengths before justifying short odds to win the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick over Christmas. He set a high standard in the division prior to going over fences and should arrive at the festival this season off the back of a victory in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Final Demand has since been beaten at the Dublin Racing Festival and has now drifted out to 7/2. That was too bad to be true though and he still looks likely to be sent off favourite for the race.

Cheltenham Festival Best Bet 2

Race: Queen Mother Champion Chase
Tip: L’EAU DU SUD
Best Price: 11/2 (Tipped at 10/1 ante-post)
Stake: 0.5pts ew

With doubts surrounding many of the runners at the bottom of the Champion Chase market, L’Eau Du Sud looks a solid contender for the race. The eight-year-old was a solid handicap hurdler before winning his first four chase starts last season. Dan Skelton blamed himself for running too close to the Cheltenham festival last season and has deliberately kept the gelding fresh this term.

L’Eau Du Sud beat Jonbon by 15 lengths in the Shloer Chase over this course and distance on his reappearance before a slightly below par run next time in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. The fact that the stable seem likely to skip the festival with Thistle Ask shows the confidence they have in L’Eau Du Sud and he looks a fantastic each way bet at current prices.

Cheltenham Festival Best Bet 3

Race: Champion Bumper
Tip: KEEP HIM COMPANY 
Best Price: 13/2 (tipped at 16/1 ante post)
Stake: 1pt

With Willie Mullins currently having multiple potential runners in this race, it looks a good time to back a horse whose next run is this race (barring a setback). Gordon Elliott stated that his unbeaten six-year-old Keep Him Company is set to have his next start at the Cheltenham festival.

Gigginstown House Stud purchased the gelding for £220,000 following an impressive victory in a PTP and he has since won both of his bumpers. He won by three lengths at Fairyhouse in November before following up at Leopardstown over Christmas in a strong race. He proved he handled good to yielding ground that day and looks the leading contender for his powerful stable that had the 1-2-3 in the Grade 2 Bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival.