Liam Firkin has picked out two Cheltenham ante-post tips for the Albert Bartlett & Pertemps. Find these and his full ante-post portfolio here.
ALBERT BARTLETT NOVICE HURDLE
Tip 1: YOU PROOF - 1pt Each-Way
A horse who has gone firmly under the radar over the festive period is YOU PROOF (25/1) for Willie Mullins who sent this runner to Limerick and he was very impressive beating King’s Bucks by one and a half lengths.
He travelled through the 2m5f race gracefully and picked up the leaders at will before being shaken up by Danny Mullins and going away to win with relative ease. This horse was one of five horses that Patrick Mullins had put on a list to follow for last season but was seen in just the one bumper race and has seemingly been given the necessary time to further grow into his big frame. That patience seems to have been rewarded as he looks like a lovely prospect for Closutton and even from the minimal form on show, there’s plenty to like about it.
| Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Winner | Best Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| No Drama This End | 12/1 | William Hill |
| Sortudo | 14/1 | bet365 |
| Lazare De Star | 20/1 | BetVictor |
| Doctor Steinberg | 20/1 | 888Sport |
| Doctor Du Mesnil | 20/1 | bet365 |
| You Proof | 25/1 | Coral |
Compare odds on the full Albert Barlett Novice Hurdle market HERE.
King’s Bucks lined up in the Albert Bartlett trial at Cheltenham where he was beat by just three lengths by the current favourite for The Turners Novice Hurdle, No Drama This End. The second in that contest was Heads Up who was runner up in the Champion Bumper at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and he was successful at Listowel before lining up in that trial at Cheltenham. Others from that form line have subsequently gone on to win with Great Fleet and Moneygarrow both getting their heads in front since and that gives a further boost to that race at Cheltenham.
In addition to the form on offer, You Proof appeared to be doing all his best work at the finish and to my eye, he looked to only be getting better the further they went and as Novice Hurdle debuts go, this was one that was quite taking.. Perhaps the combination of Danny Mullins, rather than Paul Townend being aboard, and the fact that he was running at Limerick meant that the performance hasn’t captured the imagination of punters but I was seriously impressed and let’s not forget that Final Demand won this race last season and he’s not turned out to be too bad based on what we’ve seen so far so dismissing a performance due to the venue would be plain stupid.
It had been suggested that he won’t take in the Dublin Racing Festival in the race over 2m6f and there is a bit of a concern that he could slot into The Turners over the shorter trip but the vibes are that he’s a stayer and considered more of an Albert Bartlett type and on the limited evidence that we have, I would agree. I think he is far too big of a price based on his connections, his form, and the visual impression that he made on debut and I am willing to take the chance that he lines up on the Friday rather than the Wednesday and am very excited about his prospects going forward.
247bet
PERTEMPS FINAL
Tip 2: LONG DRAW - 0.75pts Each-Way
A horse who has already qualified for this race and is due out again this weekend, in what I hope is a run to keep him ticking over before March, is far too big of a price for this based on his performance at Cheltenham earlier this season and his record at this course last season.
LONG DRAW (33/1) for Olly Murphy was a big eye catcher in October when held up and ridden widest of all meaning he covered much more ground than most of the field. He stayed on really well to grab the final qualification spot in fourth but had he been better positioned, I think he’d have gotten much closer to the winner on that day.
The winner in question was Ma Shantou who beat Long Draw by seven lengths but was in receipt of 9lbs on that day from which in addition to the much better track position that Ma Shantou had, can only further mark up the performance of my selection with Long Draw having to deal with the much wider course that was taken by Sean Bowen. Ma Shantou has been extremely progressive through the season and we can’t bank on the same level of improvement from Long Draw but nevertheless, Ma Shantou now sits on a mark of 144 and Long Draw off a mark of 136. That mark could be exploited come March.
He’s been given a lot of experience around Cheltenham which is a real positive and had a fantastic record at this track over 3m prior to this season with form from the 24-25 season at Cheltenham reading: 112
| Pertemps Network Final Winner | Best Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| C'Est Different | 16/1 | Sky Bet |
| Electric Mason | 16/1 | bet365 |
| Supremely West | 16/1 | William Hill |
| Ma Shantou | 16/1 | Betfred |
| Nab Wood | 20/1 | Ladbrokes |
| Long Draw | 33/1 | bet365 |
Compare odds on the full Pertemps Network Final market HERE.
I think the intention behind his busy schedule since qualification is to look to get him on a more competitive mark and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him put away following one more run, with the win being to return here and put in a career best when coming back to Prestbury Park a much fresher horse.
He’s likely to have the best jockey booking possible in the shape of Sean Bowen and his trainer, Olly Murphy, has been firing in winners since flag-fall of the current season. He will need to improve on recent runs but I have no doubt that a much better showing will be seen in the Pertemps Final and crucially, he is an out and out stayer and when any rivals are getting weary at the business end of this race, he is sure to keep finding all the way to the line.
Liam Firkin's Current Cheltenham 2026 Ante-Post Portfolio
Jango Baie (Gold Cup) - 2.5 Pts Win @ 20/1 (Tipped 11th December 2025)
July Flower (Arkle Chase) - 1 Pt Win @ 33/1 (Tipped 6th November 2025)
You Proof (Albert Bartlett) - 1 Pt EW @ 25/1 (Tipped 9th January 2026)
Long Draw (Pertemps Network Final) - 0.75 Pts EW @ 33/1 (Tipped 9th January 2026)
