The Supreme Novices' Hurdle kicks off Cheltenham 2026 on Tuesday. Check out our preview for the race here.
Cheltenham Festival 2026
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching and the Supreme Novices' Hurdle is the feature race on the Tuesday of the festival - and now is the perfect time to start researching for the best Cheltenham Free Bet Offers.
The wait is over, and the "Cheltenham Roar" is just around the corner, with the Supreme Novices' Hurdle less than 24 hours away.
At the time of writing, Nicky Henderson's Old Park Star is the betting favourite for the Chelteham Festival opener with Talk The Talk and Mighty Park closely following in the betting.
Check out our preview for the race including declared runners, latest odds, race trends, and our expert tipsters' opinions on who is going to win the race.
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Runners & Riders
Old Park Star heads a field of 12 aiming to win the 2026 Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Runners & Confirmed Jockeys
Old Park Star – Nico de Boinville
Talk The Talk – J J Slevin
Mighty Park – Mark Walsh
Myddaddypaddy – Harry Skelton
El Cairos – Jack Kennedy
Sober Glory – Ben Jones
Leader d’Allier – Paul Townend
Baron Noir – Tom Bellamy
Too Bossy For Us – Harry Cobden
Koktail Brut – Danny Gilligan
Achtotheirown – Sean Flanagan
Sageborough – Sean O’Keeffe
Willie Mullins has three horses in this race (Mighty Park, Leader d'Allier and Too Bossy For Us). Gordon Elliott is the only other trainer with two or more declared in the race (El Cairos & Koktail Brut).
Who's favourite to win the 2026 Supreme Novices' Hurdle?
Old Park Star is a 5/2 favourite for the Supreme at the time of writing, followed by the likes of Talk The Talk, Mighty Park and Mydaddypaddy at the top of the betting.
| Supreme Novices' Hurdle Winner | Best Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Old Park Star | 5/2 | bet365 |
| Talk The Talk | 9/2 | SpreadEx |
| Mighty Park | 5/1 | Sky Bet |
| Mydaddypaddy | 8/1 | Unibet |
| El Cairos | 9/1 | William Hill |
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Most Backed Horses
% of bets placed on Monday via Oddschecker.
Old Park Star - 31%
Mighty Park - 14%
Talk The Talk - 11%
El Cairos - 11%
Leader d'Allier - 8%
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Race Trends
• 12 of the previous 12 winners had at least 2 runs over hurdles
• 11 of the previous 12 winners were aged 5 or 6
• 11 of the previous 12 winners had won a graded race
• 11 of the previous 12 winners were rated 147 or higher
• 10 of the previous 12 winners had won last time out
Supreme Novices' Hurdle Betting Tips
Here is the summary from some of Oddschecker's expert tipsters on who they believe will win the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
Road to Cheltenham - Old Park Star
I’ve been banging the drum for OLD PARK STAR in my recent columns and I’m not going to stop now despite Nicky Henderson playing down expectations. He brings a high level of form to the race and I was hugely impressed with him at Haydock last time out.
Jake Price - Old Park Star
Now it would certainly be hard for me to have a strong opinion in this race considering the depth, but I thought that OLD PARK STAR was worth a play on the basis that he could genuinely be a superstar on the basis of the visual impression he has made on his previous two starts.
Steve Ryder - Talk The Talk
Oddschecker Verdict - Old Park Star (1pt Win)
Best Betting Offers and Free Bets for Cheltenham Day One
Sky Bet - Bet £1 Get £50 in Free Bets
Bally Bet - Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets
Monopoly - Bet £10 Get £20 in Free Bets
Betfair - Bet £10 on Cheltenham Get £30 in Free Bets
Dabble - Bet £10 Get £10 in Cheltenham Free Bets
Your Next Cheltenham Read
Racing Lee's Day One Cheltenham Festival Tips
Ginger Joe's Cheltenham Festival Day 1 Tips
Andy Holding's Full Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Portfolio
Road to Cheltenham's NAPs for Each Day of the Festival
Jake Price's Full Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Portfolio
