Cheltenham Tips: Updated Preview Of Tuesday Showpiece

The final field for the 2026 Champion Hurdle is confirmed. Lossiemouth is IN. The bookies can't split her and The New Lion in the market. It should be another thrilling renewal after the drama of last season, and Billy Grimshaw has updated his preview written last week to reflect the very latest information and potential outcomes...

It isn't the first time I've had egg on my face. I'm certain it won't be my last, but to all readers who followed my thinking and backed PONIROS each-way on the assumption there'd be no Lossiemouth here, I offer the humblest of apologies. Of course, I tipped the horse at 12/1 and he's now a general 14/1 - hardly a monumental drift - but a big part of the plan was that we would have the services of the man who rides Cheltenham better than anybody; Paul Townend.

Unsurprisingly ,Townend will instead be riding Lossiemouth after the Mullins and Ricci camp shocked the racing world (and this humble scribe) with their declaration of the fabulous grey mare in this race. It is so out of character, but is worth applauding and hopefully is the beginning of a bold new era for the team of really taking the bull by the horns. This Champion Hurdle was ripe for the picking and Lossiemouth now has a favourite's chance of picking it up to add to her already glittering CV.

She rates the most likely winner to my eye, with her Cheltenham form exemplary and three wins already at the Festival before she even hits the age of eight. She will go down as a great no matter what happens come Tuesday afternoon, but she can claim her place among the pantheon of star mares like Honeysuckle and Annie Power with a win here. I've no doubt she has the required speed as whenever she has raced over what her connections have insisted is her optimal intermediate trip, she has won her races with a wicked burst of acceleration. If she is still in there pitching over the last, I don't think anything will see her off.

I am still not giving up on Poniros's place chances, however. His sole run this season was not impressive but even in his flat career prior to joining Mullins he never looked to enjoy soft conditions, so finishing way off Brighterdaysahead, who reopposes here, when not given a hard time by Danny Mullins and drifting all morning is nothing to be too worried about.

On Brighterdaysahead, she is another who could see cash on the day if Gordon Elliott gets off to a fast start with El Cairos in the Supreme, but for all at her peak I believe she's the best horse in this race I cannot countenance backing her at 9/2 or shorter given her shocking Cheltenham record. Poniros will hopefully at the very least reverse that form with her from Leopardstown and if he does, hopefully that's enough at the very least for some place money. Her main chance will be going off like a scalded cat and getting the field in trouble chasing her, but she's shown onthing at Cheltenham yet to indicate she's up to that task.

The home team is headed by The New Lion, and in the aftermath of his Turners win last season no one would be surprised to see him come into this race as favourite. On the day that race looked strong form, but since both Final Demand and particularly The Yellow Clay have let it down and Skelton's charge has shown himself to be vulnerable this campaign. We'll never know if he'd have won the Fighting Fifth if he'd not run out, but running out is itself a negative, and the horse who triumphed that day Golden Ace will return to the scene of her greatest triumph with a mighty chance of, somehow, becoming a dual Champion Hurdler.

Her win in last year's race was fortuitous to say the least but - with a lesson that seemingly falls on some deaf pink and green ears - you've gotta be in it to win it. She was in it, the hotpots fell away, and she won it. I'd prefer backing her each-way once more here than The New Lion win only, but do think Poniros is the value at this point in time. A repeat of his fast finishing Triumph victory will see him bang there should Brighterdaysahead or Tutti Quanti set ferocious fractions and with the way Mullins builds his five year olds to crescendo at Cheltenham, I am not willing to write off the admittedly poor antepost tip.