Cheltenham Festival Day 2 Tips 2026: Through The Card Selections for Wednesday at Cheltenham

Cheltenham Festival 2026 rolls on with another huge afternoon of racing on Wednesday as the meeting moves into its second day at Prestbury Park. The card is headlined by the Champion Chase and the Turners Novices' Hurdle, while the supporting races ensure another packed seven-race programme for punters to get stuck into.

Billy Grimshaw has gone through the full Wednesday card and here are his Cheltenham Festival Day 2 tips for every race on day two at Cheltenham.

If you're searching for more selections across the week, you can also check out our complete Cheltenham Festival tips guide where we analyse the best betting opportunities across all four days of the meeting.

13:20 Turners Novices' Hurdle

Just as Tuesday begins with a novice hurdle which will separate the wheat from the chaff moving forward in their careers, Wednesday begins with the same race but over the intermediate trip. Paul Nicholls' No Drama This End has been heading the market for most of the winter, but with punters perhaps scarred by the memory of Bravemansgame who was all the rage for this but stuffed by Bob Olinger, the grey has been on the drift of late.

TALK THE TALK looked destined for the Supreme all winter but is shorter now than the Nicholls inmate for this race which could end up a fairly windy affair. He should be a two time Grade 1 winner and battled well at the Dublin Racing Festival to score in the dying strides. His issue over two miles has been his jumping so being able to go a slightly more sedate pace in here could be a masterstroke by Joseph O'Brien.

14:00 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase

I could look a bit silly in the fullness of time if my pick KITZBUHEL does not turn up for this race and Mighty Park also doesn't run in the Turners forty minutes before, but we at least have the non runner no bet concession on our side now with just days to go until the Festival.

The drying ground is a massive plus for my pick, and he has at least been confirmed at the final stage.

To see my full Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Preview, head to the link below:

14:40 BetMGM Cup

A race that is going to take a lot of getting used to being called anything other than the Coral Cup, this is one of the trickiest handicaps of the week for punters to crack and as raceday approaches we can expect plenty of extra places available for each-way punters.

Over the last decade it has been all about Mullins, Skelton and Henderson in this contest and I am siding with the master of Closutton once more in the shape of favourite STORM HEART. There is no denying backing a favourite in the BetMGM Cup and losing feels worse than backing a value loser, but he has loads in his favour and I loved his prep run at Gowran when he flew home off a strong pace having blown his chance earlier in the race and not being given a hard time by Paul Townend. I expect Townend to retain the ride and would be flabbergasted if this horse was out of the frame.

15:20 Cross Country Chase

Despite the authority of Stumptown’s victory in this race last season, things look tougher this time around. He is set to shoulder considerably more weight and his runs so far this campaign have done little to suggest he arrives in the same form as twelve months ago. That could open the door for DESERTMORE HOUSE, who receives a sizeable weight pull from both the defending champion and the well-fancied Favouri De Champdou, the latest Gigginstown contender to attract support in the cross-country ranks. Even allowing for testing ground reducing the impact of the handicap, it will take a huge effort for those higher in the weights to concede over a stone to Martin Brassil’s runner.

This race has clearly been the long-term target for DESERTMORE HOUSE, who has been campaigned with the Cheltenham banks course firmly in mind. By contrast, Stumptown has had a split focus with both this race and a potential tilt at the Grand National mentioned through the winter. Given the weight swing and his suitability for this unique test, DESERTMORE HOUSE looks one of the safer each-way propositions on the Day Two card.

16:00 Champion Chase

The Queen Mother Champion Chase picture shifted dramatically on Tuesday morning when defending champion Marine Nationale was ruled out, leaving the market firmly in the hands of MAJBOROUGH. The JP McManus-owned gelding had already assumed favouritism following a dominant performance at Leopardstown, where he dispatched his rivals with ease and underlined his status as one of the leading two-mile chasers in training. Before that news broke there had been some belief that a return to Cheltenham might swing things back towards Barry Connell’s star, who boasts a strong record at Prestbury Park, but that potential rematch is now off the table.

As things stand it is difficult to build a convincing case against Majborough, even at short odds. L’Eau Du Sud was not far behind him in the 2025 Arkle and Dan Skelton has suggested his horse could produce a career best after arriving here fresh, but if the favourite reproduces the level of form he showed at Leopardstown he will take an awful lot of beating. QUILIXIOS, who looked set to play a major role before falling in last year’s renewal, could be the one to outrun his price and appeals as an interesting each-way alternative.

If Majborough brings his Leopardstown form to Prestbury Park, the Queen Mother Champion Chase could revolve around the JP McManus runner on Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival.

16:40 Grand Annual Handicap Chase

A race in recent years where the only certainty has been a false start or two,  in 2025 we saw a real fairytale finish as Jazzy Matty stormed home to win on a day which will be forever be remembered for the late Michael O'Sullivan. The winner returns this season and while he has a place chance again - horses with good race form in the Grand Annual tend to reproduce it time and time again - there may be others better weighted this time around.

Be Aware warrants massive respect for the Skelton team and if they start the week flying he could go off short for this, but he likes to make the running and will be taken on for the pace by plenty in here. A horse who will relish tracking the frantic pace is BALLYSAX HANK for Gavin Cromwell. He has been running with credit over further before the tank has been routinely emptying but a ferocious two miles should suit him perfectly for one of the best handicap target trainers in the business.

17:20 Champion Bumper

The place to start and finish in the Champion Bumper is Closutton, with Willie Mullins out clear as the winning most trainer in the race with fourteen and six of the last eight. Love Sign d'Anou is being talked up by anyone who'll listen in the Ricci silks and looks almost certain to go off favourite, but the Mullins back up squad have had success in this contest in recent years.

It is a tentative pick truth be told, but I was very impressed with QUIRYN's bloodless debut success at Naas, a race in which he effortlessly powered away from the field. He is a four year old, which is a negative on trends, but looked as mature as needs be for a bumper winner and if jockey bookings go against him he could get to a very attractive price.