RoadCheltenham's New Year's Day Tips: Four To Back At Prestbury Park

A very Happy New Year to readers and hopefully we’ll be entering 2026 with a winner or two at Cheltenham on Thursday! It’s probably not the greatest New Year’s Day card but racegoers will flock to Prestbury Park in vast numbers and hopefully punters will be rewarded with a profitable day.

Here, I go through some of my best bets at Cheltenham and we might even see one or two clues with a view to the Festival in March. Less than 10 weeks to go now!

12:15 Cheltenham

I like the chances of KIWI RUSH in the opener for Harry Derham. He shaped well for a long way at Newbury last time out before weakening late in the race and he should come on plenty for that effort.

That was his first outing since a wind op and he is entitled to improve for the run. He was behind the talented Klimt Madrik that day and he finished second to the highly regarded No Drama This End in the Grade 1 Challow Novices Hurdle on Monday.

With 3/1 available at the time of writing, that could look a huge price come 12.20pm on New Year’s Day and I’m hoping that the Derham yard, 5-24 over the past two weeks, can continue their fine run of form with another winner here.

13:25 Cheltenham

A competitive race but I’d be disappointed if DOES HE KNOW isn’t fighting it out at the finish. He made a winning return to the track at Haydock in early December and he is back up to a mark of 147 but this veteran was rated 158 at the peak of his powers.

It feels like Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls have had this race planned out for Does He Know, and he is something of a Cheltenham specialist. He’s won four of his 10 appearances at the track and I’m hoping he can get his head in front on Thursday.

The yard are in decent enough form, with two winners and two seconds from 10 runners over the past fortnight. With eight runners declared, I’m tempted by the three places on offer for each way punters and he’s decent value at a best priced 15/2 at the time of writing.

14:35 Cheltenham - Relkeel Hurdle

I was at Haydock Park on Betfair Chase Day and KABRAL DU MATHAN was arguably the standout performer on the day, bolting up to win a handicap by 12 lengths. The runner up Andashan franked the form by winning at Newbury off a 1lb higher mark on Monday.

Harry Skelton knew what he had under him that day, making a decisive move down the back to put the race to bed and he certainly wasn’t concerned about keeping his mark for another day. He went up 14lbs for that success and he’s now tried at Graded level.

Connections have suggested that he’ll be aimed at the Stayers' Hurdle in the spring and we’ll learn a little more about his ability as a potential stayer here. He’s a short enough price but there’s little opposition and he should prove too strong for his rivals.

15:10 Cheltenham

Another Skelton horse to catch the eye on Betfair Chase day was ACE OF SPADES and I was taken by his effort in the Stayers Handicap Hurdle. Stablemate Joyeux Machin had been all the rage in the betting before declarations but Harry Skelton opted for the former and he made the right call.

Ace Of Spades has finished in the first two on seven of his 11 runs under rules and his record over 2m6f or further reads 124. He was outpaced at a pivotal moment in the race at Haydock but Cheltenham will almost certainly play more to his strengths.

Dan Skelton trained the winner of this race in 2019 and he had a similar enough profile to Ace Of Spades. He’s been installed as favourite with most bookmakers but 9/4 offers reasonable enough value given his consistent profile and potential upside.