Five Outsiders for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival

Posted on March 9, 2026

The Cheltenham Festival is here, and in a bid to be different with my preview this time around, instead of looking at the obvious, I’m focusing purely on big-priced runners who I think can go well across the four days.

Favourites are the main talking points, but they don’t always win. Let’s try to beat them and land something at double-figure odds across the week.

It’s the most competitive Cheltenham Festival in a while, so there’s plenty of hope that upsets will happen.

Arkle Chase – Tuesday 10^th March 2:00 pm

The Arkle is a fascinating race this year. Leading the market, we have Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba, who I think will be top class in time, but this particular week, I think both have questions to answer.

Kopek Des Bordes is coming with just one run over fences, a tall ask with inexperience, while it’s clear Lulamba needs further than this trip, and I’m not sure he’ll have the speed to go with them.

So, who can beat them? Well, I’m with jockey Tom Cannon in thinking that Jax Junior has been overlooked in the market and can give them both plenty to think about. Cannon has nominated this horse as his best chance of the week.

He’s got good experience with five runs, winning three of them. The two losses, one was on chase debut when he needed it, and he bled in the other, so forget that.

Winner of a minor Kempton race, a good Sandown handicap and most recently, a Grade Two at Kempton last month. He stays further, but definitely has the speed for two miles, and has won at this trip.

He may not be the most conventional, exciting potential superstar, but just in terms of this particular race, I think he’s got a much better chance than the market suggests.

He’s a best price 25/1 with AK Bets, but there’s plenty of 20s and 22/1 out there with others.

Ultima Handicap – Tuesday 10^th March 3:20 pm

In the Ultima Handicap, I think Konfusion can run well for the north and continue the resurgence of the Sue Smith team. They’ve won a few big Saturday races this season, and this lad has won two of them, with the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby and the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle already under his belt.

Go back a few years, and Vintage Clouds won this race after leading all the way for this year, and if Konfusion wins, he’ll be aiming to do the same.

Battle-hardened, a horse who will love the test of this race, and given he’s from the north, I think he’s gone under the radar despite a very strong season so far.

He’s 14/1 across the board, and it’s a race where many bookmakers will give you five or six places each way, which only enhances his chances of making the frame.

Grand Annual – Wednesday 11^th March 4:40 pm

I might be showing that I often get attached to horses, especially in their older age, and believe they can do something they can’t, but if Edwardstone runs in the Grand Annual, I can’t help but think he’s a massive price to get in the frame.

You’d usually see him a race earlier in the Champion Chase, his sights have been lowered, and now 12, rightfully so.

He has a Grade Two win and second to his name this season, over further, and I do think two miles might be too sharp nowadays. But they’ll go quick, and if he can hold on, he’ll stay up the hill strongly, I’m sure of it.

Look out for each-way terms here; the more places, the better. He’s 40/1 as I write with plenty of firms, anything 33/1 or greater, with six places, I think he can sneak in the frame and show there’s life in the old boy yet.

Stayers Hurdle – Thursday 12^th March 3:20 pm

The shortest price of my five picks, but I can’t leave this horse out, as I feel he’s been completely forgotten about in the market, and should be half the odds he is.

The horse is Ballyburn for Willie Mullins, and there’s been a massive overreaction to his poor run last time, a time when I don’t think all was well with the Mullins camp.

Before that, he was a nose behind favourite Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace. You can say that it was slightly too short for Teahupoo that day, two and a half miles, but I think the same of Ballyburn, who relished further over fences.

He’s a grade one winner over bigger obstacles, while not being a natural, and I think he’s supremely talented, and certainly deserving of being far less than 12/1 in this field.

The shortest of my picks in the betting, but I think 12/1 represents fantastic value.

Albert Bartlett – Friday 13^th March 3:20 pm

The Albert Barlett is a gruelling test for young novice horses, and you need a horse that can really tough it out, and I believe that Kazansky from the Gordon Elliott team is exactly that type.

He was eight lengths behind Doctor Steinberg last time, who’s the current favourite. They are 3/1 and 16/1 for this race, and I’m not sure the gap should be that big, given there are two reasons to think Kazansky can get closer here.

Firstly, the additional trip and Cheltenham hill will really suit Kazansky, I think he looks the type to relish a battle and a really tough race, so I’m hoping he’ll take to this.

Secondly, he made an error at the last, which really cost him momentum at a crucial time, and he wasn’t hard pressed afterwards.

He does need to jump better, but if he does, this is the kind of race that should lean into his battling qualities, and I think he’ll be up for it more than some others. He’s 16/1 with a few firms at the time of writing.