It’s an annual tradition that there are Cheltenham races on New Year’s Day and 2026 is no exception. The Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle headlines the 1 January card from Prestbury Park with Dan Skelton runner Kabral Du Mathan all the rage to land the feature contest over an extended two-and-a-half miles.
Supporting that is the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase, a Premier Handicap, plus some other informative races. They include a staying handicap hurdle and chase, plus a maiden hurdle and novice chase before a Listed bumper for horses that have just become four-year-olds. There’s plenty going on elsewhere too as we begin 2026 with a bang.
As with any meeting here, the Cheltenham races from New Year’s Day are competitive. Punters may baulk at the prohibitive price Kabral Du Mathan has for the Relkeel, but there’s definitely value in other events from the card. That is where our horse racing experts come in. They say whatever you do on 1 January, you should do every day.
In the case of our experts, that is definitely true. They always have their noses in the form book, seeking the right horses to back. Combining such research with the odds available with online Cheltenham bookies is their tried and tested system, proven over time to work. We asked our experts to narrow down the fields for the first six contests below…
Cheltenham Races on New Year’s Day 2026 Preview
12:15 – 2m 4f 56y Class 2 Maiden Hurdle
Moneygarrow captures the Aztec Aerosols Contract Filling Maiden Hurdle for @DSkeltonRacing pic.twitter.com/4GHTWapmPF
— Warwick Racecourse (@WarwickRaces) December 11, 2025
Nothing like as deep as it looked from the initial entries. The dead eight have been declared for the opener, so there might be some each-way shape to this. Just Golden stayed on into third in The French Furze for the Skeltons up at Newcastle over further last time out with the four and fifth scoring since. He has leading form claims on that evdience.
It’s been profitable to follow the Cheltenham local stable of Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls over hurdles this term, however, and that suggests STEP AHEAD might be a value alternative. His bumper form reads better than Just Golden’s despite that one winning in that sphere at Chepstow. Step Ahead chased home the now 146-rated hurdler French Ship around Haydock. He also placed in a Listed bumper, splitting two subsequent hurdles scorers.
Step Ahead should’ve learned plenty and will come on for his bow in this discipline from Warwick on reappearance. Of the others, the long absent Point-to-Point winners Minella Mission and Neon Dream are probably best watched on their Rules debut. Harry Derham’s Kiwi Rush could improve for his fourth to subsequent Challow Hurdle second Klimt Madrik at Newbury. He finished ahead of Walk Tall on that occasion.
12:50 – 2m 4f 127y Class 2 Novice Chase
Smooth from Sixmilebridge 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/6obe0ea3rB
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 12, 2025
Expensive purchase Regent’s Stroll will be popular with punters at Cheltenham races on New Year’s Day 2026, but a note of caution about his recent form. He only landed a match around Wincanton with Jeriko Du Reponet, who really hasn’t taken to fences at all. The two horses in front of him in the John Francome from Newbury have been beaten over Christmas.
Carrying a 5lb penalty with question marks over recent results suggests the value lies elsewhere. Race terms don’t favour Jane Williams’ Knight Of Allen at all following his own narrow Newbury success. Instead, CALIFET EN VOL could build on his course and distance second from last month’s Cheltenham race card and his chasing debut.
Nicky Henderson’s runner should strip fitter for that reappearance run. While Califet En Vol doesn’t have the same lofty rating of 146 as Regent’s Stroll or Irish raider Eagle Fang for William Durkan, he gets 5lb from both and it bridges the gap considerably. Adjusting official figures to take this into account, the selection only needs to find 4lb.
Eagle Fang hasn’t run well here in the past over hurdles, but his chase debut win around Thurles has been franked by the runner-up going one better since. The fifth home has also got his head in front. Completing the line-up is Stuart Edmunds runner Miami Magic, but he’s been far from fluent in two outings in this sphere so far.
1:25 – 3m 1f 56y Class 2 Betfair Handicap Chase (0-150)
Irish raider Blaze The Way wins the Turners Handicap Chase pic.twitter.com/EypOWpGXvY
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) December 12, 2025
An intriguing contest for staying handicappers over fences at Cheltenham races on New Year’s Day where HERAKLES WESTWOOD looks the answer after he ran a blinder from 9lb out of the weights here last month when fourth to Blaze The Way. If building on that Cheltenham result, then Warren Greatrex’s Herakles Westwood should go well here from within the handicap and he hopefully won’t lose a shoe this time.
Also catching the eye is bottom weight New Order for Charlie Longsdon. After jumping left throughout around Sandown, the return to an anti-clockwise track will suit him. Nudged up 3lb for a narrow defeat there, New Order looks well-weighted with just 10st 6lb on his back and regular rider David Bass again aboard. Another entering calculations is Anthony Honeyball’s Jasmin De Grugy.
His Rehearsal Chase fourth from Newcastle on reappearance has worked out particularly well. The winner, Konfusion, has gone in again when landing the Rowland Meyrick on Boxing Day. Runner-up Deafening Silence placed in the Welsh Grand National. The third home has scored around Doncaster too. Jasmin De Grugy should strip fitter and improve for his return to action.
Topweight Does He Know is a veteran with plenty of course experience, but it’s a little surprising to see him run here and not go to Sandown for a race he qualified for with victory at Haydock last time. Irish raider Shannon Royale could have more to offer stepped back up in trip now. Katate Dori was a gamble for the Ultima on the Cheltenham Festival schedule, but ran no sort of race then and finished sixth in the Coral Gold Cup last time.
2:00 – 2m 4f 127y Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
Glengouly placed in a Thyestes Chase during his time with Willie Mullins. His close third to Mambonumberfive from Aintree this autumn also reads well with the winner also landing his next two starts. That one has an official rating of 146, so there must still be some juice in Glengouly’s revised mark of 131 with Bowen again booked for the ride.
Also of interest here is Skelton runner Riskintheground, provided Friday’s forecast sleeting rain stays away until then. He likes a sound surface and won at Cheltenham in April when landing the Silver Trophy. Although 8lb higher in the handicap now, Riskintheground could still have something to offer over this trip. In-form Just Over Land is 10lb out of the handicap here, so Sam Thomas books a 7lb claimer.
Of the others, topweight Jungle Boogie is a very tricky horse to train. Matata should have a repeat bid around Windsor in his sights later on in the month. Twinjets has no form around here, but arrives on a hat-trick, yet Il Ridoto could yet stage a revival on drying ground with Paul Nicholls booking Freddie Keighley to take 7lb off with his claim. Festival Trials Day 1-2 Moon d’Orange and Grandeur d’Ame don’t look in the same shape now as last January.
2:35 – 2m 4f 56y Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle
Crikey … 👀
𝐊𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 makes a stunning debut for @DSkeltonRacing and @harryskelton89 in the @BetfairRacing-sponsored handicap hurdle @haydockraces 💨 pic.twitter.com/LgswY3hqGF
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 22, 2025
Off such favourable terms, it’s impossible to oppose Team Skelton. Kabral Du Mathan has seen the horse he comprehensively beat in a Haydock handicap in November come out and go one better at Newbury on Monday, so his form has some substance to it. The further he went, the better he looked and confirming that impression is now all he needs to do here to be a springer in the Stayers’ Hurdle Cheltenham odds for the Festival.
As for the others in the Relkeel, they look like handicappers rather than graded horses. Henderson also runs Jingko Blue, but he could only manage seventh off topweight in the Haydock Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle on the same card as Kabral Du Mathan announced himself. Patrick Neville veteran The Real Whacker has gone well here in the past, but looks vulnerable to younger legs. Kamsinas has most to find on ratings.
3:10 – 2m 7f 213y Class 2 Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle
The gamble has landed!
Ma Shantou wins the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle 🥇#ITVRacing | @ELavelleracing | @CobdenHarry pic.twitter.com/c0z8JdPLUE
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 25, 2025
Emma Lavelle’s charge went off favourite, but only finished a hugely disappointing twelfth. Something had to be amiss with the Albert Bartlett seventh the last day. Ma Shantou won so nicely here in October on his penultimate start and reappearance that he’s worth backing to bounce back now. He is 9lb higher in the handicap than at the Showcase, but may perform better here.
Of the others, topweight Harbour Lake pulled up at Haydock, so has had wind surgery since. He likes good ground, but his best days may be behind him. Down the other end of the handicap, Spike Jones and Pike Road both hit the frame over course and distance here in December. This looks a deeper race for the grade, though, and the pair have 7lb claimers riding them again.
Robbie Llewellyn has done well with his small handful of runners over Christmas, so the mare Love Of Neymore could outrun her odds. Neil Mulholland books Bowen for the ride on Double Powerful, meanwhile, as he reverts to hurdling from a failed campaign over fences. The trouble is he’s more than a stone-and-a-half (22lb) higher in the weights than when successful here back in November 2024.
