Two Cheltenham hopefuls have their final prep races at the Newbury Super Saturday 2026 fixture from the Berkshire track on 7 February. They are Haiti Couleurs in the Grade 2 Denman Chase and exciting novice Lulamba in the Game Spirit.
Both horses were among the Cheltenham favourites and fancied runners at last year’s Festival with their respective careers continuing apace over fences. In the case of Lulamba, Nicky Henderson showed no hesitation in sending him chasing at the tender age of four. Now five, Joe & Marie Donnelly’s rising star horse must fill the void created by injuries to Sir Gino and State Man for these owners.
Haiti Couleurs, meanwhile, is out to prove himself better than a top handicapper when comes back in trip in the last real Cheltenham Gold Cup trial run in the UK. The pride of Wales after giving the host nation victory in their own version of the Grand National at Chepstow just after Christmas, we’ll know more about if he can deliver on the promise showed in staying chases.
Also on the Newbury Super Saturday 2026 card is a big Premier Handicap hurdle over an extended two miles. There’s also a novice hurdle, staying handicap hurdle, novices’ limited handicap chase and a Listed bumper. Each can prove informative with some horses to follow, but online Cheltenham bookmakers price them up winning here and now, rather than necessarily at the Festival.
With that major meeting looming on the horizon, our horse racing experts take a look at the first six races from the card. Their shortlists reflect the runners of interest with explanations why. That tells you which horses to look out for with many putting the finishing touches to reaching peak form for Cheltenham next month.
Newbury Super Saturday 2026 Preview for 7 February
1:00 – 2m 69y Class 3 Novice Hurdle
Although unraced over hurdles coming into Super Saturday, Henderson four-year-old FANTASY WORLD is a high-calibre recruit to the National Hunt code off the Flat. He gets a massive chunk of weight from both the market principals. With just 10st 4lb on his back, and a softer surface no problem, Fantasy World looks a bit of value, especially given his relatively short Cheltenham odds for the Triumph Hurdle.
It probably just concerns these three with everything else but Kocktail Bleu a maiden. Chris Gordon’s charge didn’t fire over further here on soft ground at the end of November, but has enough about him to post a better finishing position than his fifth from that day back down in distance. The others look as though their futures lie in handicaps.
1:35 – 3m 57y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-135)
✅ First strike @DSkeltonRacing
A Pai De Nom lands the November Meeting opener in attritional conditions at @CheltenhamRaces.
Relatively clean silks passing the line for Tristan Durrell! pic.twitter.com/djhVy78aYl
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 14, 2025
Nothing else really makes much appeal here to be honest. Below The Radar didn’t seem to get home at Haydock last month for Paul Nicholls and Freddie Keighley, who again takes 7lb off with his claim. He’s up 3lb for losing and a longer trip he’s not certain to stay. Error-strewn chaser Crebilly is back down to his last winning hurdle mark, meanwhile.
Tranquil Sea is the Skelton stable’s second string, but much like A Pai De Nom he’s had a busy campaign already. The crucial difference is while the selection has won three times, this one has only a sole victory under his belt since switching from Ireland and the Paul Nolan yard. If there is a dark horse in here, then Henderson may have it in French import Alentejo, whose handicap hurdle mark of 118 is a guess.
2:10 – 2m 7f 91y Grade 2 Denman Chase
That was a third big handicap chase success of Haiti Couleurs’ career, following the marathon event at the Festival and Irish Grand National last Easter. The task facing this horse, who has a similar profile to three-time Denman winner Native River, is easier with Jango Baie skipping this and going to the Gold Cup fresh.
Opposition is rather meagre as nothing about the effort from L’Homme Presse on Festival Trials Day suggested he wanted to go back in trip. Venetia Williams is clearly having a difficult season, and the Cotswold Chase runner-up could well be booked for the same spot again here. That’s because Skelton inmate Riskintheground wants a sounder surface to race on than he’s going to get here.
He also carries the same penalty as L’Homme Presse, but only won a Grade 2 limited handicap on much faster going at Cheltenham last spring. Leave Of Absence, the only winner over Newbury fences in the line-up, completes the field. He receives weight all-round, but Anthony Honeyball’s charge is a staying handicapper chancing his arm at a higher level in search of prize money.
2:45 – 2m 92y Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase
Very difficult to oppose star novice LULAMBA in open company at Newbury Super Saturday 2026. He runs at his local track for Henderson and hasn’t put a foot wrong over fences. This is just his third career start in this sphere, but Lulamba follows in the hoofprints of past stable stars Sprinter Sacre and Altior in stepping outside novices only races.
Granted a clear round, off 3lb better terms than 12 months ago, Libberty Hunter has every chance of reversing the form of last year’s contest with Master Chewy. As Cheltenham Festival results show, Evan Williams’ charge does have a bad habit of taking falls, but connections book Sean Bowen for the ride now. Saint Segal has been consistent in handicaps for Jane Williams this season, meanwhile, but this demands more of him.
Hurst Park hero Calico may similarly find the gulf between handicapping and graded contests too much to bridge for Skelton. Brookie is open to more progress than most, but would perhaps benefit from stepping up in trip. These are very deep waters for the other novice in the field, Meetmebythesea. His rating isn’t even at 140 after consecutive victories over fences for Ben Pauling and JP McManus.
3:20 – 2m 69y William Hill Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
What a finish! 🏁
DANCE AND GLANCE just gets the better of ALL IN YOU, digging deep under a power-packed ride from @Rex_Dingle for trainer @honeyballracing 🔥 pic.twitter.com/I3ZY98eRRj— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) December 19, 2025
While All In You and Dance And Glance battled one another again in midwinter, Let It Rain has had a small 50-day break and will be fully primed to turn the tables on both. There is a real lack of depth to this race, better known as the Schweppes Hurdle and Betfair Hurdle to different generations. The Twiston-Davies novice Un Sens A La Vie is 2lb well-in for a stable known to target this contest.
If punters can forgive A Pai De Nom for only hitting the frame in the Lanzarote earlier on the card, then similar comments can also apply to Lanesborough. The going at Kempton was probably fast enough for Pauling’s runner. Gerry Feilden scorer Tutti Qunati frames the weights for Nicholls, while Windsor winner Hot Fuss has a 5lb penalty to carry.
The remainder don’t look that well-treated with some of the older horses actually wrong by 1lb or two with revised official ratings. That is often the way with early closing races like this one, however. Many will have targets later on in the campaign, most notably Go Dante who may bid for an Imperial Cup hat-trick at the beginning of March.
3:55 – 2m 7f 91y Class 3 Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
A greater danger at the weights might be Captain Bellamy for Nicholls, who just failed to overhaul unexposed chasing debutant Calimystic in December. He’s up 3lb for missing out by a short-head, but could gain compensation now. With Itseemslikeit having Uttoxeter as his first preference, course winner Knight Of Allen steps back up in trip following that December victory and not being able to go the pace at Cheltenham races last time.
Of the others, Pour Les Filles landing his chasing bow on stable debut for Mickey Bowen under Sean. A 4lb rise might be lenient. U Cant Be Serious goes up in trip and Joe Tizzard books Sam Twiston-Davies for this spare ride. The rest don’t really have much to recommend them in this contest, which Bravemansgame famously landed back in 2022.
