Ladies’ Day 2026 Tips: Five Predictions and a 37/1 Accumulator

14:00 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase

Koktail Divin is one of the most talked about horses heading into this Festival. He was so impressive last time out at Leopardstown, winning by 21 lengths, that connections ditched the handicap route and stepped him straight into Grade 1 company. That tells you everything about how Henry de Bromhead sees this horse.

Before that he was spending his season bumping into proper horses. Romeo Coolio beat him at Down Royal, Oscars Brother got him at Punchestown. Those are elite rivals, and he was not disgraced in either. Now he arrives here in the form of his life and jumping efficiently.

14:40 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle

Dan Skelton has called Kateira his dark horse for the entire Festival and has explicitly compared her preparation to Langer Dan, the stable’s expert at landing big festival handicaps off a carefully managed mark. Her recent runs at Ascot and Musselburgh look plain on paper but that has been the plan all along, deliberately protecting her handicap mark to arrive here with something to work with. She ran in Grade 2 company at Ascot in November and listed class at Doncaster in December, so the ability is not in question. She now runs off 11st, the ground is drying which suits, Harry Skelton takes over in the saddle, and the trainer has said he is very happy with her preparation. Six places on offer in this race. When Skelton targets a handicap hurdle at the Festival with this level of intent, you pay attention.

15:20 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase

Favori De Champdou arrives here looking for a hat-trick after two impressive wins this season. He bolted up over this exact course and distance in January, winning by 8.5 lengths, and before that he took a handicap chase at Leopardstown in December. Gordon Elliott has him primed and Jack Kennedy takes the ride. He faces an 8lb rise for that January win but experts believe he is still well ahead of the handicapper in this unique discipline. He has mastered the specialist obstacles at Cheltenham, he has course form, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. Only two places on offer here so this is the riskiest of the five, but the case for him filling one of them is hard to argue with.

16:00 Queen Mother Champion Chase

Majborough is the banker of the meeting. His 19-length demolition of Marine Nationale in the Dublin Chase last month was as emphatic as it gets at Grade 1 level, and it silenced anyone who had doubts about his class. Willie Mullins has said he is now a far more polished and safe jumper than he was as a novice, and with an RPR of 183 he is the top-rated horse in the field by some distance. Mark Walsh rides. He is odds-on for a reason and features in virtually every multiple bet of the week. This is the win selection in the acca and the one you build the rest of the card around.

16:40 Challenge Cup Handicap Chase

Inthepocket is a Grade 1 winning hurdler who has been given a workable mark for his first real tilt at a major handicap chase. His recent form reads as a string of fifths but he caught the eye in a very competitive Leopardstown handicap last month and the better ground expected at Cheltenham will suit him far more than what he has been meeting. He finished fourth in a Supreme Hurdle at this very track and won at the highest level at Aintree, so the class is not in question. De Bromhead has been quiet about him which is often a good sign. Six places on offer and a horse with top-level form under his belt coming into a handicap off a fair mark. He should be finishing in the first four.