By Tony Calvin - 19 January 2026
Gordon Elliott has 18 horses entered at Cheltenham and Doncaster on Saturday, but how many does he intend to run?
Of course, he has his best chance in years of wrestling the trainers’ title from Willie Mullins this season, so he will surely be tempted to stay at home and carpet bomb the contests there.
And he could have come looking for UK handicap marks too, with the Cheltenham Festival in mind.
It is something to bear in mind anyway when ante-post betting this weekend, as is the fact that the form of the yard has cooled a bit in recent days, though he had a winner on Tuesday and loads of his have been placed of late.
But it has to be said he must be tempted to run the likes of Stellar Story given how much easy prize money is on offer this weekend, and he has a huge string from which to pick his UK battles.
These opening two cracking contests at Cheltenham may not be on ITV but, strictly with the betting hat on, they probably should be instead of those tiny-field Grade 2 races (yes, I know that not every race has to be a punting one).
The 2m4f+ novices’ handicap chase at 12.05pm is invariably a hot race – and has thrown up plenty of subsequent Festival winners – and it has attracted 20 entries, with three outfits (five firms) pricing this up as at 11.30am on Tuesday.
Whether they were wise to, we shall see, as the aforementioned Elliott has five of the runners (and the first four in the weights), and James Owen, Olly Murphy and Anthony Honeyball also have multiple entries to choose from.
One firm have eight horses priced up between [7/2] and 8s, with Jordans Cross, Kdeux Saint Fray and Barlovento the shortest three in the general betting at the moment.
This Juvenile Hurdle Trial at 12.40pm could be an absolute cracker if the five-day entries of 16 hold up to a meaningful degree.
Effectively four firms have priced this up as at 11.30am, and impressive Kempton winner Maestro Conti is your market leader at [13/8] best and [11/10] lowest.
It looks a deeper race than that to me, with Paul Nicholls’ Minella Yoga next in at 4s.
The horse he beat at Newbury, Act Of Innocence, is the [7/4] favourite in the 2m4f+ novices’ hurdle at the end of the card.
Indeed, I wouldn’t mind seeing that Grade 2 on ITV too (21 entries currently), either….
Fingers crossed, we could get a decent field for the 3m+ Grade 2 River Don (not to be confused with Get In The Sea, Donald), with 18 five-day entries and only five (Carlenrig, Country Code, Kicour La, Step Ahead, and Thedeviluno) double-entered.
Interestingly, those with alternative options this week include the [7/2] ante-post favourite Carlenrig, set to carry a 5lb penalty here, and the other four that could go elsehwere have been priced up between [9/2] and 8s.
And Elliott’s Bally Free, a 10s chance, is entered at the DRF.
So there is the potential for this race to change a lot betting-wise.
I thought Get On George, who posted a career-best when winning here over 2m3f+ last time and shapes very much like a stayer, was a fair price at the general 16s, for what it is worth.
The 13-strong 2m4f+ handicap chase is the first Cheltenham race on the box, and none of the entries have alternative entries.
There is little surprise to see Jagwar head the betting after a solid return here last month, but I doubt he can get much shorter than [7/4] – though he is [6/4] in places – and surely you will be better off waiting until the final field is known at 10am on Thursday before you back him. That at least takes the nasty, unexpected no-show out of the betting equation.
He looks set to take a lot of whacking in this field if he runs, but connections may not want a comprehensive win here if he is go for the Ultima, instead of the Ryanair, where there has been talk of.
The likely ground is a big concern to 16s poke Riskintheground (no pun intended as the forecast is not ideal for him) – he’d interest me on good to soft or better – though soft going would be fine for last year’s winner Moon d’Orange.
Trainer John McConnell is on another one of his long losing runs, going into Tuesday’s racing at least, but the horse is only 1lb higher than when winning this on soft ground last year and he didn’t run too badly here on New Year’s Day.
The 12s about him looks fair, though I have no idea if he is an intended runner and he is in an 80k early-closer a week on Saturday at Musselburgh.
Javert Allen, up in trip, at 7s is also of some appeal but let’s wait here. He ideally could do with top weight JPR One not running, as he is currently 2lb wrong.
Not many mares’ races get 12 at the five-day stage, so a pretty good turn-out for this 3m Grade 2 hurdle.
As it stands, anyway (Nurse Susan and Lavida Adiva are also in the Cleeve Hurdle).
The 3s chance Nurse Susan got pulled out on account of the soft ground at Ascot on Saturday, so the forecast is presumably a worry for her (and her alternative engagement at Cheltenham) but it is of no concern for her main market rival Feet Of A Dancer, a fellow 3s poke in a place.
Feet Of A Dancer didn’t take up an engagement at Gowran on Thursday and she’d be a strong fancy if coming here after her recent Punchestown win and her subsequent second to Wodhooh at Leopardstown, with the step up to 3m again expected to suit.
I imagine she will come here now (though I have no idea) and she is definitely the one to beat if she does, even with a 4lb penalty to carry.
We have 20 entries for this Cross Country race and J’Arrive De L’Est ranges from [6/4] to [5/2] in this 3m5f handicap.
And that’s all I have got…
Whatever way you cut it, a field of 13 at the five-day stage for a 100k handicap is disappointing.
But hopefully most hold their ground – only Dartmoor Pirate has other options this week – and we get a good betting event on the day.
Rather boringly, I don’t think Grand Geste and Deep Cave are bad prices at [9/2] and 5s respectively (if you can access the best odds, that is), though let’s see what the final field brings us at 10am on Thursday.
And, more importantly, what the weather has done in the meantime. There is a fair bit of rain now forecast from Wednesday-Friday inclusive, with the ground currently good to soft, soft in places.
As I have mentioned above, two home runners for a 125k Cotswold Chase is incredibly poor, so thanks to the Irish for bolstering the numbers with a further three entries.
Whether they all come over is another matter (Stellar Story and Spillane’s Tower are in the Irish Gold Cup a week on Saturday).
If all five run then Grey Dawning probably has a harder task than quotes of [1/2] across the board suggests under his 6lb penalty – there is [8/15] in a place – but he is clearly much the most likely winner after an impressive reappearance win in the Betfair Chase.
He comes here a fresh horse and a Cheltenham Festival winner, and his only domestic rival, last year’s winner L’Homme Presse, hails from a yard still searching for a consistent stream of form this season.
The less rain the better for him though, and he is only third-best in here on official figures at these weights, even if Spillane’s Tower hasn’t run to his 164 mark – he is 4lb clear of the favourite on his A-game – since running Fact To File close in the 2024 John Durkan.
Flooring Porter (rated 3lb better over hurdles than his chase mark) was said to be going for the Cleeve Hurdle this time last week, but he is now coming here as they have to/want to get another chase run into him to qualify for the Grand National, not being seen since winning the Kerry National at Listowel in September 2024.
It sounds like a completion will suit connections.
Stellar Story has to considerably up his game if coming over.
Firstly, there is no obvious pace in the race, though Brentford Hope has made all in the past.
There may be only 1lb between Sir Gino and The New Lion at these weights, but I’d say the betting has this right in siding with Sir Gino at [1/2] tops – [2/5] generally – over his main market rival at 2s.
Recent runners Nemean Lion and Brentford Hope will probably turn up for the prize money if fit and well but the 100-1 Triumph Hurdle winner Poniros is the only other plausible winner, at 12s, if getting on the boat.
But we haven’t seen him since he blew out at Royal Ascot in 2025, and will Willie bring him?
I actually thought The New Lion was fully under the pump when he took a pearler 2 out in the Fighting Fifth on his return – I thought he probably looked beaten if I am being honest about it – while the unbeaten Sir Gino looked all class once again when beating Golden Ace in the Christmas Hurdle.
I’d rather back Sir Gino at [1/2] than The New Lion at 2s – but I’d rather back nothing.
Let’s hope both of the big guns get there at 3pm on Saturday or else this will be a serious anti-climax.
As someone pointed out on Tuesday, Sir Gino will become the Festival’s first odds-on favourite if winning here.
If someone gets wind of Poniros being a non-runner, then expect outsiders Nemean Lion and Brentford Hope to be backed each-way, 1/4 the odds 1,2.
It’d probably not be good for those accounts going forward, though….
Indeed, some firms are betting win-only now, including AKBets.
I’d definitely be doing that, too.
I’ve no issue with Impose Toi being put in at [11/8] for this Cleeve Hurdle, even if he carries a 6lb penalty and is having his fourth run of the campaign (connections think he is possibly best when fresh, but he isn’t doing too badly so far this season).
It’s possible that they won’t want him to have a slog in testing ground though, if the rain does continue into Friday with any force. It was officially soft when he beat Strong Leader 1/2 length at Newbury , getting 6lb, but Timeform called it good to soft that day.
We all know National Hunt racing’s natural amphitheatre dries very quickly, though.
It says a lot about the depth in the staying hurdling division that a horse who hasn’t run since November 2023 is the second favourite at 3s here.
Said horse is Theleme and the official handicapper clearly rates the Frenchie, as he is 1lb higher than Impose Toi (on a mark of 160) and is getting 6lb from him here.
But who knows the state of his readiness after that huge absence, even if he gets here?
Not I.
Some may view this as having a nice each-way shape to it, which I can see with three places on offer with 10 currently in the race – Strong Leader at 5s is the obvious candidate – but it isn’t for me.
Back on Thursday.
—
It is a case of appreciating the quality that will hopefully be on show at Cheltenham on Saturday, and accepting that the major races are not betting heats.
We have just five in the Cotswold Chase, and the same number at the five-day stage in the Unibet Hurdle.
The first firms up on Monday afternoon made Grey Dawning between a [4/6] and [4/9] poke in the Cotswold Chase, with last year’s winner L’Homme Presse (from a stable still out of sorts), at 4s, Spillane’s Tower at 5s , Flooring Porter and Stellar Story at 14s.
The [4/6] was quickly taken and he is now [8/15] in one spot, with [1/2] the general price.
It’s a pretty woeful turn-out for a 125k pot, in truth.
And Spillane’s Tower and Stellar Story are in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on January 31 should their connections wish to stay home and wait.
It looks a straight match between Sir Gino and The New Lion (Harry Skelton keeps the ride here) in the 125k Unibet Hurdle – they are priced up at 2s-on and 2s at the best prices – and hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be a literal match on the day.
Nemean Lion and 12s chance Poniros are in the Irish Champion Hurdle on February 1.
And Nemean Lion finished fourth at Windsor on Friday, while Brentford Hope won at Haydock on Saturday.
With £13.3k+ for third, 6.6k+ for fourth and £3.35k for fifth, I imagine we will see at least two of the three outsiders rock up, health and fitness-permitting, for the easy moolah (Nemean Lion and Brentford Hope are 66s).
There are a healthier 10 in the 70k Cleeve Hurdle, a race in which Impose Toi is the early [5/4] favourite.
There are a mere 13 in the the 100k Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster. Grand Geste and Deep Cave are vying for favouritism, with the former available at [9/2] at best prices, and the latter at 5s in spots.
Nothing else has been priced up yet.
The ground is currently good to soft, soft in places at Cheltenham.
With the forecast below, it’ll be probably be soft on Saturday (though the forecast improved overnight into Tuesday).
It is also good to soft, soft in places, at Doncaster and a wet week is now in store there, too.
If they get more rain than expected at Cheltenham (Tuesday afternoon-evening looks quite tasty), we can ill afford to lose Grey Dawning from the Cotswold Chase or one of the big two in the Unibet Hurdle because the ground is too deep.
But, as I mentioned above, the forecast for the end of the week has improved.
I’ll be back on Tuesday once more prices have filtered through on all the races, including some non-ITV races (the first two races at Cheltenham, only on Racing TV, are probably the best betting races) and we have more information.
The double entries for the ITV races below are pretty clean, so hopefully there are some bets to be had.
My interest in punting on horse racing has been waning badly in recent months (largely because the betting landscape is so bleak, which no-one can deny) , but I have decided to up my game after a short break and I’ll aim to shake up the columns a touch.
Or try to…
Cross Country: Soft, good to soft in places (GSt 5.9 on Mon 12:30pm)
NEW Course
Hurdle: Soft (GSt 4.8 on Wed 3.30pm)
Chase: Soft (GSt 4.8 on Wed 3.30pm)
Rails: Chase bend rails +9y Hurdle bend rails +8y
Thursday morning course update: 81mm of rainfall in January to date, including 6mm yesterday. Further rain throughout today (3-4mm) and tomorrow (2-4mm). Daytime temperatures 10 degrees today dropping to 7 degrees on Friday and Saturday.
Weather (yr.no latest): 3.8mm Thursday; 0.8mm Friday; 7.5mm Saturday
GOING: Soft, good to soft in places
The track has recently been verti- drained
Thursday morning course update: 4.2mm rain in the last 24hrs 1mm rain Monday. 1.4mm rain Tuesday. Overcast with showers forecast through today and tomorrow. Easterly breeze week with no frosts currently forecast. Temperatures approx 8C.
Weather (yr.no latest): 7.5mm Thursday; 3.1mm Friday
12.55pm Doncaster (18 entries for a maximum field of 18): Carlenrig, Country Code, Kicour La, Step Ahead, Thedeviluno
NB: Bally Free is in an early-closer on Jan 31
1.15pm Cheltenham (13 entries for a maximum field of 20): NONE
NB: JPR One and Moon d’Orange are in an early-closer on Jan 31; Touch Me Not is in an early-closer on Feb 1
1.30pm Doncaster (12 entries for a maximum field of 20): Lavida Adiva, Nurse Susan
1.50pm Cheltenham (20 entries for a maximum field of 16): NONE
2.05pm Doncaster (13 entries for a maximum field of 20): Dartmoor Pirate
2.25pm Cheltenham (5 entries for a maximum field of 20): NONE
NB: Spilane’s Tower and Stellar Story are in an early-closer on Jan 31
3pm Cheltenham (5 entries for a maximum field of 20): NONE
NB: Nemean Lion and Poniros are in an early-closer on Feb 1
3.35pm Cheltenham (10 entries for a maximum field of 20): Lavida Adiva, Nurse Susan
GROUND/WEATHER – and notable Saturday no-shows With the weather forecast worsening overnight (Cheltenham and Doncaster…
THE TUESDAY COPY How many of his Saturday 18 will Gordon run? Gordon Elliott has…
Horse Racing
Greyhounds
Darts
Football
Home