Road to Cheltenham 2026: Clues, clues and more clues…

My first takeaway from last week was Staffordshire Knot, who followed up his emphatic victory in a Pertemps Qualifier at Punchestown last month with a facile success at Clonmel on Tuesday. Gordon Elliott's seven-year-old looks a real improver and if his mark doesn't rise too high for the Pertemps Final, I could see him turning up and giving a good account of himself in the Stayers' Hurdle.

At Haydock on Wednesday, the Dan Skelton-trained Mydaddypaddy strengthened his position at the head of the market for the Supreme with another stylish success over the minimum trip. He once again didn't beat much, and the Grade 1 at Aintree over Christmas will be the acid test for his Festival credentials, but he's clearly very, very talented. I think he's short enough now, mind.

Another one for the Skeltons - A Pai De Nom - caught my eye at Leicester on Thursday. The five-year-old won a competitive handicap at Cheltenham's November Meeting and then followed up in LE2 last week. He could easily be one of the yard's County Hurdle or Coral Cup runners in March.

Over at Market Rasen, it wasn't such a great day for the yard. Harry Lowes, an impressive winner on debut who was prominent in the betting for the Turners, was beaten in a modest enough race. He's nowhere near the front of my mind for Cheltenham after that.

On the other hand, I think there were some serious performers on show at Sandown on Friday - starting with Macktoad for Gary & Josh Moore. Bought for €125k after winning a bumper in France back in May, the son of Beaumec De Houelle cantered to victory on British debut against some highly-regarded types and he's in at 12/1 for the Triumph Hurdle. Particularly for these connections, he ought to be taken seriously.

The Moores also won the G2 Esher Novices' Chase later on the card with Salver. A juvenile I thought plenty of, finishing third in the Triumph behind Majborough and Kargese, he struggled a bit in open company last season, but looks a staying chaser to follow after bolting up in Surrey.

But the star at Sandown on Saturday was undoubtedly No Drama This End for Paul Nicholls. The 14-time Champion Trainer has been looking for his next superstar, and I fancy this is the one. He cost a pretty penny and was a useful bumper horse, winning on debut before finishing 9/17 in the Champion Bumper, but he looks a completely different tool over an obstacle. He's won back-to-back Grade 2s on the bridle and I'd be surprised if he's beaten before the Cheltenham Festival.

For me, he's an Albert Bartlett (10/1) horse all day long, but I suspect he'll go to the Turners. Will he be able to cope with the quicker, classier rivals from across the Irish Sea? Time will tell.

Onto the weekend, starting with a couple of novice hurdlers for Ben Pauling. I quietly fancied Taurus Bay to overturn odds-on favourite Captain Hugo at Aintree and so he did - in some style too. I think he's smart. Perhaps not Cheltenham Festival smart, though.

The yard also sent out Starmount at Wetherby and the market hinted he was above average. Again, just how good is the question. They might bide their time with that one.

A good day for the team at Naunton Downs became even better as Twig won the Becher at Aintree. Just. He came out on top in a photo with Mr Vango, who is probably the one to take out of the race. The Grand National is likely to be their big target, but in this day and age it's difficult to imagine either winning it.

At Sandown, odds-on favourite Sober Glory disappointed in a Listed novice hurdle over two miles, but take nothing away from the winner Hurricane Pat, who looks another very smart horse for the Moores. He's arguably achieved as much as the 5/1 favourite for the Supreme...

Lulamba was very, very good in the Henry VIII. I have been a bit crabby about him after he was beaten by a 100/1 debutant in the Triumph Hurdle, but he's done little wrong over fences so far. He looked quicker than I thought he was on Saturday. I love Kopek Des Bordes as much as anybody, but I'm not sure there's much splitting the two at the moment.

Il Etait Temps was a brilliant winner of the Tingle Creek, beating a much-improved Jonbon who had L'Eau Du Sud trailing by nine lengths. The winner is probably the best two-mile chaser in the business, but needs to prove he can do it at Cheltenham after three sub-par visits. He's a completely different proposition now, though, so I couldn't put anyone off backing him - even at 11/4 - for the Champion Chase.

I'll skip through the Navan notes. Saint Baco has a lofty reputation and he went some way to justifying that by winning a maiden hurdle over two miles in good style. He's nice.

Road Exile beat Copacabana, who probably needs a lot further. Perhaps a Bartlett type? Doctor Steinberg looks that sort of type, anyway, after winning the intermediate Grade 2.

Predators Gold returned from over a year and a half off the track to win a red-hot beginners chase from 2024 Supreme hero Slade Steel and Wingmen, runner-up to Final Demand last month. This was a fair performance under the circumstances. I'm very intrigued to see how far he can go.

I was initially very disappointed to see Majborough beat in the Hilly Way at Cork on Sunday. I still am, but I'm choosing to look at the positives. Sure, his jumping is worse than I thought it was and that must improve if he's to win a Champion Chase (5/1), but to be fair it was his first run in over 200 days against a hard-fit rival in Found A Fifty, who boasts the same rating but was in receipt of four pounds.

If he can sort that jumping out, he's going to be some force to be reckoned with. Apparently it's the Grade 1 over Christmas next, if he comes out of the race well, and I'll be looking for a much-improved performance. With a good round, he could beat anyone in that division.

Perhaps the Mullins yard are needing the run more than we thought, as I was very surprised to see Kargese beaten 16 lengths by Kala Conti. No disrespect to the latter, who has improved immensely for jumping fences and is a danger to all that come before her this term, but surely that wasn't her true running. She'll be better judged on her next start.

Good Girl Kathleen won a very poor Grade 3 in which Kalypso'chance disappointed again. She was impressive, but I wouldn't imagine she'll be troubling much at the Cheltenham Festival.

Djelo, on the other hand, could make his presence felt in something like the Ryanair. Fact To File will be very hard to beat in that, but Venetia Williams' seven-year-old is in the form of his life and although he's pretty exposed, he's entitled to stay on an upward curve instead of down.

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