2026 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Preview

A dreaded blank on Friday but to be fair, Dave was due a stinker. His 2026 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday preview and tips are below.

12.55 Doncaster – Richard James Hone Handicap (Class 2)

After the rain came on Friday it’ll be very testing ground at Doncaster this afternoon. One that should handle the conditions at a nice e/w price is the Jim Goldie trained mare Eternal Sunshine.

By Orientor, this mare was beaten a neck at Newmarket on her penultimate start off a mark of 87 and she’s just 1lb higher here. She didn’t replicate that form on rattling quick ground at Newmarket last time but a return to softer ground might enable her to rebound.

On her last start on ground with soft in the description at Hamilton in August she beat Advertised, and that horse won in good style here yesterday. She hasn’t won on soft or heavy before but her form figures on soft read 3304 so she does handle it and another plus is that she has gone well at this venue in two of her previous three visits.

At odds of 18/1, Eternal Sunshine is the each way selection.

2026 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tip: Eternal Sunshine e/w @ 18/1

1.10 Cheltenham – Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Class 3)

Last year I put Ballykinlar up as one of my five to follow but he didn’t manage to get his head in front. He did run a fine race at Aintree and he went well for a long way in the Martin Pipe at this venue but ultimately, we came away empty handed after backing him.

He pitches up here off a mark of 120 and on his best hurdles form, he can win off that mark. Mickey Bowen has given him a couple of runs over fences and he’s been beaten similar distances in both.

Last time at Hexham he shaped like the run was needed after a few months off and hopefully, he’ll be fully fit now. I can’t let him go unbacked here at odds of 20/1, hopefully he finally shows what I think he is capable of.

2026 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tip: Ballykinlar e/w @ 20/1 (4 places)

1.30 Doncaster – Futurity Trophy Stakes (Group 1)

On heavy ground, this is almost a complete guessing game. The fav Noble Exhibit has won on yielding and the second fav Burning Up has won on soft, so they probably deserve to be at the top of the market.

However, I am going to take a chance on the rag for Andrew Balding, Gran Dia. He made a very pleasing start to his career when winning a Salisbury novice on good to soft ground earlier this month and while the form has taken knocks since, he could only beat what was in front of him.

The main reason I am backing this colt is because of his pedigree. He’s by Lope De Vega, whose progeny often handle cut, and his dam, Epona Plays, won both her group races on soft and soft to heavy ground in Ireland. Given that Tony Bloom is involved, the market will probably tell plenty about how highly they rate his chances but in the hope that his rivals get stuck in the mud, Gran Dia gets the e/w vote at odds of 14/1.

2026 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tip: Gran Dia e/w @ 14/1

2.20 Cheltenham – Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)

Robbie Llewellyn is a trainer I respect and while he lacks a recent outing, I’m going to take a chance on Love Of Neymore here. By Gentlewave, this 8yo mare has won three of her 14 starts over hurdles.

Her most recent victory came at Chepstow in December off a mark of 113 and she’s 7lb higher here but she did run a cracker off 118 on her last start at Ayr in April, so I don’t think this mark is beyond her.

On her only previous start over this C&D (good) back in January she ran a nice race to finish a 4.75l third behind the then 138 rated Ma Shantou, and he’s now rated 154. Now, it must be said that Love Of Neymore has tended to need her comeback runs in the past but this yard has had a number of places with reappearing horses in the last fortnight, so hopefully she’ll be fit enough. If she is, she can outrun her odds of 20/1.

2026 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tip: Love Of Neymore e/w @ 20/1 (5 places)

-DaveStevos