2026 Cheltenham & Musselburgh Thursday Tips – DS
2026 Cheltenham & Musselburgh Thursday Tips
We only managed to nick one place on the final day of the Xmas meetings at Leopardstown & Newbury with Casheldale Lad. However, it could have been much better with Come Walk With Me beaten a neck for a place and Tiptoptim missing out by a nose. You can check out Dave’s 2026 Cheltenham & Musselburgh Thursday Tips below.
1.40 Musselburgh – Hogmaneigh Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)
This has the look of a race that will be run at a good clip. Chanonry Point and Bel Amigo both like to lead, Serious Chat and Moonbow also like to be close to the early pace so this might just set up for a hold up sort.
The classy flat performer Wise Eagle fits the bill, but he’s only a 9/2 shot. At a more generous price, Dianne Sayer’s son of Shirocco Heart Above also likes to be ridden with patience and as an added bonus, he has won at this venue before, albeit over a shorter trip.
Stamina No issue
However, his last two wins, both at Kelso, have come at 2m2f and 2m5f so stamina won’t be an issue. He likes good to soft ground, which it is forecast to be here, and he won on his penultimate start at Kelso.
He got a 6lb hike for that 2m5f November win and while he finished stone last of six next time, the 2m trip on soft ground may have been the reason, rather than the rise in the weights. Yes, he’ll need a career best to score off this mark but this race should be run to suit, he has course form figures of 71327 so we know he is capable of running well at this venue and at odds of 25/1, Heart Above is worth chancing e/w.
2026 Cheltenham & Musselburgh Thursday Tip: Heart Above e/w @ 25/1 NB
2.15 Musselburgh – Auld Reekie Handicap Chase (Class 2)
I said after his last run that maybe Old Father Time is catching up with Tommy’s Oscar. He’s now an 11yo and while it breaks my heart, I just can’t justify putting him up for this valuable handicap chase. He may just need a bit more help from the handicapper to get his head back in front. If he does win, I won’t begrudge him.
Another horse I have put up before is Innox Allen. He pulled up in that Cheltenham race on his seasonal return after jumping badly but I am hoping that returning to a right-handed track might show him in a better light.
Yes, he won twice over timber going to the left but they were pretty ordinary races and his form figures in chases going left-handed read 377P. He has run on right-handed tracks just twice. Firstly, when winning his point to point and secondly, on his final start of last season when he jumped well and won doing handstands at Perth.
He’s 10lb higher here and this is a better race but there could yet be more to come from him on right-handed tracks so at 16/1, Inox Allen is the e/w selection.
2026 Cheltenham & Musselburgh Thursday Tip: Innox Allen e/w @ 16/1
2.35 Cheltenham – Relkeel Hurdle (Grade 2)
The first two live ITV races at Cheltenham made no appeal from an e/w betting perspective. To be honest, neither does this one. Six will go to post for this 20.5f Grade 2 and Kabral Du Mathan is a short price to follow up his Haydock handicap romp in this higher class.
The way he won the last day was impressive and the wind op he underwent in the off-season clearly made a big difference but was he worthy of a 14lb hike to 154 from 140? I suppose we’ll find out here but he’s up against some proven performers at this level, including last year’s winner Lucky Place and Gowel Road, a G2 winner here back in January.
I was tempted by the latter horse at around 14s, but he’d appeal more if the ground was soft. With just two places on offer, I’ll just be watching this one. No bet.
2026 Cheltenham & Musselburgh Thursday Tip: No bet
2.50 Windsor – New Year’s Day Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
As an added bonus, we have this £100k handicap hurdle from Windsor on Thursday. Surprisingly, only 12 of a 14 maximum runners will go to post and I am going to give Minella Missile one more chance in this 2m4f contest.
Evan Williams’ charge is clearly not the horse he was when winning a Grade 2 novice at Cheltenham in November 2023. He missed 429 days after that victory and hasn’t got any closer than 22l to the winner in six of his seven starts since his return.
However, one of his more promising efforts came here on his first run back after that layoff in a 3m handicap back in January (soft). In that race he was beaten just 9.5l off a mark of 138, travelling strongly until around 3f out when his lack of a recent run, and probably lack of stamina told.
However, he was beaten just over 9l for the win in the end that day and he is back at Windsor for the first time since off 16lb lower. This 2m4f trip looks more suitable too and given how big a pot this is, maybe Evan Williams has had this race in mind for a while. At odds of 14/1, Minella Missile is the each way pick.
2026 Cheltenham & Musselburgh Thursday Tip: Minella Missile e/w @ 14/1
3.10 Cheltenham – Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
I was planning on leaving this race alone but odds of 12/1 about Martin Keighley’s Pike Road were too tempting to resist. A winner off 110 at Uttoxeter on his penultimate start in November, he pitched up here off 5lb higher just over two weeks later and while he could only manage fourth, he finished just 1.25l behind the winner Titan Discovery after not getting the clearest of runs so it was an excellent effort.
He’s 3lb higher again here (2lb wrong) and while this does look a tougher race, I don’t think he should be as big in the betting as he is. Freddie Keighley takes off a handy 7lb so that negates the fact he is out of the handicap and a couple of firms are offering three places for e/w players.
At 12/1, hopefully Pike Road can sneak into the frame. Happy new year and hopefully we get off to a winning start to 2026.
