Cheltenham Festival 2026 Ante-Post Tips - Take 16/1 about this Turners contender

I've backed Le Divin Enfant for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in this series, and he could be one of several runners for Willie Mullins in the Cheltenham Festival opener. Fou De Toi has been the talking horse since Willie's stable tours were published, and he'll make his hurdles debut in a maiden over Christmas. Le Divin Enfant will run in the Grade One Top Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown, where he could face stablemates Sortudo, Saint Baco and Davy Crockett.

LOVE ME TENDER (16/1) is entered in that two-mile Grade One. Mullins has also handed his four-year-old an entry in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One at Naas just after Christmas, and victory there would cement the Turners' Novices' Hurdle as his Cheltenham Festival target.

In his stable tour with the Racing Post, Willie Mullins was very complimentary about Love Me Tender. He said that this unbeaten son of Doctor Dino "was a Grade One novice hurdler until he tells me otherwise", and said that he'll be seen to best effect over further than two miles.

A bumper winner at Tramore in May, Love Me Tender cruised to an emphatic victory on his hurdles debut at Kilbeggan over the summer, winning by 18 lengths over two-and-a-half miles. Paul Townend's mount dropped back to the minimum distance to pick up a Grade Three prize at Tipperary in October, and was due to run in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, but had to be withdrawn on the day after spiking a temperature.

Love Me Tender didn't jump particularly well during either of those victories. Townend's mount got in tight to a couple of obstacles and made several other novicey mistakes. Yet, Love Me Tender maintained his momentum throughout both races, and did his best work from the second-last to the line - a trait I love to see in novice hurdlers.

JP McManus moved quickly to purchase Love Me Tender following his romp at Kilbeggan. McManus also owns Davy Crockett, who looks likely to remain over the minimum distance this term. Stablemate Doctor Du Mesnil is available at half the price of Love Me Tender in the Turners market, despite not jumping a hurdle in public yet. Love Me Tender already has two wins over obstacles under his belt, and comes from a solid family of jumpers who all improved with experience.