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2026 Cheltenham Festival Tips - Four British handicappers to note

jon-vine
Jon Vine
Editor
Last updated: Tue 10 Mar 2026 19:25
As the Cheltenham Festival 2026 approaches, four British horses are tipped to make waves in their respective handicap events. One Big Bang targets the National Hunt Chase, bringing momentum from a previous win and seasoned jockey experience. Ryan's Rocket seeks to leverage speed in the frenzied pace of the Grand Annual, while Kikijo remains a competitive force in Pertemps Final, thriving on soft ground. Lastly, Andashan eyes success in the Martin Pipe, boasting robust past performances. These entries promise thrilling competitions at this prestigious festival.
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jon-vine
Jon Vine 10 Mar 2026
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  • Handicap tips for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival
  • One Big Bang is a horse to look out for in the National Hunt Chase
  • Ryan's Rocket, Kikijo and Andashan also feature in our selections
andashan
Freddie Gordon riding Andashan (white/maroon) clear at the last to win a Handicap Hurdle at Newbury. (Getty)

The handicap entries were revealed for the Cheltenham Festival this week, and in a fortnight's time, weights will be assigned to those hoping to take part.

Here are four British horses who could challenge for the victory in their respective handicaps at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.

One Big Bang (National Hunt Chase)


ONE BIG BANG (16/1) was hard-raced as a handicap hurdler, and it's clear that the National Hunt Chase has been his goal from the start of this season.

James Owen's star won a Pertemps Qualifier at Haydock last February, before finishing fifth in the final here at the Cheltenham Festival and third behind Jeriko Du Reponet at Punchestown. One Big Bang started out over fences in the Listed Novices' Chase at Cheltenham's November Meeting, where he seemed on-course to claim victory, only to get run down by the charging Wade Out after the final flight.

Owen's star opened his account over fences in a two-runner race at Southwell in December, before he was given a suspiciously quiet ride when third over two-and-a-half miles at Doncaster. The further he goes, the better One Big Bang will be, and Owen could snap up Sam Twiston-Davies or even Harry Cobden to take this plum ride.

Ryan's Rocket (Grand Annual)


The form of the Novices' Handicap Chase from Trials Day last year worked out well, with Jagwar beating Masaccio in the Plate, and Resplendent Grey scooping a big prize at Sandown. RYAN'S ROCKET (14/1) jumped the last with a chance that day, but failed to see out the two-and-a-half-mile trip and crossed the line a tired fifth.

Fergal O'Brien's eight-year-old romped to victory on his reappearance at Newbury in November, and was backed into favouritism for the Desert Orchid at Kempton. Jonny Burke's mount was still travelling comfortably behind Thistle Ask, when he dived at a fence down the back straight and Burke was flung from the saddle.

O'Brien has said on a few occasions that he thinks Ryan's Rocket will be better over two-and-a-half miles, and he's entered in the Plate. Yet, all of his best form has come over the minimum distance, and the fast pace that's usually set in the Grand Annual would suit this well-handicapped horse perfectly.

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Callum Pritchard riding Kikijo (L) win The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Sandown Park. (Getty)

Kikijo (Pertemps Final)


Ireland looks to play a particularly weak hand in this year's Pertemps Final. C'Est Different and Supremely West have been popular in the betting recently, but the November Meeting winner, KIKIJO (16/1) is still available at a decent price.

Despite winning over fences last season, Philip Hobbs and Johnson White dropped Kikijo back to hurdles in the autumn. On his second outing over the smaller obstacles, Sean Houlihan's mount ate up the hill to score here at Cheltenham, with Supremely West well-beaten back in fifth.

Kikijo booked his place in the Pertemps Final by winning a qualifier at Sandown the following month, where he again handled soft ground well and held off a very well-handicapped rival in Turndlightsdownlow, who was getting over a stone at the weights. This Richard Johnson-owned six-year-old has been laid out for the Final since then, and soft ground at this year's meeting would certainly suit.

Andashan (Martin Pipe)


Despite riding out his claim, Freddie Gordon remains a conditional jockey, meaning he could partner ANDASHAN (20/1) in the Martin Pipe on Gold Cup day for his father, Chris.

Andashan showed promise during a light novice campaign last term, and shaped like he wanted a trip when third on his reappearance at Newbury. Chris Gordon stepped his charge up to two-and-a-half miles for the first time at Haydock in November, where Andashan ran well, only to bump into a proper handicap blot in the form of Kabral Du Mathan.

Freddie's mount went one better at Newbury in December, where he carried 11-11 to victory in a valuable 20-furlong handicap. Andashan's fresh mark of 133 would see him shoulder around 11-00 in the Cheltenham Festival's final race, and he remains capable of another forward step.

Verdict

Cheltenham Festival 2026 Handicap Tips:

Best Bet1: One Big Bang 2026 National Hunt Chase @16/1 at Betgoodwin - 5 Units
Best Bet2: Ryan's Rocket 2026 Grand Annual @14/1 at BOYLE Sports - 1 Unit
Best Bet3: Kikijo 2026 Pertemps Final @16/1 at bet365 - 5 Units
Best Bet4: Andashan 2026 Martin Pipe @20/1 at bet365 - 5 Units
One Big Bang
2026 National Hunt Chase
@16/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £10
with promo code NEWBONUS

Join betgoodwin with promo code NEWBONUS and get access to their Bet £10 Get £10 as a free ACCA welcome offer. 18+ only. T&Cs apply.

Bet at Betgoodwin
Ryan's Rocket
2026 Grand Annual
@14/1 - 1 Unit
Bet £10 Get £40
in free bets

18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Bet at BOYLE Sports
Kikijo
2026 Pertemps Final
@16/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £30
with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365
Andashan
2026 Martin Pipe
@20/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £30
with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

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