Cheltenham Saturday Preview 2026: Arkle Trial and the Card

Here is the card, with the number of runners left after the non-runners we found by 9:07am on Saturday:

The non-runners

• 12:35pm: Top Guy and Jaccours
• 1:10pm: Mix Match
• 1:45pm: Kabral Du Mathan and Old Park Star
• 2:20pm: Madara, Norn Iron and Johnnywho
• 2:55pm: Ace Of Spades, Wonderful Eagle, Gold For Alec and Geezer Rockstar
• 3:30pm: Moneygarrow, A King Of Magic, Caspari and Guchen
• 4:00pm: Northern Singer, Queen Alice and Pether's Angel

Old Park Star, Ace Of Spades, Guchen and Pether's Angel came out early on Saturday morning, and Johnnywho, Mix Match, Wonderful Eagle, Gold For Alec and Geezer Rockstar between 7:15am and 9:07am. The other ten were out by late on Friday.

Kabral Du Mathan, Top Guy, Madara, Moneygarrow, Northern Singer and Ace Of Spades are all trained by Dan Skelton. We have not seen a reason given for any of the six, or for the other horses taken out on Saturday morning. Skelton still has three runners on the card. More horses can come out on the morning of racing, so check our racecards before you bet.

Every race has now lost at least one runner. The Gold Cup, the 2:55pm and the mares' bumper have 12 each, the biggest fields of the day, and the Arkle Trial, with five, is the smallest.

The Arkle Trial is a Grade 2 novices' chase over about two miles, worth £47,552 to the winner on both the Racing Post and Sporting Life cards. Seven were in the final field. Kabral Du MathanAdd Kabral Du Mathan to the Horse Tracker, the highest-rated of them, is a non-runner, and so is Old Park StarAdd Old Park Star to the Horse Tracker, who came out on Saturday morning, so five go to post:

Ratings, weights and riders are the same on both cards. It is not a handicap, so four of the five carry the same weight whatever their rating. Folie Golith, a four-year-old filly, carries 15lb less than the rest.

Last year's winner was July FlowerAdd July Flower to the Horse Tracker for Henry de BromheadAdd Henry de Bromhead to the Horse Tracker and Darragh O'KeeffeAdd Darragh O'Keeffe to the Horse Tracker. She runs in the Gold Cup this time, and the same trainer and jockey have Workahead here.

Old Park Star (Nicky Henderson), a non-runner

Old Park StarAdd Old Park Star to the Horse Tracker was taken out on Saturday morning, and we have not seen a reason given. He won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on the opening day of the Festival on 10 March, the 15/8 favourite, ridden by Nico de BoinvilleAdd Nico de Boinville to the Horse Tracker, who was booked again. Sporting Life's card shows four wins from four races over hurdles last season and no chase on his record, so this would have been his first run over fences. Nicky HendersonAdd Nicky Henderson to the Horse Tracker has had 5 winners from 16 jumps runners in the last 14 days in our results files. With Old Park Star and Kabral Du Mathan out, Workahead, on 148, is the highest-rated of the five.

Workahead (Henry de Bromhead)

WorkaheadAdd Workahead to the Horse Tracker has had one run in our results files, which start on 1 June: second of eight at 1/3 in a novice chase at Roscommon on 8 June. Sporting Life's card shows he won a novice chase at Wexford in May before that. Saturday is his first run for five months.

Putapoundinthejar (A J Martin)

PutapoundinthejarAdd Putapoundinthejar to the Horse Tracker won the Galway Hurdle on 30 July at 10/1, a Grade 3 handicap with 20 runners. He then went chasing: second of five at Killarney on 22 August at 9/4, then a win at Sligo on 30 September at evens. His last run was on the Flat, 11th of 17 at Naas on 11 October. A J MartinAdd A J Martin to the Horse Tracker has had no winner from seven jumps runners in the last 14 days.

Folie Golith (Faye Bramley)

Folie GolithAdd Folie Golith to the Horse Tracker won a three-runner mares' beginners' chase at Uttoxeter on 16 October at 7/4, her only run in our files. Sporting Life's card shows that she ran in France before that, finishing second in a Listed chase at Auteuil in April. Sean BowenAdd Sean Bowen to the Horse Tracker rides.

Newtown Rambler and Passing Diamond

Newtown RamblerAdd Newtown Rambler to the Horse Tracker (Adrian KeatleyAdd Adrian Keatley to the Horse Tracker) has won three handicap chases since June: at Perth on 7 June at 6/5, Uttoxeter on 28 June at 6/4 and Kelso on 24 October at 5/2. Passing DiamondAdd Passing Diamond to the Horse Tracker (Ben HaslamAdd Ben Haslam to the Horse Tracker) won three chases in a row in the summer and autumn, at Cartmel twice and Hexham, then finished second of five over the same distance here on 23 October at 11/2. He is the lowest-rated of the five.

The 1:10pm is a Grade 2 hurdle for three-year-olds over about 2m½f, registered as the Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle and run as a trial for the Triumph Hurdle at the Festival in March. Mix Match came out on Saturday morning, so eight run. All of them carry 11st, and only two have an official rating yet: Don DandyAdd Don Dandy to the Horse Tracker on 127 and Tiny RiotAdd Tiny Riot to the Horse Tracker on 105. Last year One Horse TownAdd One Horse Town to the Horse Tracker won it at 10/3 for Harry DerhamAdd Harry Derham to the Horse Tracker.

Form lines below are from our own results files, which hold every British and Irish result since 1 June. Prices are starting prices.

• Charles DarnayAdd Charles Darnay to the Horse Tracker (James OwenAdd James Owen to the Horse Tracker, ridden by Harry CobdenAdd Harry Cobden to the Horse Tracker) won the Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle at Wetherby on 30 October at 11/4, beating seven. ConfusedAdd Confused to the Horse Tracker (Faye BramleyAdd Faye Bramley to the Horse Tracker) was fourth in the same race at 28/1.
• MagnetudeAdd Magnetude to the Horse Tracker, Owen's second runner, ran in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot in June, then won a juvenile hurdle at Wetherby on 14 October at 2/5. J J Burke rides.
• Don DandyAdd Don Dandy to the Horse Tracker (Olly MurphyAdd Olly Murphy to the Horse Tracker) was second of seven at 1/2 at Market Rasen on 25 October. Sporting Life's card shows he won over hurdles in France in April.
• Atomic CityAdd Atomic City to the Horse Tracker (Joseph O'BrienAdd Joseph O'Brien to the Horse Tracker) won a maiden hurdle at Cork on 11 October at 4/5, and Admiral Will BrownAdd Admiral Will Brown to the Horse Tracker (Patrick MageeAdd Patrick Magee to the Horse Tracker) a three-year-old hurdle at Down Royal on 31 October at 5/1.
• Tiny RiotAdd Tiny Riot to the Horse Tracker (Max YoungAdd Max Young to the Horse Tracker) won a juvenile hurdle at Hexham on 6 June and was second in two more over the summer. He has not run over hurdles since July.
• Mix MatchAdd Mix Match to the Horse Tracker (Jamie SnowdenAdd Jamie Snowden to the Horse Tracker), now a non-runner, has no run in our files, which cover Britain and Ireland only. Sporting Life's card shows one race, a hurdle win in France in June.
• ElectricalAdd Electrical to the Horse Tracker (Brian ToomeyAdd Brian Toomey to the Horse Tracker) has had six runs in our files, all on the Flat, and won an amateur riders' handicap at Nottingham on 28 October at 9/1.

In our files, five of the eight runners won on their latest start and seven have won at least once since June, counting the Flat. Jamie Snowden, whose 11 winners from 27 jumps runners in the last 14 days were the best recent run of the trainers in this race, no longer has a runner in it.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is the 2:20pm, a Premier Handicap chase over 2m 4½f. The final field published on Thursday had 15 names. MadaraAdd Madara to the Horse Tracker, Norn IronAdd Norn Iron to the Horse Tracker and JohnnywhoAdd Johnnywho to the Horse Tracker are non-runners, so 12 go to post, against a maximum of 20. Johnnywho, who won the Ultima at the Festival in March, came out on Saturday morning.

MatataAdd Matata to the Horse Tracker is top weight on 12st, with an official rating of 155, for Nigel and Willy Twiston-DaviesAdd Nigel Twiston-Davies to the Horse Tracker and J J SlevinAdd J J Slevin to the Horse Tracker. With Madara out he gives 4lb to the next in the weights, MeetmebytheseaAdd Meetmebythesea to the Horse Tracker (Ben PaulingAdd Ben Pauling to the Horse Tracker, ridden by Harry Cobden). DunkerqueAdd Dunkerque to the Horse Tracker is bottom weight on 10st 5lb. July Flower, last year's Arkle Trial winner, is in the 12.

With 12 runners, standard each-way terms pay three places at a quarter of the odds. One more non-runner would leave 11, and standard terms would then be three places at a fifth. The contenders and the race's trends are in the Paddy Power Gold Cup 2026 preview, so we do not repeat them here.

Form lines are from our own results files, which start on 1 June. Prices are starting prices.

Citipost Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase, 12:35pm

A Class 3 handicap chase over about three miles and a furlong, ridden by amateurs, with ten runners.

• Little LedgendAdd Little Ledgend to the Horse Tracker (Olly MurphyAdd Olly Murphy to the Horse Tracker) was third of 11 in an amateur riders' handicap chase over the same trip here on 23 October at 3/1, with Mr James King, who rides again. He had won his two chases before that, both at Worcester.
• Karnaval PointAdd Karnaval Point to the Horse Tracker (David PipeAdd David Pipe to the Horse Tracker) was third of nine over the trip here on 24 October at 10/1.
• Three Irish runners met in a 12-runner handicap chase at Down Royal on 31 October: DinolandAdd Dinoland to the Horse Tracker was second at 10/3, BrucejackAdd Brucejack to the Horse Tracker third at 11/1 and Ladies WellAdd Ladies Well to the Horse Tracker fourth at 13/2. Ladies Well had won three handicap chases in Ireland between July and September.
• Our SoldierAdd Our Soldier to the Horse Tracker (Denis HoganAdd Denis Hogan to the Horse Tracker) was second of nine in the Cork Grand National on 1 November at 11/2.
• Herakles WestwoodAdd Herakles Westwood to the Horse Tracker (Warren GreatrexAdd Warren Greatrex to the Horse Tracker) is top weight on 12st and has no run in our files.

From The Horses Mouth Podcast Handicap Hurdle, 2:55pm

A Class 2 handicap hurdle over about three miles. Four came out on Saturday morning (Ace Of Spades, Wonderful Eagle, Gold For Alec and Geezer Rockstar), which leaves 12, level with the Gold Cup and the mares' bumper as the biggest field of the day.

• AimericAdd Aimeric to the Horse Tracker (Jennie CandlishAdd Jennie Candlish to the Horse Tracker) and William YeatsAdd William Yeats to the Horse Tracker (Sam EnglandAdd Sam England to the Horse Tracker) have met three times at Sedgefield since August. William Yeats won the first and Aimeric the next two, with the other second each time. William Yeats then won over three miles at Newcastle on 5 November at 10/3. William Yeats is bottom weight, 1lb below Aimeric.
• Gold For AlecAdd Gold For Alec to the Horse Tracker (Tom SymondsAdd Tom Symonds to the Horse Tracker) was second of 19 in a handicap hurdle over a similar trip here on 24 October at 28/1, and Ace Of SpadesAdd Ace Of Spades to the Horse Tracker, who would have been top weight on 12st for Dan Skelton, was tenth in that race at 9/2. Both are non-runners.
• Moon MissionAdd Moon Mission to the Horse Tracker (P J RothwellAdd P J Rothwell to the Horse Tracker) ran on Friday, fifth of 18 in the opening conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at 28/1, and is back out the next day.
• Black BambooAdd Black Bamboo to the Horse Tracker was second of 14 in a handicap hurdle at Cork on 1 November at 22/1.
• Wonderful EagleAdd Wonderful Eagle to the Horse Tracker (Philip Hobbs and Johnson WhiteAdd Philip Hobbs to the Horse Tracker) has not run since he won a handicap hurdle at Newbury on 28 February 2025. He is a non-runner.

Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle, 3:30pm

A Class 3 handicap hurdle over 2m5f, rated 0-140, with nine runners after four came out, the last of them Guchen on Saturday morning. The Racing Post card's conditions limit it to horses that had not won a hurdle race before 27 April 2025.

• DaylatedollarshortAdd Daylatedollarshort to the Horse Tracker (Olly Murphy, ridden by Sean Bowen) is top weight on 12st after winning a 17-runner Premier Handicap hurdle at Chepstow on 10 October at 4/1.
• Grand ConquerorAdd Grand Conqueror to the Horse Tracker (Neil MulhollandAdd Neil Mulholland to the Horse Tracker) won at Fontwell on 21 October at 5/6, and Seamoon StoryAdd Seamoon Story to the Horse Tracker (Charlie LongsdonAdd Charlie Longsdon to the Horse Tracker) at Uttoxeter on 16 October at 4/1.
• Luck Between UsAdd Luck Between Us to the Horse Tracker (P J Rothwell) also ran on Friday, seventh of eight in the Grade 2 novices' hurdle at 22/1. Before that, for another trainer, he won three handicap hurdles in Ireland between July and September, the last at Listowel on 26 September at 8/1, where Give Him A ChanceAdd Give Him A Chance to the Horse Tracker, now in the same yard, was fourth.
• Sunny South WestAdd Sunny South West to the Horse Tracker was fourth of 11 in a handicap hurdle here on 23 October at 11/4.

Karndean Designflooring Mares' Open NH Flat Race, 4pm

A Listed bumper for four- and five-year-old mares. The Racing Post card's conditions limit it to mares that have run no more than three times, and all 12 runners carry 11st 2lb.

• Eastern WhisperAdd Eastern Whisper to the Horse Tracker (S G CareyAdd S G Carey to the Horse Tracker, ridden by Harry Cobden) won a 14-runner mares' bumper at Punchestown on 13 October at 5/2.
• ElegantementeAdd Elegantemente to the Horse Tracker (Henry de Bromhead) won a fillies' bumper at Ballinrobe on 24 August at 8/1. She Was The OneAdd She Was The One to the Horse Tracker (Denis Hogan) was second that day at 5/2, then won at Listowel on 25 September at 15/8.
• Gypsy SkyAdd Gypsy Sky to the Horse Tracker won a bumper at Stratford on 5 October at 8/1.
• Kshira SagaraAdd Kshira Sagara to the Horse Tracker has no form on Sporting Life's card or in our feed, so this is her first race. Pether's AngelAdd Pether's Angel to the Horse Tracker, the other newcomer, came out on Saturday morning.

The card in our results files

Our results files hold every British and Irish result from 1 June. Of the 77 runners left late on Friday, 25 have no run in them at all: some are first runs of the season, and some ran abroad. Here is each race as it stood then, before nine more came out on Saturday morning (Old Park Star, Ace Of Spades, Guchen, Pether's Angel, Johnnywho, Mix Match, Wonderful Eagle, Gold For Alec and Geezer Rockstar), counting wins on the Flat as well as over jumps:

The juveniles at 1:10pm have the most winners in our files, and the mares' bumper is the least known race: seven of its 13 have no run in them. Ten of those 77 had already raced at Cheltenham this season, at the Showcase in October or on Friday.

Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen

Olly MurphyAdd Olly Murphy to the Horse Tracker has six runners across five races, two of them in the 2:55pm, and Sean BowenAdd Sean Bowen to the Horse Tracker rides four of them. Bowen has six rides in all, one in each of the last six races. In the last 14 days, 31 October to 13 November, Murphy has had 9 jumps winners from 42 runners and Bowen 13 winners from 56 rides.

Samples this small are background, not a betting angle. Richie McLernonAdd Richie McLernon to the Horse Tracker has five rides on the card, two of them for Faye Bramley, and 4 winners from 24 rides in the same 14 days.

Back for a second day

Two horses ran on Friday and run again on Saturday, both for P J Rothwell: Moon Mission in the 2:55pm and Luck Between Us in the 3:30pm. Moon Mission finished fifth of 18 and Luck Between Us seventh of eight.

The model on the Arkle Trial

The box on this page shows our model's chances for the Arkle Trial. The model's card keeps withdrawn horses, so Kabral Du Mathan is still listed there, marked Non Runner, even though he does not run. The day-before provisional view went up on Friday evening, and the final ratings and fair prices for every British race, Saturday's Cheltenham card included, are published at 5am on the day on the AI Lab's daily card.

Neither view is a tip. We run the model as a public test, and its track record lists every race it has rated, losers included. Its top pick has won 24.6% of the time over 11,994 races, and a level stake on every one of those picks at starting price has returned −13.5%.

Your picks against it

The November Meeting has its own free prediction game, You v the AI. You pick one horse in each of Saturday's seven races, and your picks are scored against our model, five AI chatbots and the market favourite, all at the official starting price. Saturday's races opened for picks on Friday afternoon, and each pick stays open until its race is due off, so you can still play the later races once racing has started.

No money is staked and there are no prizes. The meeting has its own leaderboard, and you need to play two of the three days to be ranked on it. If you missed Friday, Saturday and Sunday together are enough. You v the AI at Cheltenham explains how it works.

The going

When we checked at 7:15am on Saturday, Cheltenham's own going report, last updated on Friday afternoon, and the Racing Post and Sporting Life cards did not describe the ground the same way, so we have not stated the going here. The course has been watered. Our results files show Friday's first two races run on good, good to soft in places, and the last four on good. Check Cheltenham's going report again before racing.

Racecards and results

Saturday's runners are on our Cheltenham racecards, with a StableBet Rating beside every horse, and late non-runners are marked there. Saturday's results go on the November Meeting results page after racing. If you are going, our day out at Cheltenham covers getting there.

Where to bet

• Best odds guaranteed. A BOG bookmaker pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took, which matters on a day when non-runners can move the market.
• Cheltenham offers. Our Cheltenham betting offers page compares what our partners are running for racing at the course.
• Each-way terms. The 2:55pm is down to 12 runners after four came out on Saturday morning, so standard terms pay three places at a quarter of the odds rather than four, and the Gold Cup, also with 12, pays three as well. One more non-runner in either race would leave 11, and standard terms would drop to three places at a fifth. The Arkle Trial, with five, pays two places at a quarter. Our each-way guide has the full table, and the each-way calculator works out the returns.

Checked late on Friday 13 November 2026, with the non-runners read at 11:45pm, against the sources below. We read the non-runners again just after 4am on Saturday 14 November on Sporting Life's seven cards and our own racecards, and both still showed the same ten. At 7:15am Sporting Life's cards and the Racing Post's cards both showed four more (Old Park Star, Ace Of Spades, Guchen and Pether's Angel), and our own racecards showed three of the four, all but Ace Of Spades. At 9:07am Sporting Life's seven cards and our own racecards both showed 19 non-runners, five more than at 7:15am (Johnnywho, Mix Match, Wonderful Eagle, Gold For Alec and Geezer Rockstar), and our racecards now marked Ace Of Spades as well. We have not stated the going: at 7:15am on Saturday, Cheltenham's own report, last updated at 1:30pm on Friday 13 November, and the Racing Post and Sporting Life cards gave different descriptions.

• The Racing Post's Cheltenham cards for Saturday 14 November, meeting page and all seven races (declared runners, non-runners, jockeys, trainers, ages, weights, official ratings, trips, classes, race conditions, prize money, the going). Cited, not linked: we link our own racecards.
• Sporting Life's Cheltenham cards for the same seven races, for example the Arkle Trial card (the same runners, non-runners, jockeys, weights and ratings; last year's winners; runs abroad)
• Our own Cheltenham racecards feed (the same fields and non-runners)
• The Jockey Club: the going at Cheltenham (the course's official going report, read at 7:15am on 14 November)
• The Jockey Club: Old Park Star wins the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, 10 March 2026
• Sky Sports: July Flower wins the 2025 Arkle Trial
• Sporting Life: One Horse Town wins the 2025 Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle and PA's report of the same race

Every run since 1 June, the card-wide counts and the 14-day trainer and jockey figures (jumps races in Britain and Ireland, 31 October to 13 November) come from our own results files. The Gold Cup's grade and trip come from our research record for the race. Runs in France and Old Park Star's record over hurdles are from Sporting Life's card alone, and the race conditions (the rating bands of the 12:35pm and the 3:30pm, and the entry limits on the 3:30pm and the 4pm) from the Racing Post card alone; the copy says so where it uses the limits. We found no report giving a reason for the Dan Skelton non-runners, so the page gives none.