Following another memorable year on the racing front, Cheltenham Racecourse rings in 2026 in style with the always-popular New Year’s Day fixture. With maiden, novice, handicap, and bumper action on offer, the seven-race card scores top marks for variety. Topping the bill is the only Graded race on the card, as the runners and riders line-up for the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle.
First run in 1988, this 2m4½f contest has been won by a host of star names, including Morley Street, Oscar Whisky, More Of That, and Rock On Ruby. While the trip is almost half a mile shorter than the Stayers’ Hurdle, the race tends to attract runners with an eye on the Day 3 showpiece at the Cheltenham Festival. That looks to be the case this year, with the 2026 field stacked with promising stayers. Heading the market is a horse who showed promise for Paul Nicholls but may ultimately fulfil his potential under the care of Dan Skelton.
Skelton Odds-On to Break Relkeel Duck
Heading into the New Year with a £1 million-plus lead in the British Trainers’ Championship, Dan Skelton is odds-on to win the first Graded contest of 2026. The Warwickshire handler has yet to win the Relkeel Hurdle – coming closest when saddling Roksana to finish second in 2020 – but this year may represent his best chance yet.
Formerly based at the yard of Skelton’s old boss, Paul Nicholls, Kabral Du Mathan is yet to finish outside the first two in six starts on British soil. Winning two of five outings for Nicholls, he rounded off his time in Ditcheat with a fine second in the Grade 2 Scottish Champion Hurdle.
Following a wind operation over the summer, owners Neil and Alfie Smith transferred the six-year-old to Skelton. Having raced exclusively at around two miles for Nicholls, Skelton opted to step Kabral Du Mathan up in trip on his first start for the yard. That decision inspired the son of Pastorius to produce the standout performance of his career to date. Taking the lead with a flying leap at the third last, he sprinted away from his Haydock rivals to score by a resounding 12 lengths.
🗣️”We’ll see where he takes us.”@harryskelton89 was pretty measured in his appraisal of Kabral Du Mathan’s electric @haydockraces success, but there seems a quiet conviction that the best is yet to come … pic.twitter.com/GuIEaJsqoC
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 22, 2025
This race was nominated as a likely target in the aftermath of that win, ahead of a possible tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle. At a general price of 1/2, he’s the one they all have to beat.
Henderson Duo Head the Opposition
With five previous wins, Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer in Relkeel Hurdle history. Leading the Seven Barrows charge in 2026 is the horse that took Henderson past four-time winner Martin Pipe when claiming the 2025 edition.
Lucky Place thrust himself into the Stayers’ Hurdle mix with his three-quarter-length win here 12 months ago but has failed to hit the heights since. Following disappointing efforts at Cheltenham and Sandown last season, he has finished last in two small field events in the current campaign. Hopes hinge on a return to the scene of his finest hour inspiring an upturn in fortunes. Despite his recent form, Lucky Place is the clear second favourite at a general price of 9/2.
Ahead of the big race, the next horse in the betting is Lucky Place’s stablemate, Jingko Blue. Sporting the same Countrywide Park Homes Ltd silks as King George fourth Jango Baie, this six-year-old won the Grade 2 Hampton Novices’ Chase last season but has reverted to hurdles in 2025/26. A mark of 144 leaves him with work to do in this company, but he remains open to improvement.
Neville Star the Best of the Rest
In a competitive line-up, the four runners available to back at a double-figure price all have something to recommend them. Patrick Neville’s The Real Whacker is an intriguing contender in his first outing in a Graded hurdle since 2022. Fifth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup back in March, he put his yard’s name up in lights when claiming the 2023 edition of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Having blown his chance with a bad mistake in the Charlie Hall Chase in November, he may find his jumping put under less pressure here.
Of the others, Gowel Road finished a close second to Lucky Place last year, while Kaminsas and Lookaway both won at this level as novices. Will Kabral Du Mathan win in the manner the odds suggest he should? Can the 2025 champ bounce back to form? Or could we be in for a shock result? Tune in at 2:35 p.m. on New Year’s Day to find out.