Dave1962

Now we are getting towards the serious end of this competition. Every chance managers will choose to play a near full-strength team. If that is the case, then their current Premiership form may come into play. In the Premiership, West Ham are currently in the relegation zone, while Brentford are seventh. Brentford have won their last four away games: three in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup. Brentford have won on their last two visits to West Ham, and in each of those games they kept a clean sheet in low-scoring matches.

Mydaddypaddy is trained by Dan Skelton and will be ridden by his brother, Harry. Mydaddypaddy won his only run of last season in a bumper at Huntingdon. This season he started off with an impressive win at Carlisle followed by another win at Haydock, which then saw him move to the top of the ante-post market for this race. His final run was at Aintree where, with the hurdles taken out in the home straight, he could only finish second. Providing no hurdles are removed in today's race, there is every chance Mydaddypaddy will show his true form and be amongst the prize money for the Skeltons.

Since moving to the Nicky Henderson yard from Paul Nicholls, Old Park Star has done nothing wrong in his three runs over hurdles. His three runs in bumpers for Paul Nicholls yielded two thirds and a second. But since switching to Nicky Henderson and to hurdles, Old Park Star is three wins from three runs. His wins came at Kempton, Cheltenham, and Haydock, with his last two runs both having winning margins of twelve lengths or more. All three wins have been over a very similar distance to that which he faces today. He recorded two wins on good to soft and the other on good ground. Old Park Star has appeared to improve with each of his hurdle races, and if improving again Nicky Henderson could have the opening winner of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.

Eleven of the last fourteen runnings of this race have seen either a Willie Mullins or Nicky Henderson-trained horse win. Mullins leads with six. Lulamba is trained by Nicky Henderson and has won all three chase races. The Mullins-trained horse has only had one run over the larger obstacles, and with not much between these two horses, experience may come into play. Providing Lulamba can jump well, he might well have more left in the tank coming up the Cheltenham Hill to repeat Henderson's success in this race from last season. His previous back-to-back winners in this race were in 2012 and 2013 with Sprinter Sacre and Simonsig.

With the Irish having a good record in this race, the Willie Mullins-trained Madness Delle appears to be in with a chance of a top-six finish. He has been out twice this year. He started by finishing second at Punchestown and then, in his last race, he improved to win by just under three lengths. There is every chance there is still plenty of improvement to come from Madness Delle. If so, a top-six finish is a possibility.

The Irish have dominated this race for the last eight years. In this eight-year period the jockey on Saratoga, Mark Walsh, has won this race three times. Today he is on board the Padraig Roche-trained Saratoga. The trainer/jockey combination teamed up to win this race in 2022 with Brazil. Saratoga has raced three times this season, finishing third twice and second once. Those three races were all in Ireland. This will be his first venture into handicap company, and today he races off the same mark as the horse which won this race last year.

Three of the last four runnings of this race have been won by a Lucinda Russell-trained horse: Corach Rambler in 2022 and 2023, and last year by Myretown, who is seeking to repeat his success from a fifteen-pound higher mark. Myretown has raced three times this season but has only finished one of those races, earning a fourth-place finish at Haydock in January. Myretown won races in March 2024 and March 2025. So, with this race being run in March, a return to Cheltenham and this trip could see Myretown rediscover his form and give Lucinda Russell another winner in this race.

Prior to being pulled up in his last race at Gowan Park on heavy ground, the Gordon Elliott-trained Search For Glory finished second at Navan and Leopardstown. Jack Kennedy was on board at Gowan Park, and in his previous two races today's jockey, James Smith, who can claim five pounds, was in the plate. With six places on offer, every chance Search For Glory could run well at a big price.

In his racing career, The New Lion has raced seven times, winning six and falling in his other race. The New Lion has run twice at Cheltenham, and each time he won. He has winning form on good and good-to-soft ground. He proved that he was back to himself after his fall at Newcastle when returning to winning ways at Cheltenham in January. He finished that race well and may well have the speed and stamina to outstay his rivals up the Cheltenham Hill.

Newton Tornado is trained by Ruth Curtis, who won this race last year with Haiti Couleurs. Newton Tornado was a very comfortable winner in his last race. He fell in his first chase, which was at Cheltenham. Since then he has raced three times, winning twice and being pulled up in the other. His jumping has improved since that race at Cheltenham. Providing Newton Tornado has the stamina to stay this distance, then every chance the prize will once again be returning to the Ruth Curtis yard.

Bodø/Glimt dispatched Inter Milan to reach this stage of the competition. Inter Milan were top of Serie A when they lost to Bodø/Glimt. With Sporting playing in what is probably a weaker league, there is every reason to think that Bodø/Glimt can win the first leg of this tie.

It's been nearly thirty years since Newcastle beat Barcelona. At the time of writing, Barcelona have lost their last two away games. In the Champions League, Barcelona beat Newcastle by the odd goal in three back in September last year. Since then, Newcastle have won all their Champions League home games, which were against Benfica, Athletic Bilbao, PSV, and Qaraba?.

With Manchester City already through to the next round, Real Madrid were not convincing in their win against Benfica to reach this stage of the competition. Manchester City won on their last visit to Real Madrid, which was in the first round of matches in this season's Champions League competition.

By their standards, Motherwell are having a fantastic season. They are fourth in the table, one place behind Celtic, who are not having the best of seasons. They beat Celtic when they welcomed them at the end of December. It's been over ten years since Motherwell won at Celtic. However, with the form of these two teams, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Motherwell can win.