Nicky Henderson Day 1 Runners: Cheltenham Festival 2026 Tuesday 10th March

Trainer Nicky Henderson looks set to be the biggest British hope at the Cheltenham Festival, with a strong book of runners throughout the week, even if two of his best aren't here, in Constitution Hill and Sir Gino.
We've got Nicky Henderson day 1 runners for the Cheltenham Festival on this page, so you can see his horses that will be taking place on the opening day of action.
Here at Free Bets, we'll keep you up to speed with everything you need to know for the biggest meeting of the year.
Nicky Henderson Day 1 Runners: Full Entries for Tuesday
Seven races make the opening day card and we've got the list of Nicky Henderson day 1 runners split out race by race so you can see where he's aiming his stars.
Alongside showing you the runners, we've also got the latest odds from betting sites, so you can see which are the most fancied by the markets.
1:20pm - Supreme Novices' Hurdle
The opening race of the day sees a Nicky Henderson favourite, as Old Park Star aims to get the trainer off to the perfect start.
He's unbeaten this season over hurdles, and comes here with some great form in the book, looking to land the opening contest.
2:00pm - Arkle Chase
The Arkle Chase looks a classic Britain vs Ireland matchup, and batting for the home team is Nicky Henderson with Lulamba.
He will need further in time than this two mile trip, but he looks effortless at times, has a real engine on him, and it wouldn't be the biggest surprise in the world for Team Henderson to land the first two races of the meeting.
2:40pm - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
The juvenile hurdle sees two more Nicky Henderson day 1 runners fancied by the betting markets, and they both run in the JP McManus colours.
Nico de Boinville is on the most fancied runner Manlaga, while James Bowen rides the second string according to the market, Mustang Du Breuil.
3:20pm - Ultima Handicap Chase
There's one Henderson runner in the Ultima, as Hyland goes in first time cheekpieces, looking to land this staying handicap chase.
With some strong form in the book, he's fancied to put up a good showing by some.
5:20pm - National Hunt Novices' Chase
The final race of the day is home to Henderson's final day one runner, and in the National Hunt Chase he saddles outsider Holloway Queen, who will be ridden by James Bowen.
Nicky Henderson Day 1 Winners?
The day starts very strong for Nicky Henderson, with two big chances and he'll be disappointed if at least one of them doesn't manage to win.
Old Park Star looks set to go off favourite for the Supreme, and I think if he wins, then Lulamba will go off favourite for the Arkle, with plenty of people putting doubles on the two runners from the same yard.
After that, some lively chances in the handicaps, in particular Manlaga and Hyland, who both have the form to run well.
If there's no winner from the Nicky Henderson day 1 runners, then it'll be a disappointing day for the stable given the strength of their chances.

Craig Jones has been working in the sports betting and gambling industry for more than 20 years. With a wealth of in-depth knowledge, Craig has written for Free Bets for almost a decade, providing our readers with expert opinions and transparent reviews.



