Diarmuid Nolan's 99/1 Daily Double From Day One Of The Cheltenham Festival
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is finally upon us. All the talking is over and it is now time to find a few winners!
Each day, I will include my main fancies at the bottom of the article, but the main focus of my daily column on Gambling.com will be a daily double.
On Day 1 we start with a 99/1 double on horse racing betting sites, and I would recommend an each-way take on it.
Leg One: Ammes 14.40 Cheltenham (Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle)
Ammes looks to have a big chance in what is a scarily competitive affair.
There are plenty of horses here with huge claims, but Ammes looks a really talented sort who has been waiting all season for this target.
Liam Swagger was third in this race for the same connections last season, and Ammes looks a far better prospect who should go very well.
The two horses actually have very similar profiles in that Liam Swagger qualified early and then sharpened up on the Flat, taking in a run on the all-weather. Ammes has followed the exact same route.
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After comfortable victories at Sedgefield and Chepstow, Ammes emerged with plenty of credit when finishing second to Minella Study, who is fancied to run well in the Triumph.
Crucially, Ammes is rated 128 here while Minella Study is rated 139, so there is every reason to believe he is well handicapped.
While there are plenty in this field who are talented and may not have shown their full hand, I have a feeling Ammes might prove to be terrifically well treated.
Diarmuid Nolan's Daily Double: Cheltenham Day 1 (Tuesday)
(Odds correct at time of publishing 10.30am 10/03/26)
Leg Two: Zurich 16.40 Cheltenham (Plate Handicap Chase)
Another fiercely competitive handicap, but Zurich looks to have a big chance here.
Always talented, Zurich has reached another level over fences which is typical of a Henry de Bromhead horse.
After a cosy win at Killarney, he won here over slightly shorter and handled the racecourse with aplomb. That form looks only adequate on paper, but Zurich won with authority.
He can be forgiven for his last effort in December when he all but lost his chance after a bad mistake, before flying home late to get competitive.
He is 9lb higher than for his last win, but he may just be improving fast enough to overcome that.
Notably, the last seven winners of this race had won at Cheltenham earlier that same season, and Zurich fits that profile beautifully and one of the few who does.
I would have preferred Darragh O'Keeffe in the saddle as the stable jockey, but I am a huge fan of Brian Hayes and he is more than an adequate stand-in.
Other Horses To Follow On Tuesday
Elsewhere on the card, I am keen on a few horses worth following.
I feel Old Park Star will take a lot of stopping in the Supreme. While his trainer has been rather cool on him publicly, he still represents the most commonsense pick in the race, and I am choosing to trust what I have seen rather than what I have heard.
I am also very keen on The New Lion to win the Champion Hurdle, even setting aside Lossiemouth, who now runs in the race.
I think she is a supremely talented mare, but I am struggling to understand how her connections could say she was not quick enough for a Champion Hurdle - yet now suddenly she is!
Elsewhere, I fancy Iroko to have a big chance in the Ultima.
I will be place-laying Jagwar, who I cannot see staying three miles. I like Kargese in the Arkle, and I will be sitting out the National Hunt Chase entirely.
Best of luck to you all this week!
Will you be backing Diarmuid's double? Do you have one of your own? Tell us about it in the comment box below!
