Rhys Williams' Cheltenham Festival Tips: 8 Selections For Day 2
Horse racing expert Rhys Williams is sharing his best selections for the Cheltenham Festival.
Rhys has been a racing analyst for over 10 years, working for At The Races and most recently as a tipster for Betfair where his tipping column had a 31% ROI over four and a half years.
He often focuses away from the front end of the market, finding angles that aren't evident to most.
Thanks to last week's 66/1 each-way win at Thurles (Bon Bon Fizz), Rhys has returned a profit of 67.93 points and his profit and loss record for the year stands at +18.43 points from 49.5 points staked.
Here are Rhys' tips for the second day of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, using the most up-to-date odds from the best horse racing betting sites.
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13:20 Cheltenham: Riskaway - 0.5pt Win @ 80/1
Riskaway could only finish fourth at the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF) when last seen, but the ground that day was far different to what he will encounter here and I think he has a better chance of bouncing back than his price suggests.
He travelled well for a long way at Leopardstown before being unable to pick up in the testing ground, something that was also the case at Limerick, when he was beaten by Storm Heart.
Selection | Odds | Betting Site |
Riskaway | 80/1 |
Prior to that, he had won impressively on hurdling debut on much quicker ground at Thurles and I think this sort of surface is what he needs.
Riskaway is likely to be a better chaser next season and it might be that the tiring race at the DRF will have left its mark, but I think he has more ability than his price suggests.
Any 40/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 1: 13:20 Cheltenham - Riskaway - 0.5pt Win
14:00 Cheltenham: Western Fold - 1pt Each-Way @ 16/1
Western Fold is another horse who wasn’t suited by the ground at the DRF and I think he can run in the Brown Advisory back on better ground.
I thought it was a very encouraging run in the circumstances last time when he was racing on unsuitable ground, was given a lot to do and was reported to have looked in need of the run beforehand on his first start in three months.
Prior to that, he had put up a very good performance in defeat when third behind Envoi Allen at Down Royal on better ground, and I think Western Fold’s wealth of experience, including in open company, could be a big asset to him.
Any double-figure prices appeal.
Rhys' Selection 2: 14:00 Cheltenham - Western Fold - 1pt Each-Way
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14:40 Cheltenham: Buddy One - 0.5pt Win @ 50/1
I was hoping they would go for the Stayers with Buddy One, given how well he has run in that race in the past two seasons.
However, they’ve decided to go for the BetMGM Cup instead and I can’t let him go unbacked at a big price.
He travelled strongly for a long way in the Stayers Hurdle two seasons ago, when fourth behind Teahupoo and he ended up being shuffled back further than ideal last season when fifth to Bob Olinger.
His only run over hurdles this season was on unsuitably bad ground at Navan and he had a nice prep run for this over fences at Gowran, when they put cheekpieces on for the first time.
Those are retained for this race and I think the switch back to hurdles and better ground is a positive for him.
Buddy One might be vulnerable to younger legs, and maybe this will be a bit too much of a speed test for him now at his age.
I think he can be competitive off 149, if he is able to repeat the level of his previous runs at this track. Any 33/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 3: 14:40 Cheltenham - Buddy One - 0.5pt Win
14:40 Cheltenham: HMS Seahorse - 0.5pt Win @ 50/1
In the same race, HMS Seahorse sneaks in at the bottom of the weights and I think the market is overlooking his chance.
He was only 7/1 for this race three years ago and while there’s a chance he’s not the same horse now than he once was, he’s shown more once blinkers have been put on this season.
He was starting to look very lazy in his races and the blinkers clearly had a positive impact on him when he won with ease at Clonmel.
He ran over fences on his next two starts, which I’m not sure is for him, but he ran respectably behind Fine Margin, and then it looked an unlucky unseat at Galway when he was last seen in September.
HMS Seahorse has shown he can run very well after a break, so it’s no concern that he’s coming into this after six months off and I wonder if they have done that specifically to keep him away from bad ground too.
Any 33/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 4: 14:40 Cheltenham - HMS Seahorse - 0.5pt Win
15:20 Cheltenham: Vanillier - 1pt Each-Way @ 15/2
Sean Flanagan didn’t know what way he was supposed to be going in this race last year on Vanillier, but hopefully he’s studied the route better this time as I think he has a good chance.
Flanagan had got Vanillier into the ideal position in front early on, but then went to go straight on at the Canal Turn replica and only just about made it back on to the track.
That cost Vanillier his ideal spot in front and plenty of ground as it dropped him back into nearly last place.
From that position, I thought he ran a brilliant race to finish third to Stumptown.
Vanillier was slow to get going this season when Cromwell’s horses were running poorly, but he bounced back when winning quite comfortably over the banks at Punchestown last time.
That will hopefully have put him spot on for this, and if he gets his own way out in front early on, I think he could be more dangerous than the market suggests.
Any 6/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 5: 15:20 Cheltenham - Vanillier - 1pt Each-Way
15:20 Cheltenham: Pied Piper - 0.5pt Win @ 25/1
A couple of newcomers to cross country racing also appeal at bigger prices. The first of those is Pied Piper who has been running quite well over fences this season.
He was beaten 11 lengths in a very competitive handicap at Leopardstown over Christmas and was running well in the Thyestes when coming down at three out.
As he’s a bit on the smaller side, I’m not sure those big field handicaps over regulation fences suit him ideally and horses with his physique can be better suited by this sort of test.
I think the return to better ground is in his favour and he’s reportedly taken well to schooling over these sort of fences in the build up.
There is a concern that he’s looked soft in a battle and even this size field might be bigger than ideal for him, but I think his class could take him a long way in a race of this nature.
Any 16/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 6: 15:20 Cheltenham - Pied Piper - 0.5pt Win
15:20 Cheltenham: Horantzau d'Airy - 0.5pt Win @ 100/1
At a triple-figure price, I’ve got to have something on Horantzau d’Airy as he’s another who I think could take a step forward for the switch to this test.
He was often a smooth traveller, who didn’t deliver in the closing stages when trained by Willie Mullins, and I think that type of horse can do better than their rating suggests in this sphere.
He ran respectably for a long way in the Grand National on his first run for Michael Keady, and followed that with a good run in a handicap back over regulation fences behind Matterhorn.
It was concerning that he was reported to have bled when last seen in September when in the care of Sara Bradstock, but he wouldn’t be the first horse to bleed and win this race on their next start as Rivage d’Or achieved that in 2015.
It might be that Horantzau d’Airy's problems will catch up with him and he will once again run poorly, but I like the stable switch to Stuart Edmunds.
I wouldn’t be as surprised as the market if he runs well. Any 50/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 7: 15:20 Cheltenham - Horantzau d'Airy - 0.5pt Win
Cheltenham 17:20: Boycetown - 0.5pt Win @ 33/1
With The Mourne Rambler shortening to what I think is the right price for him, I’m only left with one dart at the bumper and it’s on a horse who won on the same day as him.
Boycetown was very impressive when winning a bumper at Down Royal on Boxing Day.
He was handy from the off and eased clear of his rivals in the closing stages to win by 18 lengths despite still looking a bit green.
He had finished behind one of today’s rivals, It’s Only A Game, on his rules debut.
However, that was when the yard was going through a bad run, so it was a remarkable effort in the circumstances for Boycetown to run as well as he did that day.
It might be that he’s more of a longer-term prospect against ‘here and now’ types in this race, and it’s a bit concerning that he’s wearing a tongue tie for the first time.
However, I think he has more ability than his price would suggest and any 25/1 or bigger appeals.
Rhys' Selection 8: 17:20 Cheltenham - Boycetown - 0.5pt Win
All odds correct at time of publish.
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