A whopping 83 horses have been entered for the 2026 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, which will take place on day four of the Cheltenham Festival on Friday 13 March. Run over three miles, this contest is always an energy-sapping race and a bumper list of entries have been received for the Grade 1 contest, which was won last season by Jasmin De Vaux.
Unbeaten over hurdles for Paul Nicholls, No Drama This End was last seen bounding to victory in the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury and he could well take his chance in this event, but he does, like so many, hold an entry in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, which is run over 2m 5f.
Willie Mullins will have an embarrassment of riches head to Cheltenham in the spring and with four wins in the race he’s sure to be one man keeping an eye on and he has a whole host of horses entered for the contest. One of his star names could be Sortudo, who was beaten by Declan Queally’s I’ll Sort That in a Navan Grade 1 event a few weeks ago, and both that pairing are entered.
A four-length winner at Thurles earlier this month, Espresso Milan was instantly launched towards the head of the betting for this contest, and he could be another shot fired by Mullins’ Closutton gun. He got the better of the Emmet Mullins-trained Minella Emperor that day, and that Irish contender is another entered here. Another of the Willie Mullins team could be Doctor Steinberg, who has racked up wins at Galway and Navan in recent times and looks a progressive staying hurdler.
Dan Skelton’s Moneygarrow was a taking winner on day 1 of Windsor’s Winter Million Festival and could be a notable name unleashed by Britain, whilst others that catch the eye in the list of entries include You Proof, Doctor Du Mesnil and Klimt Madrik.
2026 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Entries
| Number | Horse |
| 1 | A Pai De Nom |
| 2 | American Jukebox |
| 3 | Apache Tribe |
| 4 | Bally Free |
| 5 | Ballykinlar |
| 6 | Bon Viveur |
| 7 | Boultydoolin |
| 8 | Canennig |
| 9 | Champagne Kid |
| 10 | Classical Creek |
| 11 | Country Code |
| 12 | County Final |
| 13 | Dalston Lad |
| 14 | Doctor Steinberg |
| 15 | Doctor Du Mesnil |
| 16 | El Capitaine |
| 17 | Espresso Milan |
| 18 | Etna Bianco |
| 19 | Forty Coats |
| 20 | Fountains Blenhein |
| 21 | Frankie John |
| 22 | Fruit De Mer |
| 23 | Gin Tonic |
| 24 | Good Girl Kathleen |
| 25 | He Can’t Dance |
| 26 | Hillberry Hill |
| 27 | Hipop De Loire |
| 28 | I Started A Joke |
| 29 | I’ll Sort That |
| 30 | Intosomethinggood |
| 31 | Jalon D’Oudairies |
| 32 | Johnny’s Jury |
| 33 | Just Golden |
| 34 | Kalypso’chance |
| 35 | Kasino Des Mottes |
| 36 | Kazansky |
| 37 | Kicour La |
| 38 | King’s Bucks |
| 39 | Klimt Madrik |
| 40 | Kripticjim |
| 41 | Laurets D’Estruval |
| 42 | Leader D’Allier |
| 43 | Legendary Luke |
| 44 | Love Me Tender |
| 45 | Melbourne Shamrock |
| 46 | Minella Emperor |
| 47 | Mondoui’boy |
| 48 | Moneygarrow |
| 49 | Neon Dream |
| 50 | No Drama This End |
| 51 | Off The Jury |
| 52 | Park Princess |
| 53 | Pottersville |
| 54 | Reckless Spending |
| 55 | Riskaway |
| 56 | Road Exile |
| 57 | Rocking Man |
| 58 | Rusty Harkness |
| 59 | Saint Baco |
| 60 | Santo Sospir |
| 61 | Shabby Hill |
| 62 | Shadow Paddy |
| 63 | Shuttle Diplomacy |
| 64 | Sortudo |
| 65 | Spinningayarn |
| 66 | Step Ahead |
| 67 | Swindon Village |
| 68 | Tackletommywoowoo |
| 69 | The Big Clubman |
| 70 | The Blue Room |
| 71 | The Last Cloud |
| 72 | The Price Of Peace |
| 73 | Thedeviluno |
| 74 | Theflyingking |
| 75 | They Call Me Hugo |
| 76 | Tiddlesley Wood |
| 77 | Timesareachanging |
| 78 | Treasure Memory |
| 79 | Ubatuba |
| 80 | Whiskey Yankee |
| 81 | Yeshil |
| 82 | You Proof |
| 83 | Zanoosh |