5.20 Cheltenham Today: Martin Pipe closers reshape day four finale
Willie Mullins arrives at Cheltenham with Kel Histoire and Roc Dino as his primary plays in the 5. 20 cheltenham today Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, the curtain-closer for Day 4. That one-two stable entry has shifted the betting and focused attention on a race long seen as a launching pad for future stars.
Willie Mullins’ Kel Histoire and Roc Dino eye Martin Pipe success
Kel Histoire will make his handicap debut after a sequence of Graded races, and his connections have targeted this renewal specifically. Roc Dino sits alongside him in the betting and has recent form on heavy ground at Thurles, where he finished close behind a useful rival. Those two are the clearest human names on the sheet for now: Kel Histoire, Roc Dino and trainer Willie Mullins.
Market behaviour matters here. Market leaders have a poor recent record in the Martin Pipe; a 5/2 favourite last year finished 20th. That pattern has given owners and trainers an opening to run progressive types in a race where surprise results have followed bold entries.
5. 20 Cheltenham Today: Martin Pipe, prize and the race’s timing
The Martin Pipe is set as Class 2 at 5: 20 pm ET on Friday, 13th March, with a winner’s prize of £38, 580. As the final event of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, the race carries an unusually large field of conditional jockeys and generous place terms from bookmakers, which has encouraged wide betting interest.
Historically, big-name trainers have dominated: 11 of the last 15 winners were prepared by Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Paul Nicholls or Joseph O’Brien, and nine of the past 12 winners have been Irish-trained. That dominance shapes decision-making for owners considering whether to enter lightly exposed types or proven handicappers.
Olly Murphy, Henry de Bromhead and the outsiders shaping the race
Olly Murphy has highlighted Act of Authority as one to watch, describing the 8-year-old as strongly handicapped and noting he is only 1lb higher than when beaten last year in this same race. Act of Authority returns with that familiarity for another attempt at the same renewal.
Henry de Bromhead brings Air of Entitlement, a mare who won the 2025 Mares Novices Hurdle and who looks suited by the step up in trip here. That combination of form and intended distance adjustment has kept her connections active in finding a jockey to aid her push.
Other trainers also provide contrasting rides. Dan Skelton’s 6-year-old is described as unexposed to many in the field and likely to benefit from a stronger pace. A well-handicapped challenger, Pai De Nom, delivered as favourite in a Class 3 qualifier at Newbury in February and could emulate similar tactics in Friday’s finale.
Value plays have emerged in the market. One each-way note gives six places in the final race, which expands the scope for outsiders to feature on the frame. Names appearing at bigger prices include a horse returning from chasing and several home contenders noted for recent good runs; those entries underline how open the race can be.
Willie Mullins’ entries occupy much of the narrative but they are not uncontested. Entries from trainers like Olly Murphy, Henry de Bromhead and Dan Skelton inject variety into the predicted finishing order, and past renewals reinforce that favourites can underperform while Irish-trained strength remains a decisive factor.
Back at the start, Kel Histoire and Roc Dino remain the human faces that define the early betting story. For readers following the card, the confirmed next event is the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at 5: 20 pm ET on Friday, 13th March; that race, its prize of £38, 580 and the mix of experienced and unexposed runners will decide whether Mullins’ pair validate the market or open the door to an outsider.
