The recent Showcase Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse whet the appetite of jumps fanatics, and there’s not long to wait until racing returns to the sport’s proverbial home in the Cotswolds.
That’s right, the Cheltenham November Meeting is due to take place at Prestbury Park from 17-19 November.
Aside from the Cheltenham Festival itself, the November Meeting is the next best event the racecourse has to offer, and eager punters will be watching on hoping to pick up ante-post hints ahead of March’s showpiece.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the biggest races set to feature throughout the three-day November Meeting.
The Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Handicap Chase
The feature race on the opening day, which is known as Countryside Day, is the Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Handicap Chase.
The Class 2, 0-150 handicap has an off time of 13:45 and is contested over roughly two miles for a winning prize purse of around £23,000.
Amarillo Sky won last year’s renewal to gift trainer Joe Tizzard his first Cheltenham winner, while subsequent Grade 1 winner Editeur Du Gite won this contest two years ago from 4/1 in the Cheltenham November Meeting odds.
Hyde Novices’ Hurdle
The Hyde Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 2 contest on Countryside Day, making it the highest-level race on the opening card.
The two-mile, five-furlong race is the same distance as the Cheltenham Festival’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and can often provide some good hints for the Grade 1 contest.
Hermes Allen landed the race for Paul Nicholls last year, but he couldn’t fare any better than sixth in the Ballymore despite setting off at the 9/4 favourite.
2021 Liverpool Hurdle winner Thyme Hill and three-time Grade 2 victor Blazing Khal are also among the recent winners, while the 2012 champion of this race Coneygree won the prestigious Gold Cup in 2015.
Paddy Power Gold Cup
The Paddy Power Gold Cup is the feature race on Saturday and is one of the standout races of the entire meeting – with a lucrative prize purse of £90,000 for the winner.
The two-mile, four-and-a-half-furlong contest is a Premier Handicap (formerly a Grade 3), and this year’s race looks set to be a thrilling renewal.
Turners Novices’ Chase winner Stage Star is the favourite in the horse racing odds. However, they will face still competition from last year’s Mucking Brilliant runner-up Fugitif and Dan Skelton’s Unexpected Party, who won a Listed race at Chepstow last month.
Triumph Hurdle Trial
The opening race on day two is the Grade 2 Triumph HurdleTrail.
Registered as the Prestbury Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle, the race is contested over two miles and half a furlong.
Jockey Paddy Brennan and trainer Milton Harris have teamed up to win the last two renewals with Scriptwriter and Knight Salute, while 2019 winner Allmankind went on to win several races at graded level.
The Greatwood Hurdle
The final day of the meeting features the Grade 2 Cheltenham Chase, a Grade 3 Handicap Steeple Chase and a Listed National Hunt Flat Race.
However, the feature is the Greatwood Hurdle — another Premier Handicap, which is contested just over two miles.
The Kerry Lee-trained Nemean Lion kicked off the new season with a Welsh Champion Hurdle success at Ffos Las last month, but the highly-rated Luccia, Anyharminasking,and recent course and distance winner Blueking D’Oroux will make this a very competitive race.
