(Image by: cheltenhamraces)
Few things signal the return of the National Hunt season quite like a fixture at the home of the jumping game. To suggest that jumps racing begins and ends with the Cheltenham Festival would be a huge disservice to the quality action which runs through the season, but it’s fair to say that the four days at Prestbury Park in March cast a shadow over all that comes before and after.
As such, the opening meeting of the season at Cheltenham Racecourse always draws the eyes of the racing world, and that fixture arrives in the form of the two-day Showcase Meeting. Kicking off on Friday, 25th October, this much-anticipated event lays on 14 cracking contests for our punting pleasure, with Friday’s Grade 2 Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle topping the bill from a class perspective.
The early months of the season can be a tricky time for punters. Which horses are fit and well? Which may need the run? Which trainers target the opening weeks? - All questions facing those making their selections ahead of The Showcase Meeting.
With that in mind, we have looked back at the past ten editions (where applicable) of the 14 races at this year’s fixture and picked out the trainers, jockeys, and sires who have fared better than most, before highlighting a pair of eye-catching trainer/sire combo punts.
Trainers to Follow
14-time Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls leads the way in this early season fixture. Picking up wins over hurdles, fences, and the bumper, the master of Ditcheat is particularly dangerous over hurdles, with seven of his twelve wins coming in that sphere. Seven of 12 were also over trips of around 2m.
Nigel Twiston-Davies often starts the season firing on all cylinders and takes the second spot. Twiston-Davies wins were split 6-4 in favour of hurdles, with six of the ten successes coming over trips of 2m4f+.
Moving down the list, five of Nicky Henderson's' wins came over hurdles; two were in the bumper, and only one over fences, with five of the eight over trips of around 2m.
With three wins, Fergal O’Brien boasts the best record in the bumper over this period, with four of his other five wins coming in handicap contests.
Barring one win in the bumper, all of John C McConnell’s wins came in hurdle events.
Gordon Elliott split his wins evenly between hurdles and chases, with four of his victories coming over trips of 3m+.
2024 Entries
Paul Nicholls:
Brave Knight (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½f)
Inca De Lafayette (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½f)
Farnoge (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Kalif De Berlais (Masterson Holdings Hurdle, 2m½f)
Nigel Twiston-Davies:
Push The Button Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Mr Mackay (Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Matata (squareintheair.com Handicap Chase, 2m)
The Newest One (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Poppa Poutine (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Potters Charm (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
Norman Fletcher (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½)
Guard Your Dreams (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Broadway Bob (William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Gowel Road (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Uncle Bert (William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase, 3m½f)
Nicky Henderson:
In The Air (Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Bhaloo (Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Arclight (squareintheair.com Handicap Chase, 2m)
Break My Soul (Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle, 2m½f)
Tradecraft (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
Arclight (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½)
Break My Soul (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½)
Will Carver (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Quick Draw (William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Captain Morgs (William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Hyland (William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase, 3m½f)
Fergal O’Brien:
Landen Calling (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Castel Gandolfo (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½f)
Oslo (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½f)
Fils De Roi (Abu Dhabi Digital Markets Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, 2m½f)
Young Buster (William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Jager Time (Junior Jumpers Open National Hunt Flat Race)
John C McConnell:
Anna Bunina (Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Broken Ice (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Intense Approach (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
Cloonainra (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
Andys Flame (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Moon D’Orange (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Intense Approach (William Hill Betting Done Properly Novices’ Hurdle, 3m)
Churchwarden (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Hasten Slowly (Masterson Holdings Hurdle, 2m½f)
Moon D’Orange (William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase, 3m½f))
Amina (Junior Jumpers Open National Hunt Flat Race, 2m½f)
Gordon Elliott:
Shecouldbeanything (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices’ Chase, 2m)
Minella Sixo (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
Bleu De Vassy (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
The Wallpark (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Beacon Edge (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Will Do (William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase, 3m½f))
Yeats Star (William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase, 3m½f)
Top Jockeys
With Nigel Twiston-Davies faring so well in the trainer's table, it’s no surprise to see his son Sam topping the jockey standings. Eight of Sam’s ten wins came aboard horses trained by his father. Sam split his wins evenly between hurdles and chases.
Four of Harry Cobden’s victories came for his main employer, Paul Nicholls, with the other two for the now-retired Colin Tizzard. Interestingly, all six of Cobden’s wins came over the smaller obstacles.
Having hung up their silks, Aidan Coleman, Barry Geraghty, and Tom Scudamore won’t be adding to their tally. However, Sean Bowen arrives in his prime in 2024, having finished second in the Champion Jockey standings last season. Bowen’s five previous wins were split between John C McConnell (two), Martin Keighley, Olly Murphy, and Paul Nicholls.
Last but not least, Nico de Boinville was the man up top for five of Nicky Henderson’s wins – picking up four hurdles’ successes and one win in the bumper.
Leading Sires
One of the most talented stayers of all time on the flat, Yeats has emerged as a National Hunt Stallion of note and shares the top spot. Notably, four of the five Yeats-sired winners came in events of 3m+.
Westerner also posted five winners over this period and showed a similar distance preference – three wins at 3m+ and two at around 2m.
Third in the table, Mahler excelled over intermediate distances, with three of his four wins coming over 2m4f, as did Milan – two wins at 2m4f.
Martaline sired winners over hurdles, fences, and in the bumper, over trips ranging from 2m-3m.
Kayf Tara sired two chase winners and one over hurdles, with two of his three wins coming in 3m+ events.
2024 Entries
Yeats:
Strictlyadancer (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Jessie Lightfoot (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Young Buster (William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Yeats Star (William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase, 3m½f)
Westerner:
Callin Baton Rouge (Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Planned Paradise (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Marv Michael (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Bowtogreatness (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Bowtogreatness (William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase, 3m½f)
Mahler:
Gwennie May Boy (Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Gale Mahler (Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle, 2m½f)
Rockinastorm (Glenfarclas Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Ailt An Chorrain (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
Wicked Thoughts (Alistair Down Press Room Novices’ Hurdle, 2m4f)
Churchstonewarrior (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Gwennie May Boy (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Milan:
Dancing On My Own (squareintheair.com Handicap Chase, 2m)
Scarface (squareintheair.com Handicap Chase, 2m)
Doughmore Bay (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Captain Morgs (William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Catch Him Derry (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Martaline:
Bass Rock (Foundation Developments Handicap Hurdle, 2m4f)
Unexpected Party (squareintheair.com Handicap Chase, 2m)
Andys Flame (William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase, 2m4f)
Vanillier (William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase, 3m1f)
Kayf Tara:
Slievehill (William Hill Betting Done Properly Novices’ Hurdle, 3m)
Hauraki Gulf (William Hill Betting Done Properly Novices’ Hurdle, 3m)
Secret Trix (Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, 3m)
Everest (Junior Jumpers Open National Hunt Flat Race, 2m½f)
Trainer & Sire Combos
When looking at the current list of entries, the following four runners benefit from being trained by one of our top trainers AND being sired by a leading stallion at this meeting:
Andys Flame – William Hill Top Price Guarantee Novices Limited Handicap Chase (2m4f)
Captain Morgs – William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase (3m1f)
Yeats Star – William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase (3m½f)
Young Buster – William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase (3m1f)
Of that quartet:
Andys Flame is a weak fit on trainer trends, with most of Nicky Hendersons' wins coming over hurdles, but an ideal distance fit for sire Milan.
Also trained by Henderson, Captain Morgs similarly misses the hurdles preference, whilst 3m is further than any Milan-sired success at this meeting over the period analysed.
Yeats Star is an excellent fit, with both his sire and trainer, Gordon Elliott, excelling in 3m+ events.
Likewise, Young Buster who - also being sired by Yeats - gets his ideal distance and goes for a trainer in Fergal O’Brien, who does well in handicap contests.
Recommended Bet: Yeats Star each way in the William Hill Most Top Prices Novices’ Chase @ Best Early Price
Recommended Bet: Young Buster each way in the William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase @ 12/1 with bet365
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
 (1).webp)
