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There are few things to set the pulse racing quite like a multi-day meeting at the home of the National Hunt game. With that in mind, we are sure we aren’t alone in getting a little excited ahead of the 2024 edition of the three-day November Meeting, which gets underway on Friday, 15th November.
This fixture starts in style, with the opening day featuring a pair of Grade 2 contests in the Shloer Chase and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. With quality handicap action, including an event over the distinctive obstacles of the Cross Country course, on the undercard, there’s plenty to keep jumps fans glued to the TV.
Without further ado, we now present our take on each of the six contests on offer.
1:10 Cheltenham - Lycetts Insurance Brokers Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle, Class 3, 2m5f
Defending champion American Sniper returns to defend his crown in the opener and merits respect given that proven ability over the course and distance. However, he’s 7lb higher this year and only narrowly prevailed in 2023.
Of those available at double-figure odds, Getalead could prove dangerous if his jumping holds up. However, we agree with the market in rating Double Powerful and Plaisir Des Flos as the most likely winners. Hailing from the yards of Neil Mulholland and Fergal O’Brien, each of these five-year-olds arrives seeking a five-timer.
Having already shot up 21lbs in the handicap this season and scored by 10l last time out, Double Powerful is 4lbs well in under a 7lb penalty. However, we prefer the claims of Plaisir Des Flos. Now fully 36lbs higher than at the beginning of the year, his standout win from last season saw him give 18lbs and a beating to Jasmin De Grugy. That mare went on to win her next three starts and sits on a rating of 108. A bare reading of that result suggests Plaisir Des Flos may still have a few pounds up his sleeve off 118, and he can get on top late.
Recommended Bet: Plaisir Des Flos to win @ 6/1 with bet365
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1:45 Cheltenham – Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Novices’ Chase, Listed, 3m½f
Just the four line up in this Listed contest for the up-and-coming staying chasers, but a decent case can be made for each of the quartet.
With a rating of 154, Buddy One was the best of these over hurdles and may be a little disrespected as the outsider of the field. However, whilst he scored with ease on his chase debut, his jumping fell to pieces last time out at Wexford, which is far from ideal considering the stiff fences he will face here.
Springwell Bay comfortably holds Resplendent Grey on hurdles form but has yet to win over quite this far. He posted an encouraging chase success in a Listed event at Chepstow last time, but we narrowly prefer the claims of Nicky Henderson’s Hyland.
As a dual winner at the distance, Hyland has no questions to answer in the stamina department and earns additional points as those wins came at this track. Jumping fluently when cruising to a 15l success here last time out, he rates the most solid option in a tricky contest.
Recommended Bet: Hyland to win @ 2/1 with BetVictor
2:20 Cheltenham – Shloer Chase, Grade 2, 2m
Another four-runner event is up next, but unlike the previous contest, this should be a formality for the market leader.
Jonbon’s tally of seven Grade 1 successes is more than twice the total of the rest of this field combined. 24lbs clear of Unexpected Party and 12lbs ahead of Boothill, the most realistic challenger is Alan King’s Edwardstone. However, he boasts a 3-0 head-to-head record over that rival – including a 9½l win in this race last year – and it’s tough to see Edwardstone turning the tables at ten years of age.
Barring an uncharacteristic mishap at one of the fences, the current favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase is expected to start his season in style.
Recommended Bet: Jonbon to win @ 2/5 with bet365
2:55 Cheltenham – Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase, Class 2, 3m5½f
Standard fences are cast aside in race number four, which takes place over the twists and turns of the Cross Country Course and features all manner of wacky obstacles.
Gordon Elliott’s Grade 1 winning chaser, Conflated, is the clear class act in the field and could be the one to beat if taking to the challenge. However, he’s yet to face obstacles such as these and must shoulder top weight of 12st. At around the 4/1 mark, he looks short enough.
Rank outsider Back On The Lash is the only course and distance winner in the field but has been woefully out of sorts for some time now. He may bounce back, but it takes a leap of faith to back him.
In a tricky betting heat, the one to be on could be the Nicky Henderson-trained Mister Coffey. Like Conflated, he is yet to face these fences but is generally an excellent jumper – as illustrated when leading the field for much of the way in the 2023 Grand National. Unlike Conflated, he carries only 10st2lb, which looks more manageable. Not a race for maximum stakes, but the mount of Nico de Boinville earns our vote.
Recommended Bet: Mister Coffey to win @ 4/1 with BetVictor
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3:30 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, Grade 2, 2m5f
Next up, a key early season trial for the race of the same name at the Cheltenham Festival. Six go to post, but we suspect this will be fought out by the top three in the market.
Adrian Paul Keatley’s Gale Mahler rattled off a six-timer over the summer but was firmly put in her place by the reopposing Valgrand last time out in a Grade 2 at this track. She may have found the 2m too sharp on her return from a break and could get closer here but has 17l to find with the Dan Skelton runner on that showing.
As likeable as Valgrande is, the Nigel Twiston-Davies runner Potters Charm is one of the novice hurdlers we are most excited about this season, and we won’t desert him here. An eleven-length winner of his Bumper last season, he is two from two over hurdles this year and looks like a horse firmly on the up. His winning margins in those contests were only 3½l and 2¼l, but he gives the impression that he only does what is required. Too good for the highly regarded Minella Sixo last time, he can take this next step up the ladder in his stride.
Recommended Bet: Potters Charm to win @ 6/5 with bet365
4:00 Valda Energy Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, Class 3, 2m½f
The Paul Nicholls-trained Fasol heads the betting in the finale and rates an intriguing addition to the hurdling ranks. Twice placed in Group 3 company on the flat, he isn’t short of class and could be well handicapped off a mark of 108. He may come good in time, but having stayed on over 2m5f on his most recent hurdles outing, this drop back in trip may be against him.
Others to note include Balhambar, who won’t need to improve much for the addition of cheekpieces, and Golden Maverick, who looks made for a big field event such as this but has shown his best form on slower ground.
Overall, the one to get our vote is the Jonjo & AJ O’Neill-trained four-year-old Wreckless Eric. This one lived up to his name when getting the second last all wrong on his seasonal return at Wincanton but was about to draw level with the leader at that stage and travelling much the best. A 2lb rise for a fall seems a little harsh, but we suspect that increase would have been higher had he stayed on his feet. Having landed back-to-back hurdle events to round off 2023/24, he looks worth backing to resume his progress.
Recommended Bet: Wreckless Eric to win @ 6/1 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.
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