Dates, schedule and latest Cheltenham Festival ante-post odds ahead of the Showcase Meeting, the start of 2023/24 Jump Racing at Cheltenham.
With Ascot’s Champions Day marking the end of the Flat season, the baton is now handed over to the jumps and, more specifically, the mecca of the jumps, Cheltenham.
The two-day October Showcase meeting is the first of eight events put on by the Jump racing HQ. Starting on Friday we will have current Cheltenham form to wrangle with and argue over and, new ante-post certainties whispered quietly all over Twitter.
For Cheltenham Festival 2024 ante-post betting odds, click here.
Cheltenham Showcase Meeting 2023 Dates
The Showcase meeting is a two-day festival with racing taking place on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October. Racing commences at 1.35pm on Friday with coverage on Racing TV and at 1.15pm on Saturday with ITV4 covering the first four races.
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Cheltenham Showcase Meeting Schedule
Friday’s Racing at the Cheltenham Showcase Meeting
Friday’s racing kicks off with a Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle over 2 miles 1/2 furlong where entries are headed by Betfair Hurdle 3rd and Sussex Champion Hurdle winner Teddy Blue.
Gary Moore’s charge, who’s rated 136, will look to contest some of the most competitive two-mile handicap hurdles this season and victory here could pave way for a campaign geared towards the County Hurdle.
Next we move on to four novice races headed by the Grade 2 Sharp Novice Hurdle which has been moved from the November meeting. Previous winners of the race include Cue Card, Dodging Bullets, Altior and the late I Like To Move It and this year’s entries are headed by Paul Nicholls’ exciting Inthewaterside who was 2-2 in bumpers, the latter of which included the beating of subsequent winner Ten Lengths Tom by 6½ lengths.
In the remaining novice races, Unexpected Party is entered in the two-mile Novice Chase which Dan Skelton has won in recent years with Third Time Lucki and North Hill Harvey. The son of Martaline will look to follow up his Listed win at Chepstow’s Jump season opener last weekend in which he beat the 153 rated Knappers Hill.
In the 2 ½ mile Novice races, Lucinda Russell’s exciting El Elefante is entered in the hurdle race which has been won by the likes of Vincente, Does He Know and Camprond (ante-post favourite for the Coral Cup at Cheltenham).
In the middle distance Novice Handicap Chase, Colonel Mustard heads the possible runners but other notable include entries Buffalo Boy who beat the reopposing first time out and impressed with his jumping, and perhaps most notably, Passing Well who was 4th in last year’s Challow Hurdle and who’s opening mark of 122 looks generous now tackling fences. Interestingly, the concluding handicap hurdle was won by Plate winner Seddon last year.
Saturday’s Racing at the Cheltenham Showcase Meeting
Saturday’s action begins with a two-mile handicap chase in which, remarkably, Clarence House Chase winner, Editeur Du Gite, was beaten into 3rd last year.
Emma Lavelle’s yard is operating at a 40% strike rate and Red Rookie will hope to continue that form into the weekend now returned to soft ground but may face competition from Laura Morgan’s Notlongtillmay who is dropping down in trip since finishing 2nd in the Turners Novices’ Chase behind Stage Star.
Next up, at 1.50, is the Masterson Holdings Hurdle for last year’s juveniles which dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll won back in 2014.
I Like To Move It won it in 2021 before going down by a short head in the Betfair Hurdle and Pied Piper was successful in it last year for Gordon Elliot before finishing 2nd in the County Hurdle at the Festival by a head. Blueking D’Oroux, who was last seen finishing 2nd at the Aintree Festival, heads the entries for Paul Nicholls.
Runners in the following 3m 1f handicap chase have a good record in subsequent premier handicaps through the season. The Conditional won this in 2019 before finishing 2nd in the Coral Trophy before winning the Ultima at the Festival and Frodon’s victory in 2020 was followed up by a King George win two months later. This year’s entries include two-time Ultima winner and Grand National hero Corach Rambler.
The first of 15 Pertemps qualifying races takes place where horses who finish in the first four qualify for the Pertemps Final run on Day 3 of the Festival in March.
Next we have a novice hurdle and a novice chase both run over 3 miles. The novice chase in particular looks an exciting renewal with entries including Grade 1 Sefton winner Apples Away, two time Stayers’ Hurdle winner Flooring Porter, Aintree Festival winner Hometown Boy and Cheltenham Festival winner Iroko. Finally, a bumper, which Moon Racer won in 2014 on the way to winning the Champion Bumper in March, concludes the day.
Cheltenham Ante-Post Odds
Inthewaterside is currently 25/1 for the 2024 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and victory on Friday in the Grade 2 Sharp Novices Hurdle could see him shorten significantly.
Teddy Blue runs in the two-mile Handicap Hurdle on the Friday and a positive run over course and distance may see punters flock in support of Gary Moore’s charge for next month’s Greatwood Hurdle. The Paul Nicholls trained Old Guard completed the double in 2015 before making that a treble in December’s International Hurdle.
Friday’s two-mile Novice Chase is run on the Old Course which hosts both the Arkle and the Grand Annual. However, it may be the latter handicap where Unexpected Party is of most interest. Dan Skelton’s 2nd season novice, who was 5th in the Turners last year, is currently 16/1 for the Festival handicap run on the Wednesday.
Victory for Corach Rambler at 2.25 on Saturday may ignite a Gold Cup dream, a race for which he is currently best priced 20/1, whilst victory for Flooring Porter in Saturday’s novice chase could see him shorten in from 20/1 for the Brown Advisory.
Cheltenham Showcase Meeting Tips
PASSING WELL runs in the Novice Handicap Chase at 3.20pm on Friday. His record on soft ground reads 141 with the 4th being in the Grade 1 Challow Novice Hurdle. The 5th and 6th that day are rated 138 and 137 whilst Passing Well, in 4th, is only rated 123.
Back on soft ground, with a lenient handicap mark, Jamie Snowden’s charge could prove to rate much higher over fences and can go close here. In the future, a race like the Novice Handicap Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day could be a suitable option.
