The biggest races to look forward to on Cheltenham Trials Day 2024.
With less than seven weeks to go until the 2024 Cheltenham Festival gets underway, the final pit stop at Prestbury Park is this Saturday for Cheltenham Trials Day.
This highly informative fixture has regularly produced Festival winners this century, and this Saturday’s eight-race top-class programme is likely to prove no different.
For this week’s Road to Cheltenham preview, click here.
Cheltenham Trials Day 2024 will feature some star-studded names, including a host of previous Cheltenham Festival winners, plus the rescheduled Clarence House Chase. So what are the biggest races, and who are the key names that will be in action?
Let’s take a closer look at the day’s biggest races.
JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (12:05)
First up, we have the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle. its level of importance in terms of Festival aspirations this year is even greater, as the unbeaten pair at the top of the market for the Triumph Hurdle itself at the Cheltenham Festival, Burdett Road and Sir Gino, could potentially be set to do battle.
The former, who was a winner at Royal Ascot for Michael Bell last year and is the 4/1 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, has been seriously impressive in winning both his starts over hurdles for trainer James Owen in the hands of Harry Cobden.
The way he travelled throughout the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at the November meeting and came from off the pace to quicken past subsequent trial winner An Bradan Feasa on the bridle was exceptional. His trainer has raised the Unibet Hurdle later on the card as a possibility, so his options remain open.
However, the second-favourite for the Triumph Hurdle at a best price of 5/1 is Sir Gino, who was not declared to run in a juvenile hurdle at Kempton last weekend and instead is set to put his credentials to the test in Saturday’s Trials Day opener.
Also with an unblemished record over hurdles with two wins from two starts, Nicky Henderson’s charge will be bidding to emulate Defi Du Seuil, the last horse to win the Triumph trial before going on to win Friday’s opener at the Cheltenham Festival in 2017.
Joseph O'Brien has trained two of the last four winners of the JCB Triumph Trial and he is set to run Intellotto, who made a stylish hurdles debut at Leopardstown last month.
The Gary Moore-trained Salver, another unbeaten youngster who returned a 21-length winner of the Grade 2 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow last time out, will also put his Festival credentials to the test.
Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (13:50)
This year’s Cotswold Chase, which is sponsored by Paddy Power, is shaping up to be an exciting race, not only on paper but also in terms of its status as a key trial for the Festival’s highlight, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The champion trainer Paul Nicholls has the most wins in the race, with three wins on the board, and he is set to rely on last season’s Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, Stay Away Fay. This imposing seven-year-old has won both his chase starts and has more to come, but he is the lowest-rated runner in the field as he takes on stiffer opposition.
They include Betfair Chase winner Royale Pagaille, who was last seen landing that Grade 1 prize at Haydock. Venetia Williams confirmed earlier this week that the 10-year-old could run this weekend following the abandonment of Haydock’s Peter Marsh Chase.
Last year’s winner, Ahoy Senor, and the Brown Advisory winner at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, The Real Whacker, are both on a revival mission after disappointing displays the last two times.
Meanwhile, Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino is set to take the step-up in grade for Jamie Snowden, while Willie Mullins’ Capodanno could make the trip over from Ireland.
Clarence House Chase (14:25)
After the race was moved from Ascot’s cancelled card last weekend, Nicky Henderson’s short-priced favourite, Jonbon, will be looking to cement his position as one of the leading candidates for the Champion Chase in March (11/4 best price on bet365) as he will take on a fresh bunch of challengers.
The eight-year-old has won eight of his nine chase starts, with his only defeat coming at the hands of El Fabiolo in the Arkle, and with the latter staying in Ireland after connections decided not to send him over, his biggest challenger will come in the shape of last year’s winner, Editeur Du Gite.
The rejuvenated Elixir De Nutz, Dan Skelton’s Nube Negra and December Gold Cup winner Fugitif are his other challengers. However, Gary Moore’s defending champion appears to be the main danger to the favourite, who impressed in the Desert Orchid Chase last time.
All eyes will very much be on the Tingle Creek hero, who began his campaign with a victory in the Shloer Chase here in November prior to his big-race win at Sandown. With conditions set to be good to soft, it would come as a major shock if he wasn’t able to maintain his winning sequence and strengthen his Champion Chase claims.
Unibet Hurdle (15.00)
The Unibet Hurdle, which is best known as the International Hurdle, will no doubt provide plenty of clues for both the Champion Hurdle and Mares’ Hurdle.
This has the makings to be a great renewal. More often than not, the favourite does well, and it’s the Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth who heads the market.
The five-year-old has won five of her six starts and is likely to be back at the scene of her Triumph Hurdle success at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
She has not been since following up in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown, but Willie will have her ready and she is the one to beat.
Her stablemates Impaire et Passe and French Grade 1 winner Gala Marceau could join her in the Cotswolds. While the best hope for the home team is Love Envoi, who was second to Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle last season at the Festival. Paul Nicholls’ Rubaud, who chased home Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle, is an intended runner.
Cleeve Hurdle (15.35)
The big names and familiar faces on show in the Cleeve Hurdle are Paisley Park, Champ and Dashel Drasher, who have all provided us with some exciting battles over the years and could do so again here after all three of them finished second, third, and fourth in the Long Walk Hurdle last time, respectively.
This is a contest that has certainly been a good guide for the Stayers’ Hurdle in March, and the veteran Paisley Park has looked as good as ever this season, with a head defeat to Dashel Drasher in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury prior to making Crambo fight when he finished a short-head second in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
He could only finish third in this race 12 months ago, but produced one of the greatest performances in the race’s history when coming from miles off the pace to overhaul Champ in 2022 to win the race for a third time. Nicky Henderson’s charge and Jeremy Scott’s charge, who are also at the latter stages of their careers, must also be respected.
This could be a race where we see the old brigade light up Cheltenham with another thrilling finish. The 2022 Grand National winner, Noble Yeats (40/1 for this year’s National on William Hill), adds further depth to the race and might have something to say about that. He could be aimed at the Stayers’ Hurdle if all goes to plan this weekend.
This is a race you don’t want to miss.
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