Author: Peter McNeile

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The history of the battle of the Trainers’ Championship in Britain this season will not include a chapter on Stratford’s April fixture after none of the three contenders sent runners for the 7 race card. And whilst Paul Nicholls enjoyed a double at Wincanton the same day, the impact of his winnings is unlikely to change the course of the Championship, set to conclude at Sandown on Saturday.

Irish runners are a familiar sight on many British racecourses, notably venues like Cheltenham, Ascot and Perth, the latter a relatively easy run from the port at Larne. Stratford is a more tortuous route via Holyhead, but if Mullins prevails on Saturday, who knows if this will encourage more from the Emerald Isle.

Meantime, the floodwaters which kyboshed the previous fixture have receded, allowing 67 runners to compete on near perfect Good to Soft ground. The water has made its presence felt; steeplechase fences do not respond well to 3ft of water, and the first in the back straight has yet to be fully replaced, meaning each circuit comprised 7, not 8 fences.

They say that every horse has his day. In the feature 3m3f handicap chase, it was difficult to see any but long time leader Lord Sparky proving that adage correct. Throughout 3 circuits of Stratford’s sharp track, he outjumped his nine rivals, showing up indifferent jumping from many of them too. But sadly, it wasn’t his day. Challenged as they rounded the final bend by Ballyrashane and Fast Deal, we went wrong behind 200 yards from the post and was quickly pulled up by rider Cieran Gethings. Maiden Fast Deal, whose trainer Michael Chapman must have the patience of Job, came good with late speed to win at the 46th attempt over obstacles and on the flat. Full marks for persistence.

Lord Sparky was attended and made his way back home with a slipped tendon.

Meantime, results readers needed a double take as winning rider Alan King might have led some to believe the master of Barbury Castle was having a mid-life crisis after taking up race-riding in his fifties. This Alan King is an Irish conditional rider enjoying his first British winner on his 138th ride in total. The winner may have been as much a surprise to him as to punters everywhere else, given his SP was 150/1.

It was a productive weekend for the better known Alan King. Favour And Fortune had produced his 34th winner in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr for Hemmings Racing, whilst Finest View continued the winning theme in the 2m handicap hurdle at Stratford under To Cannon. In fairness, perhaps not all the credit should rest with King, who only took back charge of Finest View in late March from Andrew Martin, but maybe he should never have left. A winning sequence of 4 in Spring 2022 must have left the Barbury maestro wondering what we needed to do to retain the horse in the first instance.

One contemporary of King’s we’ve not seen a lot of this jumps season is Ian Williams. The Williams enterprise is largely focused on the flat nowadays, which is Jumping’s loss, for this articulate and savvy trainer has plenty to offer. A forceful finish ridden by Charlie Todd on Garitsa Bay ensured his 11th winner of this term in the first division of the novices’ handicap hurdle, getting up by a head to produce the tightest finish of the day.

The ballot to decide which horses drop into which division fell badly for Henry Oliver, whose two runners in the second division filled the first two places. Irish Point-to-Point winner Finn Lough was sent off 13/8 favourite but it was the largely unfancied Telefenney who prevailed under Toby Wynne for a 3l advantage at the line. The pair were 9 1/2l ahead of the third, so they may be a cut above their peer group.

Fergal O’Brien recently celebrated his fourth consecutive century of winners when Manofthepeople provided a swansong winner for retiring rider Paddy Brennan at Cheltenham earlier in the week. Winner 104 might reasonably have been expected in the opening Grace & Dotty Mares Maiden Hurdle, but Richard Bandey’s Villainess was there to spoil the party, taking it up 2 out and winning with a little more in hand than the 1 1/2l distance would suggest. Bandey has a good record at Stratford.

Another who may have more talent than his lowly rating would suggest is R Bernard, an 8 1/2l winner of the 3m 2ft handicap hurdle that followed Villainess’ triumph. The Rowley team has made a successful transition from the amateur division, and despite the vexations of losing their gallops to the floods in mid-winter, continue to improve their numbers. R Bernard, a maiden hitherto, was their 19th of the season to date, this time under the guidance of Tabitha Worsely.

The fixture concluded with a hunters chase, a done deal almost from the off. Winner Deise Aba from Fran Poste’s Warwickshire yard is rated 15lb superior to the nearest of his rivals, and nearly 30lb ahead of the majority. No Surprise then to see Zac Baker dictate the race from the off and and do enough to keep What A Glance no better than 3l at the line. Expect to see Deise Aba back here for the Hunters’ evening on May 31.

With the new season at Stratford starting on the 21st April after the last fixture fell foul of waterlogging, Stratford’s summer programme of racing provides the perfect opportunity for some of the very best jumps trainers in the business to keep their stables ticking over.

This summer’s jumping fixtures look set to be of the highest quality and several stars will be on show. Let’s look at who could be making an appearance at the track over the course of the next few months.

Dan Skelton

Dan Skelton has emerged into one of the UK’s most prominent trainers. The leading British trainer at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, Skelton is no stranger to success at Stratford. His position leading the Trainers’ Championship has temporarily been usurped by Grand National – winning Willie Mullins, but he may yet find his way back to the top of the leaderboard in the final two weeks of this season. Three seasons ago, a string of April winners at Stratford helped brother Harry to become champion jockey.

Whilst most of his top Cheltenham and Aintree stars will be put away to prepare for a new winter campaign, some of his younger and newest recruits should be on show throughout the summer. 

Skelton has made no secret of his desire to be crowned as the UK’s leading trainer and he has been quick to recognise the role that meetings like Stratford can play in achieving that aim. Even if summer horses have taken a lesser role in his success in recent years, Stratford is his local course, and a track he’s keen to support.

Look for Skelton to play a leading role across many races this summer.

Nicky Henderson

It has been a mixed first quarter of 2024 for Nicky Henderson. With his stable hit by illness over the Cheltenham Festival, one of the UK’s most prolific ever trainers was unable to add to his impressive haul of 73 Festival winners. 

Only Willie Mullins has trained more winning horses at Cheltenham than Henderson and make no mistake about it, Henderson will be intent on closing that gap over the next few years.

Similarly to Dan Skelton, Henderson holds racing at Stratford in the highest regard and several promising horses should be declared to race over the next few months. The Seven Barrows winner machine always includes some top-of-the-ground horses.

Paul Nicholls

For those who have a passion for jumps racing, Stratford provides the perfect opportunity for those to watch some top class action. With every race being able to be bet on the best sportsbooks, for years Paul Nicholls has been a punter’s best friend and he has reigned supreme at the top of the UK training rankings. Punters love that among all the trainers, Nicholls tells it straight every time.

With an all-conquering stable of horses, Nicholls doesn’t attend Stratford as often as the duo of Skelton and Henderson but when he does send a horse to the track, you can be assured that horse racing betting sites up and down the UK will be taking it very seriously. 

To consistently win the UK Trainers’ Championship is certainly no easy feat and winning races at Stratford can prove valuable in the long run. To get the new season off to a bang, expect Nicholls to maintain his excellent record in the Spring before the ground dries up, and from September when his winter horses are ready for their first run.

Gary Hanmer

Whilst Gary Hanmer might not be as well known as some of the other trainers on this list, he is a name to keep an eye on over this Stratford season.

The leading trainer at Stratford for steeplechases, Hanmer currently holds a 31% strike rate in chases held at the track and he will be looking to keep that impressive strike rate intact this summer. The likes of multiple winner Steel Wave kept his tally moving forward last year.

Fergal O’Brien

A distinct pattern of the first few months of the season in recent years has been a plethora of runners from Ravenswell, home to Fergal O’Brien. Like many before him, he has used the summer programme both to build a lead in the Trainers’ Championship, and to enhance his reputation whilst some of the big boys have focused on their winter horses.

Over the last three years no trainer has enjoyed as much hurdles success as Fergal O’Brien at Stratford.Over that timeframe, O’Brien can boast an impressive 26% strike rate in hurdles races over the course. Keen to keep that strike rate high, look for O’Brien to continue his strategy of going into November still in the lead in the Championship.

David Christie

Runners from Ireland are generally pretty rare at Stratford, but there’s one meeting where horses trained by Ulsterman David Christie should always command respect. The Hunters’ evening on May 31 draws the Point-to-Point community from both sides of the Irish Sea together. Christie has saddled at least one winner in each of the past 2 years, and he’s sure to have candidates this time around too.

There are several other trainers to keep an eye on this Stratford season.

Jonjo O’Neill is racing royalty, one of the few men in racing who has won the Gold Cup multiple times as a jockey, he has trained well over 900 winners as a trainer and is one of the most respected trainers in the business. He is a go-to trainer for big handicap winners.

O’Neill boasts an impressive strike rate over both hurdles and chases at the course and will be hopeful of even more success this summer after a fruitless Cheltenham and Aintree.

Ben Pauling has enjoyed a wonderful winter season and notched another Cheltenham Festival winner at this year’s festival.

Regarded as one of the sharpest trainers in the industry, Pauling’s stock is on the rise and Stratford provides the perfect platform for him to show off many different horses from his impressive stable. He is a name to watch out for, and another that makes hay whilst the more established among his rivals wait on easier ground conditions.

Stratford Racecourse is a prominent fixture among the UK’s racing circuits. Situated in picturesque Warwickshire, it specialises in thoroughbred jump racing, offering more than a dozen meetings annually from March through to November. Renowned for its relaxed ambience compared to the grandeur of Ascot or Epsom, Stratford is an appealing venue for first-timers seeking a day at the races. There’s no pretension here, and you needn’t be shy about asking questions about what’s going on.

What to expect on raceday

The left-handed course, which has sharp bends within its triangular shape, features eight fences per circuit. It is notable for its speed. It boasts three distinct enclosures: the Centre course, Tattersalls Enclosure, and the Club enclosure from where you can watch the day’s action take place.

Visitors to Stratford can enhance their racing experience with a racecard, available for purchase throughout the venue, offering insights into each race such as tips, racecourse details, current performance of trainers and jockeys, longest-distance travellers, and essential form information. Additionally, it serves as a guide to navigate the course and highlights entertainment options available between races.

You can also upgrade between enclosures effortlessly by paying the price differential. Typically, you’ll have the chance to enjoy around seven races but variations may occur with occasional pony races held after the final official event. Gates open two hours before the first race, allowing ample time to get to know your surroundings. If you’re in the two higher-priced enclosures, the riders walk through the crowd to reach the parade ring. You don’t get that close to the players at old Trafford or Anfield.

The Spring has been wet as we are all too aware, but the public enclosures offer hard surfaces, so you won’t be needing wellington boots. But inevitably, the early season fixture list has been marred by a few cancellations when the adjacent River Avon took an unwelcome part in proceedings.

Time to place your bet

When it comes to the all-important betting, there are two ways to wager on races. You can physically place your bet at the venue or do it online. If you’d prefer to wager in person, decide on the amount and type of bet, then choose where to place it: either at the Tote or in the betting ring. Approach the betting operator, stating the horse’s number, your bet amount, and the type of bet (e.g., “Number 3, £5 to win”). Receive your ticket and keep it safe until after the race. If you’re betting direct with a bookmaker in the ring, then state the horse’s name instead of number.

If you want the ease and convenience of betting online then it’s important to choose a reputable operator. Check out independent review sites and read other customers’ experiences. The growth of online gambling, incorporating sports betting, slot games, and live casinos featuring popular games like poker and roulette, has created a very competitive market. Just as guides around the best roulette sites UK detail a platform’s strengths, bonus offers, and reputation for those keen on betting on traditional casino games, you must ensure you choose a regulated sports betting operator with a good track record.

Get the most from your day

Before each race, we recommend taking a moment to observe the horses in the parade ring. It’s a unique opportunity to appreciate these magnificent animals up close before they compete. Depending on your ticket privileges, make use of the various viewing areas available. Watching each race from different vantage points, especially from high up in the Grandstands or close up to an obstacle, offers a fresh perspective on the excitement.

Personally, I love being at the start to hear the starter’s instructions, and jockey chit-chat as they circle before the scheduled off time. “Who’s making it? My horse jumps left, don’t come up my inner” mixes with “I’ve tickets to Coldplay this weekend, do you want to come?”, emphasizing that for the riders, this is an ordinary day at the office.

In addition, after each race, head to the Winners’ Enclosure. Witness the victorious and placed horses return alongside their delighted owners and trainers, and enjoy the presentations to the winning connections. Embracing everything that Stratford Racecourse has to offer, from watching the race build up to the action itself and the betting that goes along with it, will ensure you get the most out of your day.

The 2024 Grand National is just around the corner as betting punters and horse racing enthusiasts alike focus on Aintree for one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar. Steeped in history, tradition and class, the National represents the elite pedigree of horse racing and is a true test of skill for those looking to write their name in the history books, with Merseyside’s Aintree course one of the toughest to navigate due to the plethora of challenging fences. The visibility for the sport provided by Aintree stimulates interest at places like Stratford.

Last year saw a dominant display from favourite Corach Rambler, who cruised to victory in a performance that ensured the protestors’ pre-race shenanigans didn’t overshadow the festivities. Indeed, the forced restart if anything benefited Derek Fox, who joins an exclusive list of multiple National winners, navigating One For Arthur in 2017 before the victory on the Rambler.

Fox will be hoping to retain his title in this year’s event, coming in at 5/1 in antepost odds but the likes of Vanillier and Willie Mullins-trained I Am Maximus are other fancied shots.

The National is so unique in that the fences make even the best in the world of jumps have to think about their approach, and the race’s unpredictability ensures an upset is always on the cards. The form book can sometimes go completely out of the window once the race starts, and other variables like conditions and weather mean an underdog can always have its day. Ground conditions have always been a factor in producing unexpected results.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some outsiders who defied the odds and caused some of the biggest upsets in the history of the Grand National.

Aurora’s Encore – 2013

Ryan Mania has established himself as one of the best jockeys of the modern era, but few knew his name until he got aboard Aurora’s Encore, who shot to success in 2013 at odds of 66/1 to see off competition from Cappa Bleu to win by nine lengths. The  bay gelding, trained by Sue Smith, defied the odds after transitioning to steeplechasing, and while he had a good record in novice races at Sedgefield, Carlisle, and Ayr, few would have imagined he would be this dominant on the grandest stage of them all.

Mon Mome – 2009

For just the second time in history a horse had won at odds of over 100/1. This is the story of Mon Mome’s massive achievement in 2009. You’d have to go back as far as 1967 to Foinavon for the last time anyone had picked up a result as spectacular as this, and Venetia Williams became the second woman trainer to win race as Mon Mome saw off defending champion and 8/1 favourite Comply Or Die, to the surprise of the trainer and even the best Grand National betting offers.

“It’s an absolutely unbelievable finish, I had the perfect run through the race, he jumped brilliantly for me,” said rider Liam Treadwell, tragically to take his own life some time later.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, all I can say at this moment in time is it is unbelievable. A couple of times loose horses fell upsides me and went under his legs but it didn’t really affect the horse.

“He gave me such a great ride. He was an absolute pleasure to ride. He is so genuine. I had a quick look round but I wasn’t really sure how far in front I was.”

Last Suspect – 1985

They say age is just a number, and while there have been some young winners of the Grand National, Last Suspect was believed to be past his peak when he picked up victory in the 1985 edition of the race. The Duchess of Westminster – owned thoroughbred had pulled up at Warwick and wasn’t given much of a chance heading to Aintree, yet managed to win by one and a half lengths, using its unconventional style and powerful running to finish in front of Mr Snugfit.

The winner was owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster, and trained by Tim Forster, whose riding instructions to jockey Hywel Davies were “keep remounting”! Unable to recapture that same spark the following year, an almost 13-year-old Last Suspect barely making weight and pulling up at the 18th, but his victory in the 1985 National will always have its own place in history.

Foinavon – 1967

Only the keenest racegoers had heard of Johnny Buckingham before the 1967 Grand National. A journeyman jockey, he was on the unfancied Foinavon, a rank outsider in the 1967 National for his first ever ride in the race.

Foinavon had been the intended moun t of his trainer John Kempton, but he couldn’t make the weight. Buckingham was his third choice rider, booked just 3 days before the world’s greatest steeplechase.

A pile-up initiated by a riderless horse at the fence after Becher’s on the second circuit allowed Buckingham to steer around the outside of the trouble. Virtually the entire field was halted in its tracks, allowing him to build a 30l lead with just 7 fences left.

The rest is history… Johnny Buck’s place in history was assured, with a 100/1 winner so unfancied neither his owner nor trainer had bothered to turn up at Aintree. Buckingham went on to make a successful career as a jockey’s valet.

Amidst all the hand-wringing over the quality of British competition against the Irish, one bright light shone through on a week dominated by the Willie Mullins winner machine. Four winners for the Alcester yard of Dan Skelton, ridden by brother Harry, suggested it’s not all one way traffic west.

A Wednesday double courtesy of Langer Dan in the Coral Cup and Unexpected Party in the Grand Annual was re-inforced the following day by a Grade I double of Grey Dawning in the Turners and Protektorat in the Ryanair. The total haul catapulted the Warwickshire yard into first place in the Trainers’ Championship.

The Skelton brothers outlined their plan for more of the same in an interview on Luck on Sunday with the eponymous Nick Luck. The big fixtures at Aintree, Ayr and Sandown will define where the championship ends up.

But for the first time in a decade, the pre-eminence of the old guard among trainers looks rocky. Challenger yards like Ben Pauling’s, Fergal O’Brien’s and Lucinda Russell’s are all making their presence felt at the top table. These are yards unafraid to run their horses on the premise that if you’re not in, you can’t win. Their winning strike rate is lower than Nicky Henderson’s for example, but they run more horses pro-rata. They and Skelton are already snapping at Ditcheat’s heels and festival success at Cheltenham or Aintree would introduce them to the sort of wealthy owners that could accelerate their progress into the top 5, and in Skelton’s case, to the number one slot.

The Festival was undoubtedly diminished by the absence of so much high quality bloodstock from Seven Barrows, and it is to be hoped that the all-clear comes in time for Henderson to reassert himself at Aintree or Sandown. But at 73, he’s in the twilight of a career spanning 50 years. He might be forgiven for focusing on quality rather than quantity. He’s not going to be chasing a champion moniker just for the sake of it.

One outlier performing well beyond themselves this term is Venetia Williams. Courtesy of performances from L’Homme Pressé, Royal Pagaille and Chambard, she finds herself in 5th position in the table, and were it not for Willie Mullins Festival exploits, she would be 4th. The yard isn’t large enough to go all the way to the top, but it’s been an outstanding season, and is far from finished.

Paul Nicholls though has plenty of ambition yet. Expect him to be looking to close the gap in the remaining six weeks of the season to make for a nail-biting championship finish. He won’t take being beaten by his former protegé without a good ding-dong.

The St James’s Place Foxhunter turned in a feel-good story to close out Gold Cup day at Cheltenham with the victory of Sine Nomine, 22 years on from owning a previous winner of the race for Robin Tate. Stratford followers will recall seeing the grey mare win the novice hunter championship here back in early June 2023.

Trained by daughter and Catterick Clerk of Course, Fiona Needham and ridden by John Dawson, the game grey mare showed a good turn of foot after the last to make up around 3l and outpoint 11/8 favourite, It’s On The Line, and retain the Festival’s largest trophy in Britain once again.

Back in 2002, it was Fiona Needham in the plate to win the race on Last Option, but this time around, it was senior statesman of the Yorkshire Area changing room, John Dawson, who guided the 8 year old mare to success. Dawson is a veteran of over 900 rides between the flags, and nearly 200 winners, but this will rank right up there with the best. “We didn’t really know what we had,” he told Racing TV, “but I always knew she had that little bit of something else.”

Hunting round the first circuit, Sine Nomine took closer order at the top of the hill joining a group of 7 after Ferns Lock had cut out the running for the first circuit and a half. Time Leader and Shantou Flyer were both prominent throughout, and favourite backers could have been forgiven for thinking their horse was cooked as It’s On the Line was pushed along down the hill. Two out, Time Leader asserted, pressed by the favourite, who hadn’t left Dawson and Sine Nomine room on the inner. Switching before the last, the grey mare responded to her rider’s urgings to win by 3/4l. 

Dawson continued, “I was hoping the race would pan out in her favour. If we were travelling coming down the hill, we’d be galloping at the top.”

Sine Nomine has been lightly campaigned since winning the novice hunter championship at Stratford last June, but with this target in mind. A 3l second in an Alnwick Open last December, her only other run at Wetherby in early February, where a bloodless victory over Bennys King brought race fitness without really finding anything more detailed, have been a product of the abysmal weather which has forced the abandonment of half the first half of the Pointing season. 

But the back-to-back victories of English-trained winners in Pointing’s showcase race offer encouragement to those growing the sport as a nursery for young horses and riders, even if john would agree that epithet no longer describes him. This is one race where home-trained horses have largely kept the Irish at bay, and gives a massive fillip to pointing in Yorkshire, whose 11 fixtures provide plenty of stirring entertainment. 

The wettest winter in living memory has played havoc with the launch of a new season’s racing at Stratford, and the drama wasn’t finished when Clerk of Course Nessie Chanter was forced to call a 7am inspection after yesterday’s heavy rain. However, the skies cleared, nerves held and another season of 15 fixtures got underway under overcast conditions in heavy ground, with two fences omitted.

Forty-five runners faced the starter in the seven races, with several withdrawals on ground, despite declaring on soft. Most affected were the two chases for professionals which attracted just 10 runners between them. The course had good reason to thank the 7 amateurs who nearly doubled the chase runners in the novice hunters’ chase.

It was, perhaps, an inauspicious start to Festival week, but one where organisers 25 miles further south will welcome, given that soft ground will moderate the pace of the races.

Not entirely surprisingly, the testing conditions allowed only one favourite to win; a tonic for Dan Skelton, for whom a long-running BHA case against him was finally put to bed with a £6,000 fine, announced during the day – a light punishment considering what might have prevailed in other circumstances. It was something of an irony that the only favourite should prevail in the one race of the season underwritten by on-course layers, when Doyouknowwhatimean under Harry Skelton had the upper hand over Force de Frap, who has been laying the foundation of a reputation for Naunton’s latest trainer prodigy, Emma-Jane Bishop in the 2m handicap chase.

Big race pairing Jamie Snowden and Gavin Sheehan enjoyed a double to set them up for the week ahead, although Sheehan had already bagged the first for Bourton-on-the-Water Richard Hobson by then. Snowden has a select team of 6 headed Cheltenham – bound, including GA Law, a 20/1 chance in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase.

This was more bread and butter fare however. French – bred Milldam opened the day’s account with a neck victory over favourite Playful Saint in the 2m handicap hurdle, denying the Skeltons a double, whilst a rather less heart-stopping 5 1/2l separated debutante Hollygrove Cha Cha in the concluding bumper from runner – up As Legends Have It, from another in-form team in Ben Pauling.

Snowden’s 40 winners keep him on course for a seasonal best. He is less than £100k short of last winter’s milestone haul, and just 6 winners shy of his best ever numerical tally in 2019-20.

One man seeking a change in fortune is Kielan Woods, who recently returned from a lengthy suspension for repeated whip infringements. He paired up with David Jeffreys to continue the magical start to 2024 by 8 year old gelding Goguenard in winning the Alderminster Novices Limited Handicap Hurdle, his third visit to the winner’s berth since the end of January for owners Les Petits Coquins.

Michael Hawker’s runners under Rules are few and far between recently, but in 12 year old Mortens Leam, he appears to have found the winning thread again. Off the track from December ’22 for a full 12 months, the seasoned chaser showed some of the talent that won him 5 other races at Taunton last month, when a 2l runner – up in a low grade handicap. He went one better here in similar grade under Harry Reed.

Richard Hobson has earned a reputation for seeking out unexposed French – breds and looks to have unearthed another in juvenile hurdle winner Roger, 1 25/1 winner of the opener. He had to travel a lot further then the Aulde Enemy to find Roger however, transferred from Jaroslav Hanacek in Slovakia this month after campaigning at Bratislava. He’ll need to brush up his jumping to progress, but there was no doubting his turn of foot.

Phil Rowley is no mug when it comes to the hunter chase scene, and he shares plenty on common with Stratford. Both his and the Stratford premises have been under water in this interminably wet winter. Happily, this wasn’t enough to prevent Darren Andrews and Forest Chimes from winning the Service With A Smile Novices Hunters Chase. the half length at the line didn’t tell the full story of a victory with a fair bit in hand.

Midlands-based trainer Dan Skelton had two winners at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023, and he will be hoping to better that success at this year’s meeting after pocketing a double yesterday with Coral Cup winner Langer Dan and Libberty Hunter in the Grand Annual . He has some strong chances in the Grade I races, particularly the Ryanair Chase, where he is set to saddle Protektorat.

The top-class chaser did have an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup earlier in the season, but his connections have opted to aim for the Day Three Championship race over the shorter distance of 2m5f.

Grade I winner aiming for first success of the season

For the first time in his career, Protektorat goes into the Cheltenham Festival without a success earlier in the campaign. He is 12/1 in the Ryanair Chase betting for those looking to place Cheltenham Festival bets on the Lodge Hill runner ending his losing run at the meeting.

Allaho has sadly been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival due to injury. He had been favourite for a third Ryanair Chase win 😢 pic.twitter.com/R1Ug1VaBoe

— PA Racing (@PAracing) January 25, 2024

With last year’s winner Galopin Des Champs a warm favourite at evens in the Gold Cup betting, the Protektorat team feels the Ryanair Chase is a more realistic target for their horse. The race does not include two-time winner Allaho, as he has been ruled out through injury for the second straight year.

Protektorat finished second in the Fleur De Lys Chase back in January in what was an improvement in form. He chased home L’Homme Presse in the 2m6f contest at Lingfield. On his most recent outing, he was third in the Denman Chase at Newbury behind Shishkin and Hitman respectively.

The former Lancashire Chase winner was third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022, his best finish in the Blue Riband event in the sport. He now has an official rating of 165, which is the second-highest mark of any runner in this year’s Ryanair Chase field.

Irish challengers set to be biggest competition

If he is to be successful in the Ryanair Chase, Protektorat will need to beat last year’s winner Envoi Allen. Henry De Bromhead is one of several strong Irish trainers set to make the trip across for the race, and already has two on the board following success with Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices and Captain Guinness in the Champion Chase, putting the lie to the charge of domination of the meeting by Willie Mullins.

THREE FESTIVAL WINS 🔥

ENVOI ALLEN too good for Shishkin & Co in the @Ryanair Chase ✈️#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/AuJa53Za9g

— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 16, 2023

After getting off to a flying start to 2024, Harry Cobden has closed the gap on leader Sean Bowen in the 2023/24 Jockeys’ Championship to set up what could be a thrilling finish to the Jumps season.

Cobden, a jockey who is no stranger to riding winners at Stratford, trailed Bowen by 42 at one point this season, but the two riders are now level-pegging at 121 each after yesterday’s racing at Exeter.

Cobden has support of Champion Nicholls

The leading trainer Cobden rides for in the sport is reigning Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls. Cobden is set to partner some of Nicholls’ leading hopes at the Cheltenham Festival, including Stage Star, who is 11/2 in today’s horse racing betting for the 2024 Ryanair Chase.

The biggest race of the week at the Cheltenham Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup on day four of the meeting, and Cobden will be on board Bravemansgame for Nicholls. The number one Ditcheat rider was runner-up in the race in 2023 on the same horse as they chased home Galopin Des Champs. Those two chasers are set to renew their rivalry in the Blue Riband event.

Delighted to get 4/4 winners @Ascot 🙌

Thank you to everyone for all the support 🏇 pic.twitter.com/IvBOJruCb2

— Harry Cobden (@CobdenHarry) November 26, 2023

Cobden has already ridden 18 Grade One winners in his career, but he has yet to become Champion Jockey. In what now looks to be a two-way battle for the title, he will be desperate to get as many extra rides as possible until the campaign concludes in April.

Whatever happens this season, Cobden is on course for his best-ever tally for a season. His previous best came in the 2020/21 campaign when he rode 123 winners. He was third in the Jockeys’ Championship that year behind Harry Skelton and Brian Hughes respectively.

Injury kept Bowen out for 6 weeks

The early pace in this year’s Jockeys’ Championship was set by Bowen. He rode lots of winners through the summer months, including several victories at Stratford. The Welsh rider was the first to reach 100 winners, a milestone he hit in November with the assistance of trainer father Peter.

Unfortunately for Bowen, his title dreams were almost derailed on Boxing Day at Aintree as a fall put him out of action for six weeks. He has had to work hard on his rehabilitation in early 2024 to get himself back in the saddle.

🗣 "The fact Harry is now breathing down my neck at the top of the championship has given me that extra bit of fire in my belly to want to get back out there and ride as many winners as I possibly can."

Sean Bowen returns at @Huntingdon_Race on Thursday after 6 weeks out👇

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 7, 2024

Bowen made his return to action on February 8th at Huntingdon where he almost made a winning return. He had to settle for second place on board Roccovango, who was beaten by just a neck.

Like Cobden, Bowen also has the support of a major trainer as he predominantly rides for Olly Murphy as well as his father. The Jockeys’ Championship leader will be hoping that partnership can work well over the final few months of the campaign to give him the winners he needs for a maiden title.

The final Jumps meeting on the 2023/24 UK calendar comes at Sandown on Saturday, April 27th. The Esher-based racecourse will host a seven-race card which includes the Celebration Chase.