International Friday 10th December 2021

Race 1 - British EBF National Hunt Novices' Hurdle - 11:30

Day one of the International Meeting kicks off with the British Stallion Studs National Hunt Novices Hurdle. It’s run over two miles and one hundred and seventy-nine (2m, 179y) and is open to stallion studs aged between four and six.

It features eight hurdles and is a Class 3 race, usually featuring a field of around ten horses.

Race 2 - December Novices' Chase - 12:05

The December Novices Chase is, as the name suggests, a steeplechase race that’s open to novices aged four years or older. It features an impressive twenty-one fences, which is the equal second-most number of jumps horses need to make on day one.

It’s run over three miles, one furlong and fifty-six yards (3m, 1f, 56y) and is a Class 2 race. It’s common for this one to have a smallish field, so don’t be expecting massive odds on your chosen horse.

Race 3 - Catesby Handicap Hurdle - 12:40

Taking place over two miles and one hundred and seventy-nine yards (2m, 179y), this is a handicap hurdle race in which the handicapper decides the weight that the horses will need to carry according to their ability.

It’s a Class 3 race for horses aged three years of age and older and has eight hurdles that they need to negotiate. The race usually features around ten runners, which means the field can open up if things work in your favour.

Race 4 - Mares' Handicap Chase - 13:15

Thanks to the sponsor, this race’s title is one hell of a mouthful. Cut out half the words, though, and you’ll realise that it’s a handicap chase for mares. They need to be four or older and will be required to jump seventeen fences over a distance of two miles, four furlongs and one hundred and twenty-seven yards (2m, 4f, 127y).

It’s a Class 3 race that often features somewhere between five and ten horses.

Race 5 - Peterborough Chase - 13:50

The Peterborough chase is usually run at Huntingdon the week before the International Meeting but this year that meeting was cancelled following flooding. It is the fourth time since the race began in 1978 that it has been moved, 2010 at Newbury, 2012 at Kempton, 2017 at Taunton and then 2020 at Cheltenham.

To prevent the Grade 2 chase from being lost from the calendar it was instead moved to Cheltenham the week after, which means day one now had a Grade 2 race to look forward to. Run over a tad under two and a half miles with a field of around 8 horses it is a much loved middle distance race over 16 fences for four year olds plus.

Henrietta Knight is the most successful trainer with 8 wins but in recent times it is Nicky Henderson that has dominated this race, winning five times between 2013 and 2020.

Race 6 - December Handicap Chase - 14:25

Race five is another handicap chase but this one isn’t just for mares. It is still for horses aged four years of age or older, though. Run over three miles and two furlongs (3m, 2f), it features the joint-second most jumps of the day at twenty-one.

Regularly boasting a big field of about fifteen horses, you’ll find some gems with particularly long odds on this Grade 3 race.

Race 7 - Cross Country Handicap Chase - 15:00

The culminating race of the Crystal Cup that we’ve mentioned already on this page, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase is the longest race of the day. It’s a handicap chase run on the cross country course at Cheltenham.

The race normally welcomes a field of around ten and is run over three miles, six furlongs and thirty-seven yards (3m, 6f, 37y). That means it’s a real test for a horse’s endurance, especially when you add in the thirty-two fences that need to be negotiated before it’s over. For that reason the Class 2 race is only open to five-years-olds or over and is a fun one to place an outside bet on.

Race 8 - Handicap Hurdle - 15:35

International Friday comes to a close with the Citipost Handicap Hurdle, a hurdle race in which the horses are given weights chosen by the handicapper before the event gets underway. It’s run over two miles, seven furlongs and two hundred and thirteen yards (2m, 7f, 213y), with twelve hurdles for the participants to negotiate.

It often features one of the largest fields of the day around twelve horses, with the Class 2 race being open to horses of four years of age or older.