November Meeting Sunday 14th November 2021 – November Meeting Day Three

Day One is named Countryside Day because it’s dedicated to the countryside, telling people all about it and raising money for the likes of The Countryside Alliance or World Horse Welfare. Day Two is named Gold Cup Day because the feature race is the Paddy Power sponsored Gold Cup, which shouldn’t be confused with the Gold Cup race that takes place during the Cheltenham Festival. Day Three is named The November Meeting Sunday because it takes place on the Sunday.  It was formely known as Open Sunday

The name might seem a bit rubbish on first inspection, but the reason it’s noteworthy is that this is the only time in the year when the Cheltenham Racecourse hosts racing on a Sunday. It’s also when the slightly more carnival atmosphere returns to the course when the racing’s not taking place. When it comes to the racing itself, there are more top-quality races than on either of the other days of the November Meeting. Out of the six races on the card, four of them are Grade races, so you’ll see quality on the course and have fun off it.

2021 November Meeting Sunday Day Race Card

There’s a reason people refer to ‘Lazy Sundays’, so don’t be surprised if the timetable doesn’t quite run to plan throughout the day. Generally speaking, though, the times we’ve given here are when the various races should get underway, if all is well.

What To Expect On November Meeting Sunday

The Sunday is a really interesting day when it comes to the Cheltenham Open. There are, as mentioned in the intro, the same number of prestigious races as across the other two days of the weekend combined. That leads to the majority of bettors taking things quite seriously when they’re looking at what’s taking place on the course, just as you’d expect from a day of racing that will give us a huge number of clues about what’s going to happen about four months later when the Cheltenham Festival rolls around.

Meanwhile it’s a lost more laid back off the course. Gold Cup Day isn’t boring by any means, but the more relaxed and fun nature that you’ll have encountered on Countryside Day will be back in the stalls and shops. Speaking of shops, Cheltenham has a ‘Shopping Village’ you can pop along to to pick up a few different things if you need to. That might be the case if you rock up wearing fancy dress, given this isn’t really the weekend for that sort of thing. You won’t be kicked out or anything, but you may well pick up a few funny looks. Really this is the weekend for tweed jackets, long coats and leather gloves. Plan for the worst when it comes to the weather but hope for the best.

Given that children under the age of eighteen are allowed in for free over the course of the weekend, you shouldn’t be surprised to see more families knocking about when you’re there. There are plenty of stalls and other sorts of entertainments for younger people, which you might want to get involved in yourself if you’re in the mood for it. Sundays are always more chilled out days for most people, though that also means that you’re unlikely to see any celebrities or Royals appearing, if that’s the sort of thing that bothers you. Instead expect your typical racegoers who are perhaps trying to introduce younger people to the experience before heading off for a Sunday lunch at a nearby pub.

Final Thoughts

Open Sunday, as it used to be known when the entire weekend was known as the Cheltenham Open, is a fitting end to a fun few days of racing. The November Meeting is the occasion that most people in the industry see as the official start of the jump racing season.

This is your first opportunity to get involved ahead of the season proper and the Sunday is your last chance to make a note of decent horses to bet on throughout the coming year.