April Meeting Day Two – Thursday 18th April 2024

Race 1 - Challenger Series Mares' Final Handicap Hurdle - 13:30

We could almost be repeating ourselves when it comes to the details on offer for this race. It’s not, however, a Listed race but the Handicapper is once again called into action.  It was listed until 2022 when it was downgraded to class 2 when listed handicaps were scrapped.

As with race three, there are ten hurdles to be jumped, based over two miles, four furlongs and fifty-six yards (2m, 4f, 56y).

It’s open for horses aged four and up, which allows it to boast a field that normally stretches to around the twenty mark. That’s good news for bettors, of course, given that the more horses take part in a race the longer the odds will be and the greater the chance of an upset.

Race 2 - EBF Mares' Novices' Handicap Chase Final - 14:05

Race two on the second day of the April Meeting is one for novice mares to compete in. It’s a handicap chase, so the Handicapper will be doing their utmost to ensure that all horses go off with an equal chance of winning. That will be worth bearing in mind, especially if one of the favourites is carrying more weight than she’s used to.

Open to mares aged five and older, this is a rare Grade 2 handicap jumps race. In the past it had Listed status but in 2022 the BHA changed the grading rules removing all listed handicaps.  The majority became Premier Handicaps (formerly Grade 3) or were domoted to Class 2.  This is the only listed handicap that had listed status and was upgraded to Grade 2, retaining its limited weight-range.

The race lasts for two miles, four furlongs and one-hundred and twenty-seven yards (2m, 4f, 127y). There are seventeen fences to be jumped during that period, so it really could be anyone's when the winner crosses the line. Another relatively short field, it’ll last about five and a half minutes if the going’s good.

Race 3 - Mares' Novices' Hurdle - 14:40

Race three on Day Two follows exactly the same format as the second race of the opening day of the meeting, with the obvious difference being that it’s only for mares. It’s run over the same two miles, four furlongs and  fifty-six yards (2m, 4f, 56y), complete with another ten hurdles to negotiate.

This Listed race is for novices aged four and up. The field is a bit shorter than it might otherwise be on account of the fact that only mares can run in it, meaning you can expect around ten competitors taking part. If the ground is good then it should last for about five minutes, so don’t rip up your betting slip until you’ve heard the announcer’s call.

Race 4 - Challenger Series Mares' Final Handicap Chase - 15:15

Coming right slap-bang in the middle of the day, this was the race that was cancelled after a horse died in the wake of race one back in 2018. It was cancelled whilst the later ones were not because it’s a longer one, coming in at three miles and two furlongs (3m, 2f).

This chase is handicapped, as the name suggests, and it’s for mares that are five-years-old and upwards with a rating of 0 to 130. It’s a Class 2 race that is a decent challenge for those that get to run in it.

Race 5 - Fillies' Juvenile Handicap Hurdle - 15:50

Another race that asks for the Handicapper’s abilities to be put to good use, this one is only open for juveniles that are aged four exactly. It’s the only Premier Handicap race of the meeting, formerly a grade 3 race until 2022 when rule changes meant Grade 3 handicaps were converted to Premier Handicaps.  It is an offering that usually has a smaller field than most of the other races on Day Two.

It’s run over two miles and one-hundred and seventy-nine yards (2, 179y), featuring eight hurdles for the horses to jump. The shorter distance allows for the race to take a shorter amount of time to be completed, normally lasting for around four minutes if you presume that the going’s good.

Race 6 - Mares' Handicap Chase - 16:25

Day Two’s penultimate race usually sees the smallest field of the day taking part in it, with just four horses running in 2018 and 2022 and six in 2019 and 2021, for example.

It’s a Class 3 offering and is open to mares aged five-years-old and up. Taking place over two mile and sixty-two yards (2m, 62y), it squeezes in fourteen fences over that distance and asks a lot of the horses running in it.

Regularly taking about four minutes to complete on good ground, you’ll often find the odds on this one are a little disappointing because of that small field just mentioned. As the name suggests, this race is another handicapped one, the last of the day.

Race 7 - Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race - 17:00

As if to prepare us for the season that’s about to take over from jump racing, the final offering of the final day of the April Meeting is a flat race. Most of the National Hunt flat racers turn up for this one, therefore, leading to one of the largest fields of the day at around twenty horses.

Obviously there are no fences to be negotiated here and, as suggested earlier, it’s run over another short track. This time it’s two miles and one-hundred and seventy-nine yards (2m, 179y), with the winners usually coming in in under four minutes if the going is good. It’s a Class 2 race and is only open to mares aged between four and six, which tends to give it a relatively youthful and vibrant feel.