• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cheltenham Betting Offers

  • Home
  • Free Bets
  • Meetings
    • New Year’s Day Meeting
    • Festival Trials Day
    • Cheltenham Festival
    • April Meeting
    • Race Night
    • Showcase Meeting
    • November Meeting
    • International Meeting
  • News
  • Articles
    • Stats & Trends

Showcase Meeting at Cheltenham – 20th & 21st October 2023

cheltenham the showcaseCheltenham is one of the most famous racecourses in the world because of one event more than any other: the Cheltenham Festival. Hundreds of thousands of people turn up at the Gloucestershire site and millions more tune in on televisions around the world as the whole meeting builds up to the Gold Cup. That is seen as the conclusion to the major racing of the jump season, but when does the whole thing start? Well, it’s funny you should ask. The answer is that the jump racing season at Cheltenham is widely considered to get underway with the Showcase event towards the end of October every year.

Cheltenham hosts events in every month of the jump racing season. The likes of the November Meeting, which was previously known as the Cheltenham Open, and the New Year’s Day meeting are occasions filled with thrilling races that capture the attention as well as the imagination. Incidentally, you can learn about all meets held at Cheltenham Racecourse on this site, just have a look through our menus.

Yet it’s the Showcase that you’ll be reading about here, so read on if you want to be in the know about when the season truly gets underway, when you’ll want to keep your eyes on horses that will develop as the months fly past.

DAY ONE – SHOWCASE FRIDAY

cheltenham showcase fridayWhichever meeting you go to at Cheltenham, you’ll find that it has its own theme, for want of a better word. Head to the November Meeting, for example, and you’ll be able to find out about the countryside as it’s organised in coordination with the Countryside Alliance. Look at the International and you’ll find a meeting that sees the majority of attendees gearing up for Christmas. The Showcase, meanwhile, is something of a celebration of the return of the jump racing season to Prestbury Park, with many people getting excited about the start of the ‘Road To Cheltenham’, in spite of the fact that the Festival is still six months away.

That link to the Festival can be seen in a number of the races that take place during the Showcase, not least of all the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle that shares its name with a race during Festival week and kick-starts Showcase proceedings. In fact, words like ‘novice’, ‘maiden’ and ‘amateur’ occur throughout Day One, giving you something of an impression of what you should expect to see. This is a day of racing that will given you a sense of the season to come, with horses being given their first proper run out on a top-class jump racing course. It’s as much about finding out what lies in store for horses, jockeys, owners and trainers as it is the races themselves.

DAY TWO – SHOWCASE SATURDAY

cheltenham showcase saturdayDay Two of the Showcase is traditionally held on the Saturday and sees things carry on in much the same way as on the opening day. You’ll be presented with countless excited punters hoping to learn enough about the upcoming season to win themselves some money as it goes on, to say nothing of their desire to win some wagers on the day itself. You’ll also encounter plenty of owners and trainers who’ll be keen to see what they can learn about the horses on their books, seeing how they cope with the stresses and strains of racing at a venue as world-renowned as Cheltenham Racecourse. The jockeys will be happy to get back in the saddle after a good few months off jump racing too, of course.

The races on Day Two are all hurdles and chases, with the exception of the Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race that finishes the entire event off. As with the first day, there are a couple of handicap races in there that are designed to offer the participants a level playing field and punters something exciting to bet on. There are also two races for novices, so you’ll still get a fair chance of seeing some less experienced horses take to the field. As mentioned, the who meeting is about horses, punters, jockeys and everyone involved in the horse racing industry getting a chance to find their feet again with jumps after a summer of flat racing. Use the meeting wisely and you’ll set yourself up just as well as the professionals for the months to follow.

About The Showcase Meeting at Cheltenham

showcase set of stamps

For those that have little more than a passing interest in horse racing, the temptation is there to only think about Cheltenham Racecourse when the Festival rolls around every March. In reality, of course, there’s so much more to the place than just the Gold Cup and its accompanying races. Each meeting has something to recommend it, whether it be the excuse to get out of bed on New Year’s Day or a decent reason to head to the races for your office Christmas party when the International comes around in the middle of December. If we haven’t made enough of the point already then we’ll be explicit here: the reason to care about the Showcase meeting is that you can learn an awful lot about what’s to come later in the year.

Horse racing is a sport in which anything can happen, but more often than not it’s experience that tells you what you need to know about the various participants. Elsewhere on this site we’ve repeatedly made the point about doing your research before you place any bets, finding out how a given horse reacts to changes in the going, say, or whether one jockey in particular can handle a horse better than others or knows a venue particularly well.

In terms of the Showcase, the big bit of research you can do over the course of the two days is see how the horses cope with the Prestbury Park course and make a note of which ones you want to keep an eye on over the next few months. There’s a reason why this event is thought of as being the start of the Road to Cheltenham, with owners and trainers using it to suss out which horses are best placed to attack the big races in March.

home of jump racing sign at cheltenham racecourse 2

Another, perhaps less important reason, why you might care about the Showcase is that it is the first event of the jump racing season at Cheltenham. This is a course that is known as the ‘Home of Jump Racing’, so it’s only right that the first jump event here for months is given the respect that it deserves. After being starved of top quality British jump racing for a good few months, this is a chance to remind yourself why you love it so much.

The thrill of watching incredible specimens of horses leap into the air over obstacles as tall as a child and then landing on the other side is one of the most exciting things in the sport, so that should give you reason enough to want to get involved with the Showcase, but if all else fails then just remember that you’ll learn a lot about the season ahead and take your notebook along.

Primary Sidebar

Cheltenham Free Bets

Meetings at Cheltenham

  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Champion Day
    • Ladies Day
    • St Patrick’s Thursday
    • Gold Cup Day
  • Festival Trials Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • November Meeting
    • Countryside Day
    • Gold Cup Day
    • November Meeting Sunday
  • Race Night
  • Showcase Meeting
    • The Showcase Friday
    • The Showcase Saturday
  • The April Meeting
    • April Meeting Day One
    • April Meeting Day Two
  • The International Meeting
    • International Friday
    • International Saturday

Race Types

  • Amateur Races
  • Championship Races
  • Conditions Races
  • Cross Country Races
  • Cup Races
  • Fillies' Races
  • Grade 1 Races
  • Grade 2 Races
  • Grade 3 Races
  • Handicap Races
  • Hurdle Races
  • Juvenile Races
  • Listed Races
  • Maiden Races
  • Mares' Races
  • Novices' Races
  • Premier Handicap Races
  • Standard Open Flat Races
  • Steeplechase Races
  • Trial Races
  • Trophy Races
  • Discontinued Races

Latest News

  • Aintree & Cheltenham Amongst Jockey Club Courses To Drop Dress Code
  • What Can Be Done To Combat Race Fixing In Horse Racing?
  • Jockeys Are Struggling With The New Whip Rules
  • Cheltenham Festival Trials Day Likely To Go Ahead As Temperatures Rise This Week
  • BHA Whips Rules Changed At The Last Minute Following A Jockey Backlash

Articles

  • Who Are The BHA?
  • Origins Of Steeplechasing
  • Is Horse Racing Too Traditional? Why Is It So Confusing?
  • Robot Horse Racing
  • Are There More Fatalities On Hard Ground In Horse Racing?
  • Types Of Jump Racing Fences
  • Biggest Comebacks In Horse Racing
  • Difference Between A Hurdle & A Fence In Jump Racing
  • What Are Hurdles & Fences Made From?
  • Why Are Race Distances Measured In Miles, Furlongs & Yards
  • Stag And Hen Do's At Cheltenham
  • Each-Way vs Place Betting: Which Is Better?
  • What Are Final Declarations
  • Does Illegal Horse Racing Still Happen?
  • What Is Pony Racing? How Is It Different To Horse Racing?
  • Ladies At The Races
  • What Do Nose, Head, Neck and Length Mean?
  • What Is A Furlong?
  • When Is A Race Declared Void?
  • False Starts In Horse Racing
  • What Are Official Ratings in Horse Racing?
  • Can You Run A Race With Only One Horse?
  • What Is Point To Point Racing
  • Best Day Of The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Buy and Train a Racehorse?
  • Cheltenham Festival Ticket Types
  • How Much Does Racing Make From The Betting Levy?
  • Are There Less Horse Deaths In Racing Today?
  • Origins Of Jockey Silks In Horse Racing & Rules
  • Can A Jockey Remount A Horse?
  • What Happens If No Horse Wins A Race?
  • Why Do Horses Jump Fences?
  • How High and Far Can A Horse Jump?
  • Use Of The Whip In Horse Racing
  • What Are The Different Types Of Racehorses?
  • Who Sponsors Cheltenham Races
  • How Do Racehorse Owner Syndicates Work?
  • How Much Do Racehorses Weigh?
  • How Does Travelling Affect Racehorse Performance?
  • What PPE Do Jockeys Wear And Why?
  • Can Racehorses Overheat?
  • Benefits Of Owning Race Horses
  • What Is The Top Speed Of A Racehorse?
  • Do Racehorses Have Special Diets & Nutrition?
  • How Are Racehorses Transported & What Are The Rules
  • What Happened To All-Weather Jumps Racing?
  • What Was Tic Tac? The Sign Language For On-Course Bookmakers
  • The Road To Cheltenham
  • Retraining of Racehorses
  • What Happens To Retired Racehorses?
  • Horse Racing Mix-Ups
  • Youngest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • What Are Blinkers & Why Do Race Horses Wear Them?
  • How Long Do You Have To Claim A Winning Bet At A Racecourse?
  • Female Jockey Pioneers
  • Oldest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Record Jockey Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Record Trainer Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Races Record Horse Wins
  • Biggest Prize Money Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • The Life Of A Racing Jockey
  • Races With The Most Fences At The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Often Do Mares' Win At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Average Winner Age Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Longest Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Newest Races
  • How Often Does the Favourite Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
  • Average Winner Odds Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Stats & Trends
  • Veganism & Horse Racing
  • Horse Doping In Horse Racing
  • Most Feared Fences In Horse Racing
  • Jockey Injuries
  • How To Become A Jockey
  • Horse Injuries
  • What Is Going In Horse Racing
  • Richest Races In Horse Racing
  • What Is The Starting Price In Racing
  • When Is The Best Time To Bet Ante-Post
  • Impact Of Wetter Winters On UK Jump Racing
  • How Long Do Racehorses Live For?
  • How Much Do Jockeys Weigh?
  • Rules For Naming Race Horses
  • What Is A Dead Heat In Horse Racing?
  • Who Would Win A Race Between A Horse And A Dog?
  • What Makes A Good Jump Stayer?
  • What Is A Stewards Enquiry?
  • Why Are Horses Disqualified and Who Decides?
  • Courses At Cheltenham: Old, New and Cross Country
  • How Are Jump Horses Trained Differently To Flat Horses?
  • Longest Odds Winners In Horse Racing History
  • How Much Money Is Bet At Cheltenham?
  • How Much Is Cheltenham Worth To The Economy?
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Owners
  • Accessibility At Cheltenham The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Oldest Race Still Running
  • Biggest Female Trainers
  • Celebrity Race Horse Owners
  • Can Jockeys, Trainers & Owners Bet?
  • British vs Irish Trainers And Stables At Cheltenham
  • Things To Do & Places To Visit In Cheltenham
  • The Royal Family And The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Be An On-Course Bookmaker?
  • How Much Money Do Race Horse Owners Make?
  • How Much Money Do Trainers Make?
  • Cheltenham Race Types
  • Cheltenham Hotels & Cheltenham Festival Accommodation
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Trainers
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Jockeys
  • Top 10 Cheltenham Festival Horses
  • How Much Money Do Jockeys Make?
  • Richest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Getting To Cheltenham Racecourse
  • Cheltenham Festival vs Grand National, Which Is Better?
  • Cheltenham Racecourse History
  • Why Is The Cheltenham Festival So Big?
  • Cheltenham Festival History
  • The Prestbury Cup
  • Cheltenham Festival Quiz
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey
  • Cheltenham Racecourse During The War
  • Ante-Post Betting - Risk vs Reward
  • Jump Racing Distances
  • How to Read a Race Card
  • How To Bet On Horse Racing
  • Disqualification, Non-Runners and Rule 4
  • Age, Sex and Weight in Horse Racing
  • History And About National Hunt Racing
  • A-Z Glossary Of Horse Racing Terms
  • Horse Racing News, Statistics & Blogs
  • Live Streaming of Horse Racing
  • Live Betting In Play On Horse Racing
  • Cash Out And Partial Cash Out On Horse Racing
  • Grades and Classes In National Hunt Jump Racing

Offers

  • Acca Offers For Horse Racing
  • Extra Places Each-Way & Enhanced Each Way Terms Cheltenham Festival 2023
  • Horse Racing Loyalty Free Bet Clubs
  • Horse Racing Money Back
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For The Cheltenham Festival
  • Tote and Totepool Betting
  • Lucky Bets and Bonuses For Horse Racing
  • Non-Runner No Bet
  • Free Bets And Bonuses For Winners
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For Horse Racing
  • Faller & Fail To Finish Insurance For Horse Racing

Copyright © 2023 CheltenhamBettingOffers.com | 18+ Gamble Aware | Privacy & Cookie Policy