The Showcase differs from most events held at Cheltenham Racecourse on account of the fact that it doesn’t feature a race called the Gold Cup. Don’t think that that means there are no races worth watching, however, as there are plenty of different ones across Day One alone that will capture your imagination. You can always tell when a meeting is worthy of attention because of the fact that sponsors are keen to get involved and on that front the Showcase doesn’t disappoint, with almost every race sponsored by a well-known company.
Not that punters are all that bothered which races have been sponsored and which ones haven’t, of course. The key thing that most people will want to know is what aged horses the races are for, if there are any rules that you need to look out for and so on. On this page we’ll give you as much information as we can, as well as the timings for the various races.
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Showcase Friday Race Card
If you’ve read any of our other pages looking at the events that take place at Cheltenham Racecourse then you’ll know that we always add in the disclaimer that all race schedules are subject to change.
Typically speaking, the races get underway at 2pm and the last one goes off at 5.30pm, but anything from weather to sheer popularity of the occasion can mean that that doesn’t happen as planned. Even so, this is the rough look at how Day One should pan out if all goes according to plan:
Race 1 - Ballymore Novices Hurdle - 13:55
- Grade: Class 2 Hurdle
- Distance: 2m 3f 200y (4005m)
- Fences: 10
- Course: Old Course
The first race of the day is this chase for novices that takes place over two miles and four furlongs (2m, 4f). It’s for horses aged four and over and there are ten hurdles that they must negotiate before they’ll be running down the final stretch.
Run left-handed on the Old Course at Cheltenham, this race shares a name with the same one run during the Festival and can tell you a lot about that offering.
2021 Winner
- Horse - Camprond (1/3)
- Jockey - Aidan Coleman
- Trainer - Philip Hobbs (GB)
- Overall Prize Money - £17,500
- For The Winner - £10,406
Race 2 - Novices' Chase - 14:30
- Grade: Class 2 Chase
- Distance: 1m 7f 199y (3200m)
- Fences: 13
- Course: Old Course
The second race of the day is also for novices’, though this one is a chase and it takes place over a shorter stretch of distance at one mile, seven furlongs and one hundred and ninety-nine yards (1m, 7f, 199y).
As with race one it’s for four-year-olds and over but usually boasts a slightly smaller field. The distance might be shorter but there are more obstacles to get over, with thirteen fences standing in the way of the horses and the finishing line.
2021 Winner
- Horse - Third Time Lucki (11/8)
- Jockey - Harry Skelton
- Trainer - Dan Skelton (GB)
- Overall Prize Money - £24,200
- For The Winner - £13,008
Race 3 - Showcase Novices' Hurdle - 15:05
- Grade: Class 2 Hurdle
- Distance: 2m 7f 208y (4817m)
- Fences: 12
- Course: Old Course
This race is open to novice horses aged four and above. It lasts for two miles, seven furlongs and two hundred and eight yards (2m, 7f, 208y), usually seeing a relatively small field enter.
There are twelve hurdles that these horses will need to use any limited experience that they have gained over the years to negotiate in order to stand a chance of winning.
2021 Winner
- Horse - Bardenstown Lad (85/40)
- Jockey - Sean Bowen
- Trainer - John McConnell (IRE)
- Overall Prize Money - £15,750
- For The Winner - £8,325
Race 4 - Novices' Limited Handicap Chase - 15:40
- Grade: Class 3 Chase
- Distance: 2m 3f 166y (3974m)
- Fences: 14
- Course: Old Course
The fourth race of the first day is one for novices, taking place over two miles, three furlongs and one hundred and sixty-six yards (2m, 3f, 166y). It’s for horses aged four-years-old and above and just four horses were entered into the race in 2020.
There are sixteen fences to be jumped, so plenty of chances for horses to stumble or seize upon openings given to them by others. It’s an exciting chase and if the going is Good to Soft then you can expect it to last five minutes or so.
2021 Winner
- Horse - Annual Invictus (11/4)
- Jockey - Tom Cannon
- Trainer - Chris Gordon (GB)
- Overall Prize Money - £15,100
- For The Winner - £8,169
Race 5 - Handicap Hurdle - 16:15
- Grade: Class 3 Hurdle
- Distance: 2m 3f 300y (4005m)
- Fences: 10
- Course: Old Course
Sticking the world of hurdles for race five, with this one being a handicap offering. As a result, the field is normally one of the largest in the day and nineteen horses took place in it in 2020.
It is run over the same two miles and five furlongs (2m, 4f) as race one, also presenting the jockeys with ten hurdles that they’ll need to persuade their charges to jump. It’s for three-year-olds and over with a rating of between 0 and 140.
2021 Winner
- Horse - Guard Your Dreams (16/5)
- Jockey - Sam Twiston-Davies
- Trainer - Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB)
- Overall Prize Money - £16,150
- For The Winner - £8,169
Race 6 - Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase - 16:50
- Grade: Class 3 Chase
- Distance: 3m 1f (5030m)
- Fences: 20
- Course: Old Course
This is a race for those of you that want to make notes for the future, given that it’s one for amateur riders who will have to contend with both the course and the fact that it’s a handicap race.
The horses can be aged four and over and have a rating of between 0 and 125, with the weight they’ll need to carry adjusted accordingly. It’s run over three miles and one furlong (3m, 1f) and there are twenty fences for the young charges to negotiate. It’s usual for this race to have a reasonably large field.
2021 Winner
- Horse - Strictlyadancer (7/1)
- Jockey - Mr P A King
- Trainer - Christian Williams (GB)
- Overall Prize Money - £17,250
- For The Winner - £7,700
Race 7 - Maiden Hurdle - 17:25
- Grade: Class 3 Hurdle
- Distance: 2m 87y (3200m)
- Fences: 8
- Course: Old Course
There are several races on Day One that are for those of you that have as much interest in the future as the present, with the last being the Maiden Hurdle.
This is open to horses aged four and over that haven’t won a race before and fancy their chances of making it over the eight hurdles in place around the two miles, eighty-seven yards (2m, 87y) of course that the race takes place on.
2021 Winner
- Horse - Top Bandit (15/8)
- Jockey - Davy Russell
- Trainer - Gordon Elliott (IRE)
- Overall Prize Money - £14,750
- For The Winner - £7,805
What To Expect On Showcase Friday
As we wrote on the main page, the Cheltenham Festival will always be the event in the jump racing calendar that earns the most attention in the Gloucestershire region, but in terms of excited anticipation there’s an argument that the Showcase runs it a close second. This is a chance for the jockeys, trainers, owners and, of course, the horses themselves to inspect the course before the season ahead gets truly into the swing of things. For that reason you’ll find that the Prestbury Park course is visited more by true racing enthusiasts over the two days rather than the celebrities, hangers-on and Johnny-come-latelies that tend to be found wandering around the venue in March.
That being said, if there’s likely to be people turning up just to get a sense of what the whole thing’s about then it’s more likely to be on the Friday than the Saturday. Regardless, this is an event for serious racing enthusiasts who know that it’s an opportunity to keep an eye out for some horses to see how they’re likely to do in the season ahead. Of course, even racing enthusiasts like to have a shop and a bite to eat, so there’ll be plenty of places to do just that during the course of two days. In 2018, for example, racegoers could attend the The SoGlos Showcase Zone for the first time, which was a collection of some of Gloucester’s best craft food and drink producers who were given stalls within The Centaur.
In terms of the weather, you’re best off having a look at what the forecast is saying before you leave to head to the racecourse. We’ve known mid-Octobers to be delightfully mild and even sunny one day then chucking it down and freezing the next. If there’s one thing you can predict about the British weather then it’s that it is entirely unpredictable! You know yourself better than we do, though, so you’ll be best off packing accordingly. The good news is that both the racecourse itself and the surrounding areas of it will be looking fresh and smart, almost certainly having been updated during the summer months and given a pleasant spring clean.
Final Thoughts
Day One of the Showcase presents you with a number of exciting races, with the final three being the ones to really keep an eye on in terms of learning about the horses and jockeys that might well have a breakout season.