The Showcase Friday 23rd October 2026

Race 1 - Handicap Hurdle - 13:15

Starting with the world of hurdles for the first race, with this one being a handicap offering. As a result, the field is normally one of the largest in the day and twenty horses took place in it last time.

It is run over the same two miles and five furlongs (2m, 4f) as the Novices' Hurdle later today, 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.

This race often alternates between being either the first or last race of the day.  Expect a run time in the 4:40 region for this.

Race 2 - Novices' Chase (GBB Race) - 13:50

The second race of the day is for novices’, 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) - 2 miles basically.

As with race one it’s for four-year-olds and over but usually boasts a smaller field, last year seven started with five making it to the end. 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.

A good time for this will be under 4 minutes.  The last few years have seen favourites win this a lot, the last three winners all being favourites priced at 4/7,  8/15 and 9/4.

Race 3 - Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle - 14:25

The Showcase Friday sees its next handicap hurdle race with this Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, meaning that it’s open to jockeys under the age of twenty-six that have won fewer than seventy-five races under rules.

The fact that’s also a handicap race means that the field really is seen as being quite even by most, with eight hurdles for the field to jump and a distance of two miles and eighty-seven yards (2m, 87y) to run. The horses can be three or older with a rating of between 0 and 140 and this race acts as a qualifier for the Challenger Two Mile Series.

Last time 12 ran in this one with 10 of those making it to the end. A good time in this last race will be around 3:50, not too long to wait if you stick around for it.

Race 4 - Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) - 15:00

The only graded race of the meeting is this Grade 2 event that runs over two miles and eighty-seven yards (2m 87y). It has eight jumps that the four-year-old and upwards horses will need to negotiate, preferably with their jockeys if they’re hoping to win.

If you’re the sort of bettor that likes to get a sense of which horses you should keep your eye on for the season ahead then this is the race you’ll want to watch. It’s normally a reasonably decent field too, 12 going off last time (10 finishing), so you’ll be able to really look out for each horse’s strengths and weaknesses.

The race is registered as The Sharp Novices' Hurdle and was first run in 1987.   Back then it was run over 2 miles at the December meeting but was moved to November in 1992 and extended by a further furlong.  It was then moved from the November Meeting to the Showcase Meeting in 2023 as part of changed by the British Horseracing Authority’s Jump Pattern Committee.

Being a novices' race no horse has won it more than once but we can say it is predominantly won by four (11 wins) or five year olds (21 wins). Four six year olds have won the race over the years but only one seven year old, that was Moon Racer in 2016.

Plenty of jockeys have won the race twice but none have managed three, although, Tom Scudamore has ridden two winners and his dad Peter rode a winner back in 1989 (although over a shorter distance back then).  Colin Tizzard, Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls all have three wins as trainers to their name.

Race 5 - October Handicap Chase (GBB Race) - 15:35

The was the first race on day two but was moved to day one in 2024. It is a handicap chase, so the handicap aspect of things is maintained on Day One with the October handicap chase following the Novices' Chase over the exact same course and distance.

It lasts for one mile, seven furlongs and one hundred and ninety-nine yards (1m, 7f, 199y) and features thirteen fences as with the last race.

It’s for horses aged four and over and, as with race two, it tends to welcome a slightly smaller field than some other races over the two days - 9 running last time.  Expect the race to be a bit quicker than the previous race over this distance, at around 3:55.  This race commands the highest prize fund of the day at just shy of £100k, even more than the Grade 2 race that preceded it.

Race 6 - Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race) - 16:10

The penultimate 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.

The field for this us usually around 6-10, with 7 running last time.  On a good day this one should be all said and done within 4 minutes 45 seconds.

Race 7 - Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase - 16:45

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 of around 20 horses and the nature of the race means it is common to see 10/1+ winners in this.  Being over three miles you can expect this one to last around 6:30 on good ground so you will need to stick around until 5pm to watch this one.