Festival form tested, superstar chasers and a lucrative handicap - five key races to follow at Cheltenham this weekend

There are 19 races scheduled across Cheltenham's three-day November meeting and in an attempt to simplify the action, we've identified five races not to miss . . .

Trustatrader Novices' Hurdle (3.30pm Friday)

This 2m5f Grade 2 has been won by subsequent Grade 1 winners Thyme Hill (2019) and Hermes Allen (2022) in recent years, while future Gold Cup winner Coneygree landed the contest in 2012.

The Champion Bumper form is put to the test in Friday's running courtesy of Captain Teague, who finished third at the festival and made a winning hurdles debut in the Grade 2 Persian War at Chepstow last month.

He is odds-on across the boards to provide Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden with another winner of this contest, but he faces four interesting Irish raiders in Kinbara (John McConnell), The Big Doyen (Peter Fahey), Sequestered (Paul Gilligan) and Moonovercloon (Matthew Smith).

All four horses have a pair of hurdle wins to their names – one more than Captain Teague – but it is the Nicholls runner who must concede weight due to that Grade 2 win.

From The Horse's Mouth Podcast Novices' Chase (1.45pm Saturday)

Thistlecrack justified odds of 1-7 when landing this race in 2016, while a year later Black Corton won before landing the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton the following month.

Last year, Patrick Neville's The Real Whacker made a successful chasing debut at odds of 10-1 before going on to strike in the Dipper on New Year's Day and then the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the festival.

The Real Whacker: winner at last year's November meetingCredit: Edward Whitaker

Nigel Twiston-Davies holds a couple of interesting entries in this year's running in Broadway Boy and Weveallbeencaught. The stablemates finished second and third respectively behind dual Stayers' Hurdle winner Flooring Porter in a novice chase at Cheltenham last month.

Their potential opposition includes Randox Grand National eighth Mister Coffey, who has placed at the last two Cheltenham Festivals but remains a nine-race maiden over fences.

Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase (2.20pm Saturday)

The feature race on Saturday is the £160,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup. Contested over 2m4f, this handicap has been won by the likes of Exotic Dancer, Imperial Commander and Al Ferof over the years.

This year's running features not one, but two Cheltenham Festival winners in Stage Star and The Real Whacker.

Stage Star: Turners Novices' Chase winner returns to action in the Paddy Power Gold CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Stage Star took the Turners Novices' Chase in March, seeing off Laura Morgan's Notlongtillmay, who reopposes on 3lb better terms than for his three-and-a-quarter-length defeat.

The Real Whacker is set to carry top weight on what will be his first start since denying Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory in March. The seven-year-old will have to defy 12st in Saturday’s race to keep his unblemished record over fences intact.

Shloer Chase (2.55pm Sunday)

Nicky Henderson took this contest in 2015 with the exceptional chaser Sprinter Sacre and the Lambourn trainer is responsible for the hot favourite this year in Jonbon.

The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old won three Grade 1s last season, two in novice company, including in the Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree's Grand National meeting, before taking the step up into open company in his stride when landing the Celebration Chase at Sandown when last seen in April.

Jonbon: winner of the Celebration Chase at Sandown earlier this yearCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

His rivals on Sunday include Edwardstone, who claimed the 2022 Arkle and began last season with a nine-length romp in the Tingle Creek at Sandown. Alan King's nine-year-old did not manage to add to that Sandown success in three subsequent starts, however, and has not been seen since trailing home last of the five finishers in the Champion Chase.

Gauvian (2010, 2011), Fox Norton (2016, 2017) and Nube Negra (2021, 2022) are dual winners of the Shloer Chase, and the latter attempts to bag a third on Sunday.

Dan Skelton's gelding failed to finish in the Champion Chase last time out, but with his British form figures when returning from an absence of 100 days or more reading 1811131, this could be the time to catch him.

Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (3.30pm Sunday)

Rooster Booster took this valuable 2m handicap hurdle in 2002 before going on to land the following year's Champion Hurdle, while Sizing Europe, who went on to have a stellar chase career, was a notable winner in 2007.

The Shunter landed this prize in 2020 for owner Paul Byrne and his silks are set to be carried on Sunday by the Willie Mullins-trained Onlyamatteroftime.

Nemean Lion (right): set to contest the Greatwood Hurdle on SundayCredit: Edward Whitaker

The seven-year-old looks completely unexposed on the back of just five starts and has received strong market support in the last few days.

Kerry Lee and owner Will Roseff combined to land the 2019 Paddy Power Gold Cup with Happy Diva, and the partnership aims for more big-race success at the November meeting with Nemean Lion. The six-year-old has form figures of 12311 over hurdles.

Other notable entries include last year's runner-up Gin Coco and the Neil King-trained Lookaway, who won a Grade 2 novice hurdle over this course and distance last month.

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