Winter or summer form the strongest at the Showcase? The markets have the answer

The Showcase is the only fixture at Cheltenham, outside of the hunter chase evening in May, without a Graded race. It does not need one, as any meeting held at the track is bound to be popular, but it would be reasonable to ask what exactly the Showcase offers beyond whetting the appetite of jumps fans for the season ahead.

By the time attention next turns to Cheltenham, at the November meeting in three weeks, the ground has normally turned wintry. The Showcase is therefore the best chance for top-of-the-ground horses to get some Cheltenham practice before the festival in March.

Few know this better than Gordon Elliott. He has twice used the 3m½f novice chase on this card (4.25) to launch a horse towards success in the National Hunt Chase, with Chicago Grey in 2011 and then Galvin ten years later.