Paul Nicholls goes for big hat-trick as a huge week for jump racing climaxes with top trainers heading into battle at Cheltenham

So long phoney war, now for the proper stuff

It's finally here, the three days of action at Cheltenham that signal the end of jump racing's phoney war and the start of the core jumps season, with a sequence of major Saturday contests carrying us from here to Christmas. That sequence begins this weekend with the Paddy Power Gold Cup, still known to wise, old heads as the Mackeson, the race that made stars out of Half Free, Bradbury Star and Cyfor Malta.

In the years when the Paul Nicholls yard was at its strongest, this race generally seemed to come a bit too early in the season, but the Somerset trainer now seeks a hat-trick, having won it with Stage Star and Il Ridoto in the last two years.

Il Ridoto is a contender again, having run well on his recent reappearance, but the favourite is Jagwar, a well-backed handicap winner at the Cheltenham Festival for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Jonbon: will try to win the Shloer Chase for a third straight yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Cheltenham's three days include a slew of races in which the participants are likely to be festival contenders by March. The Shloer Chase on Friday has an impressive roll of honour, with the focus likely to be once more on Jonbon, winner for the last two years.

Only the bravest punters will feel confident about cracking Sunday's Greatwood Hurdle, always one of the trickiest handicaps, in which bookmakers currently go 8-1 the field. Galway Hurdle third Casheldale Lad tops the weights and could attempt to give Gordon Elliott a first victory in the race.

Bangor card brewing nicely

With rain finally turning up, we can hope for some entertaining and informative jumps cards in midweek as well as at weekends, and Bangor's card on Wednesday has an especially promising look. Perhaps the most eye-catching entrant is Joyeuse, an eight-length winner of the Betfair Hurdle in February, now entered to make her chasing debut in a Listed race for mares won in the past by Lady Buttons and Galia Des Liteaux.

Ginny's Destiny: has switched from Paul Nicholls to Nicky HendersonCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

It could be an important card for Joyeuse's trainer, Nicky Henderson, as Ginny's Destiny is entered for a 3m handicap chase. It would be the nine-year-old's first start since joining Henderson from Paul Nicholls, who got him to win three times at Cheltenham in the 2023/24 season. 

Ginny's Destiny came back down the weights last term and is back to his most recent winning mark. As well as Wednesday's race, he holds entries in the Paddy Power on Saturday and the Betfair Chase a week later. His rivals in the Bangor race could include popular veterans Latenightpass and Le Milos.

Speaking of popular veterans, the 12-year-old Brewin'upastorm is entered in a handicap hurdle at the end of Bangor's card. A dual winner of the National Spirit and a Grade 1 contender since 2019, he's been absent since Sandown's season finale 18 months ago.

Don't forget Ireland

Ireland's feature handicap this week is the Troytown at Navan on Sunday, highlight of the track's two-day racing festival. It's a race Gordon Elliott usually dominates; he saddled half of last year's 18 runners and then welcomed back Stuzzikini, his seventh Troytown winner in 11 runnings.

Elliott's attachment to the race doesn't seem to make things any easier for punters. At 20-1, Stuzzikini appeared to be his third-string at best, while four of his runners started at shorter odds when Coko Beach, also 20-1, won in 2023.

Saturday's card at Navan features the Lismullen Hurdle, traditionally a key starting point for top-class staying hurdlers, and the Fortria Chase, a Grade 2 over 2m in which Found A Fifty held off Solness last year.

Awards bash

This year's Betting Shop Manager of the Year will be crowned on Monday at Lincoln's Inn in London. Eight nominees spent Sunday taking part in a final question and answer session on which the outcome will be based. The winner will be invited to several key racing and betting occasions during their year as champion.

This week's meetings

Monday
Carlisle (12.15), Kempton (12.30)

Tuesday
Huntingdon (12.21), Fairyhouse (12.33), Lingfield (12.42), Hereford (1.00)

Wednesday
Bangor (1.00), Ayr (1.15), Dundalk (2.40)

Thursday
Punchestown (11.53), Market Rasen (12.07), Sedgefield (12.50), Taunton (1.07)

Friday
Newcastle (12.10), Southwell (12.22), Cheltenham (1.10), Dundalk (5.30)

Saturday
Navan (11.50), Uttoxeter (12.07), Wetherby (12.15), Cheltenham (12.35)

Sunday
Navan (11.47), Fontwell (12.27), Cheltenham (1.15)

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