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What's on this week

What's on this week: Cheltenham Festival ante-post Pricewise returns before Warwick's Classic Chase headlines weekend action

Classic Chase: heads the action at Warwick on Saturday
Classic Chase: heads the action at Warwick on SaturdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Monday

After heavy rain tore through last week's racing schedule, it is the turn of frost to bite, claiming Ayr's meeting and leaving Taunton as the day's only jumps fixture.

The seven-race card passed a morning inspection and features the first hunters' chase (3.30) of the season in Britain, which has attracted a maximum field of 12. There is also an eight-race all-weather fixture at Newcastle, starting at 3.20.

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Huntingdon could also be set to face more weather woe. Its Friday fixture must pass a 9am inspection after the wet conditions last week left parts of the track flooded again.

Off the track, the entries will be released for Saturday's action, including the Classic Chase at Warwick and the Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle at Kempton.

Racing Post Members' Club subscribers will also be able to read the first ante-post Pricewise for this year's Cheltenham Festival from 6pm online. The ante-post Pricewise portfolio has been in profit for five years in a row and Tom Segal is back with his valuable insight on the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Tuesday

The Cheltenham Festival build continues when entries are revealed for the Champion Hurdle, Mares' Hurdle and Stayers' Hurdle.

Exeter and Market Rasen are taking all necessary precautions before their cards to try to beat the cold weather. Exeter's seven-race meeting could feature Home Free in the 2m½f maiden hurdle (1.25), who is trained by Dan Skelton but is intriguingly owned by Sue Magnier. He has not been seen since finishing third to the classy Beat The Bat at Chepstow in February.

Constitution Hill (Nico de Boinville) wins the Champion Hurdle Cheltenham 14.3.23 Pic: Edward Whitaker
Constitution Hill is expected in the Champion Hurdle entries on Tuesday, but how many runners will be put in contention to face him?Credit: Edward Whitaker

There is also an evening meeting on the all-weather from Southwell, which features a tricky 7f handicap (7.00).

The second Cheltenham Festival ante-post Pricewise will also be available to members' club online from 6pm, focusing on the Champion Hurdle.

Wednesday

Leicester has also taken extra precautions to make sure its six-race card goes ahead, with freezing temperatures forecast. Course-and-distance winner Johnny Mac could bid to keep his unbeaten start for Matt Sheppard going in the 2m handicap chase (2.15).

There is also a six-race jumps card from Doncaster, with an all-weather evening fixture from Kempton wrapping up the day's action.

Thursday

Catterick stages its biggest jumps meeting with the North Yorkshire Grand National (2.30) taking centre stage.

Bushypark took the marathon contest last year and is entered again, having won over hurdles at Haydock last month, while Aire Valley Lad is entered for Sue Smith, who landed the race four times in a row between 2016 and 2019.

The jumps action also comes from Clonmel, where impressive Naas winner Quai De Bourbon is entered in the 2m½f hurdle (1.35), and Fontwell. The all-weather cards come from Southwell in the afternoon and Chelmsford in the evening.

The final fields for Saturday's Premier racing meetings will also be revealed, including for Warwick's Classic Chase and the Lanzarote Hurdle and Silviniaco Conti Chase from Kempton.

Friday

Huntingdon's meeting, which is due to feature the Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle (2.50), hinges on a 9am inspection on Monday. However, jumps cards in Britain are also scheduled at Wincanton and Sedgefield.

Racing fans will be treated to some belated Grade 1 action too after it was confirmed Naas's Sunday card, which was abandoned due to fog after the first race, has been rescheduled.

The feature will be the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle, which is due to showcase the likes of Firefox and Ile Atlantique in a top-class contest.

An evening all-weather card from Wolverhampton completes the day's proceedings.

Saturday

It's the second Saturday of the Premier racing initiative, with Warwick's biggest meeting of the year taking the limelight. The Midlands track's feature race is the Wrigley Group Classic Handicap Chase (3.00). The Leamington Novices' Hurdle has been removed, but the track stages the Grade 2 Hampton Novices' Chase with an increased purse of £75,000 (from £55,000).

There is also Premier racing at Kempton. The fixture features the ultra-competitive Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle (2.40) as well as the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase, which was won last year by subsequent Grade 1 winner Pic D'Orhy.

The day also features a new-look Towton Novices' Chase (1.10) at Wetherby, which is being run three weeks earlier now and over a shorter trip of two miles and three and a half furlongs.

Fairyhouse stages the competitive Dan and Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase (1.57), while the action is completed with two all-weather cards at Chelmsford and Wolverhampton.

Sunday

The classiest action comes from Punchestown, which stages the Grade 2 Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle. The contest was won last year by Impaire Et Passe before he went on to Ballymore Novices' Hurdle glory at the Cheltenham Festival.

The jumps offering in Britain comes from Kelso, alongside an all-weather fixture from Lingfield.


This week's Premier meetings

  • Kempton  Saturday, January 13
  • Warwick – Saturday, January 13

Read these next:

Jockey Joe Anderson stakes his claim for ride of the season with miracle recovery to land Sussex Stayers Hurdle 

'I lost my bearings out there' - Naas forced to abandon Sunday's Grade 1 card but Lawlor's of Naas to be restaged on Friday 

Champion trainers' race set to go all the way and Radford's welcome resurgence - three things we learned last week 


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Matt RennieReporter

Published on 8 January 2024inWhat's on this week

Last updated 10:45, 8 January 2024

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