Nicky Henderson thanks the Cheltenham crowd in January last year

Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase preview and tips for Festival Trials Day

By Ben Linfoot

Horse Racing

Sat January 24, 2026 · 1d ago

Ben Linfoot logs into his Timeform account to try and solve the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Saturday’s opener on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham, the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase, has done more than its fair share to make sure the card deserves its moniker.

As John Ingles outlined in this piece earlier in the week, the Timeform-sponsored race has been a key Cheltenham Festival trial with 11 winners at the Festival this century having run in the Timeform race on Trials Day on their previous start.

It’s a must-watch with the Festival in mind, then, but it’s also a good punting race in its own right and it hasn’t been too easy to solve, with just three favourites coming home in front since subsequent Cathcart winner Royal Auclair returned in first at even-money back in 2002.

The first thing to mention about this year’s renewal is that there is no 140+ rated horse in the line-up for the first time since Hey Big Spender won in 2010.

That isn’t too much of a surprise given Gordon Elliott trained four of the five 140+ rated horses that were still in contention at the five-day stage, the Irish trainer at least getting a steer on some BHA marks for his horses.

It leaves Push The Button and Califet En Vol as joint top-weights on 137 in a field of nine and it’s difficult to rule anything out with conviction.

Quebecois, for example, has been disappointing for Paul Nicholls in two fencing starts so far, and he’ll be disputing outsider of the field status, but he remains unexposed in the sphere and soft ground could trigger serious improvement in a horse who has proven his stamina over further.

This race is usually won by horses in better form, though, and Quebecois is just one of three horses in the field who didn’t finish in the first two on their latest start, the others being Califet En Vol and Secret Des Dieux.

With eight of the last ten winners finishing first or second last time out, and two thirds of the field qualifying with such form figures, it’s no wonder the early market has concentrated on those horses with Jordans Cross, Barlovento, Kdeux Saint Fray and Push The Button all vying with Califet En Vol for favouritism.

On Timeform ratings Push The Button heads them on 147, with Barlovento 146p, Secret Des Dieux 145, Kdeux Saint Fray 144, Scorsese 144, Jordans Cross 143p, Kaline Des Boullat 142, Califet En Vol 141p and Quebecois 139.

It looks a very tight handicap and with seven of the last 10 winners still having the Timeform small ‘p’ to denote they are still improving, Barlovento, Jordans Cross and Califet En Vol are immediately ringed as contenders.

Conditions could be a vital factor here, though. Plenty of the fencing form on show has come on better conditions, including those last-time out wins for Barlovento and Jordans Cross, and with persistent rain falling on soft ground things are going to be testing enough on Saturday.

Also, let's look at Timeform’s in-play symbols for the last 10 winners of this race; 4Kj, 1J, 1kj, 3Jr, 1r, 3, 4ji, 2kj, 3kj and 3Kj. (Key: 1 led/disputed lead, 2 prominent/close up, 3 mid-division, 4 towards rear, 5 behind, k travelled strongly, j jumped well, r responded to pressure, i idled.)

That suggests you want to be nearer the front than the back with a good jumper and a strong traveller, and taking everything into account I like the chances of Nicky Henderson’s CALIFET EN VOL.

He was third at Cheltenham last time on New Year’s Day, but he was beaten less than five lengths in what looked a good little race. In fact, he might well have beaten Regent’s Stroll for second but for missing the last, while he travelled the best in the small field and jumped well enough on just his second start.

It’s no wonder he retains his Timeform small ‘p’ and I like him on softer ground here. Califet progeny generally like it soft and his dam relished such conditions, too, while he hasn’t raced on ground officially soft since his bumper days.

Given he's tried 3m in both a point-to-point and a Grade 1 novice hurdle, the extra emphasis on stamina looks ideal and he can travel away strongly in a prominent to mid-division sit under Nico De Boinville.

On Timeform ratings he is second bottom, but, remember, they are only an indication of what might happen in the future judged by what has happened in the past.

Indeed, that he is only 6lb inferior to the top-rated after two fencing starts gives plenty of encouragement that he can pass this test, particularly with the small ‘p’ in mind on ground he might just relish judging by his parentage.