Ben Linfoot picks out the 10 horses from the entries he wants to see the most at Cheltenham's November Meeting this weekend.
The Cheltenham November Meeting traditionally signals the start of the jumps season proper (no, really, we mean it this time) with a clutch of big names unwrapped amongst a sea of big-field handicaps.
Alas, the driest summer in British recorded history (stretching back to 1836) has contributed to watered ground on the Cheltenham Old Course that was officially Good, Good to Firm in places, on Tuesday, although some much-welcome rain to the tune of 6mm fell through the night to ease the ground to Good, Good to Soft in places.
It’s fingers crossed, then, that conditions are suitable enough for an array of stars to line up over the three-day meeting, as it would be fabulous to see the majority of these 10 in action at Prestbury Park this weekend.
Cameron De Fiacre – Listed Bumper, Sunday 15.45
You’d think all the interesting horses might’ve run by the closing race on Sunday, but no. Cameron De Fiacre is a most exciting prospect for Jamie Snowden, featuring in the top 10 of Timeform’s Horses To Follow this season, after a taking debut success in the bumper sphere at Fontwell last May. He could go novice hurdling this season depending on how he gets on here, but with Snowden proclaiming him a ‘smashing baby full of potential’ and a ‘high-class horse’ he looks one to follow on Sunday at least.
Crystal Island – Novices’ Handicap Chase, Sunday 13:25
Crystal Island missed four months last season between his Ascot and Ffos Las wins but there was nothing wrong with him, Nicky Henderson was simply biding his time after his debut hurdling success ‘took a lot out of him’. A fine prospect, he proved in both of his hurdling wins last season that he copes with better ground and he’ll be of major interest if lining up for his seasonal/fencing debut in the WKD Novices' Limited Handicap Chase over two and a half miles on Sunday.
Dallas Star – Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, Friday 15:30
It’s always interesting to see how these 100-plus rated horses from the Flat get on over hurdles and there is added intrigue with Dallas Star given he is owned by Amo Racing and trained by Emmet Mullins. He has started life in his new career pretty well, winning over two miles in a maiden hurdle at Navan before he was turned over at 5/4 when second in a Listed novice up in trip at Limerick last time after a few mistakes. Let’s see how he gets on at Cheltenham.
Derryhassen Paddy – Listed novices chase, Friday 13:45
It feels like D-Day for Derryhassen Paddy at Cheltenham on Friday. Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore’s horse suffered a stress fracture in his cannon bone on chasing debut when second at Ayr on his only run last season and then he ran like he needed it on his return at Cheltenham last month. He had bags of potential after finishing third in the Albert Bartlett in 2025 and Friday would be a good time to start fulfilling it.
Ga Law – Jilly Cooper Veterans’ Handicap Chase, Friday 14:55
Rivals is back on Disney+! But if watching Danny Dyer and friends in steamy tales from Rutshire doesn’t do it for you (what’s wrong with you?) you can pay your own tribute to Jilly Cooper by watching the parachuted in veterans’ chase named in her memory that replaces the Cross Country on Friday. Ga Law, a former Paddy Power Gold Cup winner, is a veteran now, and having dropped 9lb in two runs he has been given a chance by the assessor. Like Rivals, he is definitely worth watching.
Havaila – 3m3f handicap chase, Sunday 14:35
When you complete a hat-trick in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown you must be doing something right and the Moores’ Havaila is a poster boy for the underrated ‘hood off’ theory. Since the headgear was dispensed with he has won handicap chases off marks of 116, 125 and 135 and after a 4lb rise for the Sandown success he returns this season off a perch of 139, which looks fair enough. He could be on the Grand National trail, first stop Cheltenham Sunday in the Oddschecker Handicap Chase.
Idaho Sun – Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, Sunday 15:10
An unexposed Grade 1-winning novice tops the antepost betting for the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle as Harry Fry’s Idaho Sun could bid to defy an absence of 324 days at Cheltenham on Sunday. Will a mark of 142 prove lenient? He has beaten the 153-rated Mydaddypaddy well off level weights, although there were four hurdles missing that day. He’ll certainly be a tempting one for punters, especially those with long memories of this race launching the odd Champion Hurdle campaign back in the day.
Jonbon – Grade 2 Shloer Chase, Friday 14:20
It wouldn’t be a Shloer Chase without Jonbon, would it? Nicky Henderson’s veteran campaigner has started out in this race the last three seasons, winning on the first two occasions before up-and-coming rival L’Eau du Sud beat him by 15 lengths 12 months ago. Jonbon stepped up in trip, with some success, in the second half of the last campaign in a bid to defy the dying of the light, but this race has again popped up as the ideal starting point and with no L’Eau du Sud in there (sadly ruled out for the season), perhaps he could roll back the years and win a third Shloer.
Meetmebythesea – Paddy Power Gold Cup, Saturday 14:20
The big favourite in the big race, complete with Harry Cobden on board as he bids for his first major prize in his new job as retained rider for JP McManus. A very impressive winner of the reinstated Novices’ Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the six-year-old has been the subject of positive reports from trainer Ben Pauling and he will likely be catapulted into Grade 1 company sooner rather than later if he wins this off a new rating of 151 (12lb higher than his Festival win).
Old Park Star – Grade 2 Paddy Power Arkle Trial, Saturday 13:45
It feels like we have been building up to these last two, but it is merely a triumph for alphabetical order. Nicky Henderson’s Old Park Star could be the star of the meeting if allowed to run, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ winner and unbeaten hurdler a possible to make his chasing debut in a race his trainer has won with two-mile greats like *checks previous winners* Captain Conan? It’s true, Sprinter Sacre, Altior and Jonbon didn’t run here and neither will Old Park Star if the ground is deemed too quick and he’s re-routed to Ffos Las. It’s with hope the 3/1 favourite for the Arkle itself is let loose at Cheltenham.
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