THE MAGAZINE FOR THE WEST REGION OF THE JOCKEY CLUB K alendar 22/23 SEASON
THE SMARTEST CHOICE FOR MENS SUITS FOR ANY OCCASION. CAVANI.CO.UK
WELCOME
Patrick Mullins, sat down with him to talk about the highs and lows of racing, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did. It was a landmark year for
Welcome to our latest edition of Kalendar magazine. This is always an exciting time of year as it marks the beginning of another exhilarating season of Jump racing, and we hope you enjoy this year’s magazine as we
one of the biggest names in our sport, JP McManus. JP celebrated his 4,000th winner in January, and we were lucky enough to send
reflect on our favourite moments from last year and look ahead to the great racing we have to look forward to. Last season was record-breaking, as we were able to open our doors to racegoers once again, and more of you than ever joined us for four days of extraordinary racing in March. The week culminated with Rachael Blackmore making history once more when landing the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard A Plus Tard for Henry de Bromhead and Cheveley Park Stud. The noise around the Winners’ Enclosure as we all welcomed them back in was unforgettable – The Festival really does produce an atmosphere like no other. In this year’s magazine, we catch up with Irish jockey Danny Mullins who had an incredible season, having been out with injury in the early part, before going on to land the King George on Boxing Day at Kempton Park and make it back-to-back wins in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle aboard Flooring Porter. His cousin,
our ambassador, and JP's great friend and former employee, Barry Geraghty to Martinstown Stud to relive his favourite moments and tell JP’s story of a life in sport. Throughout this year’s Kalendar , we reflect on Brian Hughes’s fantastic career so far, as well as the unbelievable achievement of Sam Waley- Cohen when landing the 2022 Randox Grand National on his final ride in the saddle – an incredibly fitting way to bow out for a jockey so triumphant over those famous fences. Finally, we would like to thank you for your continued support. It was wonderful to see so many of you back on our racecourses last season, and we look forward to seeing you over the coming months.
Ian Renton Regional Managing Director The Jockey Club
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CONTENTS
6 SEASON DATES All you need to plan the year 8 A FAIRYTALE OF AINTREE The remarkable achievements of amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen 12 NO SLEEP ‘TIL CHELTENHAM! Joshua Stacey recalls the thrills of the last Festival and looks forward to the next 16 THE SHOWCASE GETS SEASON OFF TO A FLIER Jump racing kicks off at Cheltenham 18 THE NOVEMBER MEETING Ben Cox on what makes the three-day spectacular so popular 22 AFTER HOURS Chris Hughes revs up to interview the biggest names in racing
24 SPOTLIGHT ON BRITAIN’S BEST TRAINERS Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson pick their top horses for the new season 28 BETFAIR CHASE What makes this race so important, asks Graham Clark 29 NEW YEAR’S DAY A look at this thrilling seasonal tradition 30 FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY This is the dress rehearsal for the main event in March, says Graham Clark 33 CHARITY BEGINS AT CHELTENHAM Community engagement at the Home of Jump Racing 36 NORTH STAR Nick Seddon meets the hero of the northern racing circuit, Brian Hughes
38 JP MCMANUS – AN OWNER LIKE NO OTHER The legendary owner talks to Barry Geraghty about his life in racing 44 A GLANCE TO THE FUTURE This grassroots sport has been the start of many a star-spangled racing career 48 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL The pinnacle of the Jump racing season with top-class action and hospitality 60 THE ORCHARD Our exclusive enclosure is back to provide a unique Festival experience 62 Q&A WITH MICHAEL WAINWRIGHT The Managing Director of Festival sponsor Boodles explains why the partnership is such a good fit
For ticket and hospitality pricing and to book, head online now to thejockeyclub.co.uk
91 A MORNING TO REMEMBER Hosted by Cheltenham Racecourse for Junior Jumpers Members in April 92
64 CHAMPION HOSPITALITY Get a taste of the fine dining on offer at The Festival 66 CLARE SMYTH CORE ON COURSE The thrice Michelin-starred chef is set to open a new restaurant at Cheltenham 68 TOP TIPS FOR VISITING CHELTENHAM How to make the most of all that the Regency town has to offer 70 THE HEIGHT OF EXCELLENCE Enjoy the Festival in lavish style with our Room with a View package 72 THE RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL Ben Cox traces the history and phenomenal rise of Aintree’s iconic race 74 A ROLLERCOASTER OF A SEASON Danny and Patrick Mullins exchange memories of races won and lost 78 BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE Enhance your racing experience with Cheltenham’s exclusive membership
80 THE WEST COUNTRY WEEKEND The double header of the Betway Haldon Gold Cup and Badger Chase Day 82 WARWICK – 50 YEARS OF THE CLASSIC CHASE Celebrating the anniversary of this tough midwinter marathon 83 CRYSTAL CUP The unique multi-nation contest of 11 cross-country steeple chases 84 THE APRIL MEETING Two days of top-class racing 85 RACE NIGHT This is the chance for amateur riders and trainers to shine, says Nick Seddon 86 CONFERENCE AND EVENTS AT CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE There’s more to Cheltenham than horses 88 IF YOU’RE GOING TO DREAM, DREAM BIG The Cotswolds Gent talks to trainer Ben Pauling about going from zero to racing and lifestyle empire
GIVING HORSES A SECOND CHANCE Life for horses after racing 94 BLENHEIM PALACE INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRIALS
See what’s on offer at this much-anticipated event 96 CHELTENHAM AND SOUTH WEST RACING CLUB A new way to be a racehorse owner
DESIGNED AND PRODUCED FOR THE JOCKEY CLUB BY: NEWHALL PUBLISHING LTD New Hall Lane, Hoylake, Wirral CH47 4BQ newhallpublishing.com
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All details in the magazine were correct at the time of going to press. The contents of this magazine are owned by the publisher and may not be reproduced without permission. © Newhall Publishing Ltd 2022.
INFORMATION 2022-23 SEASON DATES
Don’t miss out on the key dates in the 2022-2023 Jump racing season SEASON DATES
AINTREE 23 OCTOBER 2022 Family Fun Day 5 NOVEMBER 2022 Autumn Raceday 3 DECEMBER 2022 Becher Chase 13-15 APRIL 2023 Randox Grand National 19 MAY 2023
CARLISLE 7 SEPTEMBER 2022 Afternoon Racing 13 OCTOBER 2022 Welcome to the Jumps 20 OCTOBER 2022 Afternoon Racing 30 OCTOBER 2022 Colin Parker Memorial Day 7 NOVEMBER 2022 Afternoon Racing 27 NOVEMBER 2022 Afternoon Racing 11 DECEMBER 2022 Christmas Jumper Day 6 FEBRUARY 2023 20 FEBRUARY 2023
CHELTENHAM 21-22 OCTOBER 2022 The Showcase 11-13 NOVEMBER 2022 The November Meeting 9-10 DECEMBER 2022 The International 1 JANUARY 2023 New Year’s Day 28 JANUARY 2023 Festival Trials Day 14-17 MARCH 2023 The Festival 19-20 APRIL 2023 The April Meeting 5 MAY 2023 Racenight featuring Hunter Chase Racing
9 MARCH 2023 19 MARCH 2023 26 MARCH 2023 8 APRIL 2023
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INFORMATION 2022-23 SEASON DATES
WINCANTON 13 OCTOBER 2022 23 OCTOBER 2022 5 NOVEMBER 2022 Badger Beers Chase Day 17 NOVEMBER 2022 Afternoon Racing 1 DECEMBER 2022 13 DECEMBER 2022 26 DECEMBER 2022 Boxing Day Racing 7 JANUARY 2023 19 JANUARY 2023 26 JANUARY 2023 2 FEBRUARY 2023 18 FEBRUARY 2023
EXETER 6 OCTOBER 2022 Season Opener 18 OCTOBER 2022 4 NOVEMBER 2022 Haldon Gold Cup Day 14 NOVEMBER 2022 20 NOVEMBER 2022 2 DECEMBER 2022 Festive Raceday 15 DECEMBER 2022 Christmas Raceday 1 JANUARY 2023 New Year’s Day 10 JANUARY 2023 24 JANUARY 2023 1 FEBRUARY 2023 12 FEBRUARY 2023 24 FEBRUARY 2023
HAYDOCK PARK 23 SEPTEMBER 2022 Afternoon Racing 24 SEPTEMBER 2022
WARWICK 19 SEPTEMBER 2022 20 SEPTEMBER 2022 29 SEPTEMBER 2022 1 NOVEMBER 2022 16 NOVEMBER 2022 8 DECEMBER 2022 31 DECEMBER 2022 New Year’s Eve Raceday 14 JANUARY 2023 Wigley Classic Chase Day 25 JANUARY 2023 11 FEBRUARY 2023 Kingmaker Chase Day 24 FEBRUARY 2023
Summer Season Finale 14 OCTOBER 2022 Flat Finale 19 OCTOBER 2022 Betfair Chase Day 30 NOVEMBER 2022 Christmas Afternoon Jump Racing 17 DECEMBER 2022 Tommy Whittle Chase Day 30 DECEMBER 2022 The Last Fling 21 JANUARY 2023 18 FEBRUARY 2023 22 MARCH 2023
12 MARCH 2023 22 MARCH 2023 30 MARCH 2023 27 APRIL 2023
1 MARCH 2023 9 MARCH 2023 27 MARCH 2023 5 APRIL 2023 16 APRIL 2023
8 APRIL 2023 29 APRIL 2023
10 MARCH 2023 26 MARCH 2023 11 APRIL 2023 21 APRIL 2023
For summer 2023 dates, please visit thejockeyclub.co.uk and our individual racecourses. For ticket and hospitality pricing and to book, head online now thejockeyclub.co.uk
FEATURE SAM WALEY-COHEN
Sam Waley-Cohen’s achievements as an amateur jockey are unparalleled and his career ended on a perfect note when he won the 2022 Randox Grand National. Ben Cox caught up with Sam and his father Robert to discuss an unforgettable day and what the future holds... A fairytale of Aintree
I f tasked with writing the script, few would dare. In the build-up to the 2022 Randox Grand National, Sam Waley-Cohen had announced that the 174th running of the world’s greatest steeplechase would be his last race as a jockey. Not since 1990 had an amateur rider won the race – when Marcus Armytage triumphed aboard Mr Frisk – and at 50-1, few gave Waley-Cohen’s mount, Noble Yeats, much chance of repeating the feat. However, as the pair strode back into the winner’s enclosure at Aintree Racecourse at around 5.30pm on Saturday 9 April 2022, the scene was fit for a Hollywood blockbuster with an ending verging on the ridiculous. Except this was real life – the culmination of years of hard work, blood, sweat, tears, triumph, failure and everything in between. Noble Yeats had become the first seven-year-old to succeed in the Randox Grand National since Bogskar in 1940, while Waley-Cohen’s name could be etched into the history books as the 42nd amateur jockey to win the race and the first of the 21st century. Waley-Cohen’s own race riding statistics of 75 Jump winners under Rules in Great Britain, plus one on the Flat, one winner in France and over 100 point-to-point winners fail to accurately reflect his phenomenal achievements in the saddle. Especially when you consider that those 75 UK Jump winners include four Grade Ones and a remarkable seven victories over the iconic Grand National fences at Aintree – a record many professional jockeys would swap their own for. Waley-Cohen also retires with four victories at The Festival™, headed by Long Run’s victory in the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup, horseracing’s most prestigious
contest. On the same horse, he claimed two victories in the Grade One King George VI Chase – making him the first amateur to succeed in Kempton Park’s Boxing Day spectacular. The combined achievements of Long Run and Noble Yeats also handed Waley-Cohen the unique statistic of being the only amateur jockey to ride winners of both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National. So when Waley-Cohen zipped up his bag and walked out of the weighing room for the final time, it marked the end of an extraordinary career and one that he and his father Robert freely admit had begun 23 years ago, purely as ‘a bit of fun’. Sam, whose first ride was as a 16-year-old in 1999, says: “We started out point-to-pointing to have a bit of fun,
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FEATURE SAM WALEY-COHEN
Sam Waley-Cohen holds up the Cheltenham Gold Cup after his 2011 victory with five-year-old Long Run, owned by his father
He was the first amateur jockey to win the race in 30 years, doing so in record time aboard Long Run, who beat Denman by seven lengths
time: “I have nothing but admiration for the professional jockeys – it’s an unbelievably tough life being on the road so much, while also having the pressure and the injuries. “Yes, there are successes but there’s an incredible hardness that they have to have, and for me, I wanted to do the sport for the love of it. I never wanted to win a race and think about the money… “I think that as soon as you go professional, it inevitably becomes about earning a living and it’s about the money. You can’t escape from that really and I thought it would change the sport for me. I was in a position where I had a business as an entrepreneur that I wanted to pursue and it allowed me to do both things.” Despite no longer riding as a jockey, Sam’s life remains as a busy as ever both in his professional life as CEO of Portman Dental Care and as a husband to Annabel and father to their three children, Maximilian, Scarlett and Alexander.
no more than that. I was always keen and dreamt of having a ride around the Grand National course and at the Cheltenham Festival, but my ambitions were never a whole lot more than that really.” Father Robert recalls that there was one ambition the pair shared, which was ultimately never fulfilled. He explains: “When Sam started riding we just set out to have fun, and if there was one race we dreamt of winning, it was the Festival Hunters’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. “The dream would have been for us to win the race with a homebred horse in my colours, trained by me and ridden by Sam. I think the closest Sam came to success in my colours on a horse trained by me was on Bica (who was 5th in 2007), and he was placed a few times for other people, too. “We had to settle for winning the preceding race [the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Long Run in 2011], so it worked out OK in the end!”
After his famous Aintree victory earlier this year, Sam reflected on his amateur career and listed the reasons he had not joined his weighing room colleagues in the professional ranks. He said at the However, he plans to maintain a close link with racing and goes on: “I am still riding out and schooling in the mornings. I just love horses and being out in the Sam’s extraordinary career had begun 23 years ago, purely as ‘a bit of fun’
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FEATURE SAM WALEY-COHEN
fresh air. I want to make sure I stay in contact with racing, and of course, will still be talking all the time with my dad. It will be interesting to see what happens with Noble Yeats and if he can go and do it again in the Grand National. “He is still a young horse, and hopefully, still has plenty left in him. We will look to the trainers to get the horses fit and use the best available jockeys – I won’t be a backseat jockey! “I am also very interested in helping racing in any way I can and getting more young people into the sport. Racing has given me a lot and I would love to make a contribution and give something back.” Sam’s father Robert, a former Chairman of
Cheltenham Racecourse from 2011 to 2019 who also trains a few horses himself under permit at Upton Viva Stud in Oxfordshire, rode in point-to- points and hunter chases himself, including at the Cheltenham Festival. However, he described himself as an incredibly bad amateur jockey, listing “I am interested in helping racing and getting more young people into the sport”
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FEATURE JUMP RACING DYNASTIES
SAM WALEY-COHEN’S WINS OVER THE GRAND NATIONAL FENCES AT AINTREE Becher Handicap Chase: Oscar Time ( 2014 ) Topham Handicap Chase: Liberthine ( 2006 ), Rajdhani Express ( 2015 ) Foxhunters’ Chase: Katarino ( 2005 , 2006 ), Warne (2014) Grand National: Noble Yeats (2022 )
COMPLETE GRAND NATIONAL RECORD 2007 Liberthine (5th) 2009 Ollie Magern (Fell, 2nd)
2011 Oscar Time (2nd) 2013 Oscar Time (4th) 2014 Long Run (Fell, 9th) 2015 Oscar Time (15th)
2016 Black Thunder (Pulled up, 21st) 2017 The Young Master (Fell, 6th) 2021 Jett (8th) 2022 Noble Yeats (Won)
his issues as being “wrong shape, wrong weight, not fit enough – basically, just thoroughly incompetent.” But while his own riding career failed to take off, he and his wife Felicity are justifiably very proud parents. He remarks: “I think it has been said that children are influenced by the sporting ambitions of their parents. While my wife Felicity is a beautiful rider, she had no desire to ride competitively, so I think Sam has been carrying out my sporting ambitions! “It has been fun and we’ve had some great times, but all good things come to an end and we are now moving on to the next chapter. “Sam is obviously still going to be a major part of our operation and we will continue to talk horses frequently. Now he is not going to be riding, we will probably look at having fewer horses, with the emphasis very much on quality. “I think Sam’s success is a great testament to point- to-point racing in this country. It may not be quite the nursery for horses that it is in Ireland, but it has proven to be a great nursery for people who have gone on to be successful under Rules.” While the 2022 Randox Grand National was certainly the perfectly timed crescendo that Sam Waley-Cohen’s years in the saddle had built towards, there is no doubt we will continue to see him and his family on racecourses for many years to come.
WINS AT THE FESTIVAL™ 2005 Liberthine – Plate Handicap Chase (Grade Three) 2009 Tricky Trickster – National Hunt Chase 2011 Long Run – Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade One) 2013 Rajdhani Express – Novices’ Handicap Chase (Listed Race) OTHER MAJOR WINS 2007 Shatabdi – Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle (Grade Two), Kempton Park 2009 Long Run – Feltham Novices’ Chase (Grade One), Kempton Park 2010 Long Run – Kingmaker Novices’ Chase (Grade Two), Warwick 2010 , 2012 Long Run – King George VI Chase (Grade One), Kempton Park 2012 Long Run – Denman Chase (Grade Two), Newbury 2016 The Young Master – bet365 Gold Cup (Grade Three), Sandown Park 2019 Impulsive Star – Classic Handicap Chase (Grade Three), Warwick
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FEATURE OPINION
As excitement builds for the next Cheltenham Festival, Joshua Stacey recalls some of the thrills of the one just gone and anticipates the carnival yet to come NO SLEEP ’TIL CHELTENHAM!
A rapturous, euphoric sense of excitement is usually brought on as the last-placed finisher crosses the line in the previous year’s Martin Pipe, intensifying gradually, before entirely absorbing all thought processes from mid-January and then spiralling out of control during the month of March. Will the storms in America affect the ground for the Unibet Champion Hurdle? Why did Willie Mullins wear a yellow tie at Leopardstown today? Do the British have a squeak in the Prestbury Cup? Steady, Josh. That’s when I know I’m too far down the rabbit hole. Despite February being just 28 days, Cheltenham fanatics will know it’s the longest month of the year by a good way. Tossing and turning like a kid on Christmas Eve, mind in circles after consuming each bit of vital information the preview night circuit has to offer. Every possibility analysed to the bone. Sometimes I wonder what’s the point even running the races, as I’ve already got the answers. I’m usually not the biggest fan of alarms, but the one on the Tuesday of Festival week can’t come soon enough. Bouncing out of bed without hesitation, deprived of sleep – but luckily, Festival
we’re raring to go. This year didn’t disappoint, as four days of racing magnificence blessed the thousands assembled at Prestbury Park. Energumene gave Willie Mullins his first-ever victory in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase – one of ten winners for the leading trainer. Yes TEN, coming from just 28 races – how do you put that achievement into perspective? The master trainer’s all-conquering base in Leinster saddled the same number of Cheltenham winners as England,
adrenaline is the greatest facemask of all. Shower, shave and I’m galloping out the door. A brisk walk up to the racecourse with a spring in my step. One by one, racing enthusiasts emerge, and suddenly the lone walk has turned into a march, all soldiers desperate to get off to a profitable start in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Through the gates accompanied by another brisk walk to the paddock. Yep, that’s how I remember it. Quick pit-stop in the Guinness Village, the Irish in fine voice once again, and
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FEATURE OPINION
the freakish 22-length demolition job of Jonbon in the Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the step to Champion Hurdle glory for Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old doesn’t look a steep one. Coming from the same stable that produced Binocular, Sprinter Sacre, Altior, Buveur D’Air, Epatante and Shishkin in the last ten years, Constitution Hill looks certain to be the next in line off the brilliant two-miler
Guy – an astonishing amount of talent that may dominate for years. In recent seasons, the Unibet Champion Hurdle division has been challengers are lining up to take on the dual Champion Hurdle winner. This time last year, Constitution Hill was nothing but a road connecting Buckingham Palace with Hyde Park Corner, but after a walkover for the brave and brilliant Honeysuckle, but
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland combined. Thirty-six per cent of the races went home to Willie Mullins, who must be short odds to start up a local metal scrap yard for the obscene amount of silverware won in March alone. Mullins mania won’t be slowing any time soon, with the majority of his winners coming in the novice races. Stattler, Sir Gerhard, Facile Vega, Vauban, State Man and The Nice
“THE MASTER TRAINER’S ALL-CONQUERING BASE IN LEINSTER SADDLED THE SAME NUMBER OF CHELTENHAM WINNERS AS ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND COMBINED”
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FEATURE OPINION
It’s not all about the Irish, though. I’d love the Skeltons to have a ‘proper’ Grade One horse in My Drogo, who’s got a fascinating campaign ahead of him after being ruled out the second half of last season through injury. Before we finish, give yourself a good pat on the back. Racing has enjoyed a whole jumps season without any disruption for the first time in three years and that deserves to be celebrated. Each weekday meeting felt like an achievement, an occasion, and each Saturday had a sprinkle of carnival atmosphere. From start to finish, I haven’t enjoyed a season more – and I’m ready to do it all over again.
County Hurdle, coming 12-wide down the hill before bagging the rail and laughing at his opposition under an ultra-confident Paul Townend. Who knows, Honeysuckle may not be unbeaten going into this year’s showpiece. Barry The Butcher’s Point-to- Point form couldn’t be working out better, with second-placed Croke Park going for £400,000 under the hammer to Gordon Elliott. He’s been bought by Sean and Bernardine Mulryan and could make a splash in bumpers or over hurdles this season. Foxfire Glow is another young Irish talent to note, in training with Gordon Elliott. He’s rumoured to be well above average.
conveyor belt at Seven Barrows. Despite his dominance across the week in recent seasons, Willie Mullins hasn’t had a stand-out two-mile hurdler since Annie Power in 2016, and he’ll be hoping to turn the corner imminently with two exciting youngsters. Juveniles traditionally struggle stepping into open country, but Vauban looked different gravy in a JCB Triumph Hurdle that promises to produce plenty of winners going forward. Indeed, Fil Dor, who’s the most laid-back and professional juvenile I’ve seen, looks a natural fit for chasing. And let’s not forget State Man, who took the Paddy Brennan route in the McCoys Contractors
“RACING HAS ENJOYED A WHOLE JUMPS SEASON WITHOUT ANY DISRUPTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS AND THAT DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED”
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THE
MEETING 2022
THE MAGIC STARTS HERE
FRI 11
SAT 12
SUN 13
COUNTRYSIDE DAY
PADDY POWER DAY
FAMILY FUN DAY
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THE SHOWCASE 21-22 OCTOBER 2022
When The Showcase kicks off Cheltenham’s season on 21 and 22 October, Jump racing fans from across the country will descend on the Cotswolds. It’s a meeting that signifies racing over hurdles and fences is well and truly back, says Ben Cox THE SHOWCASE GETS SEASON OFF TO A FLYER
A s racegoers leave Cheltenham Racecourse at the end of Race Night in early May, there is a sense of disappointment that it will be six months before they can return to the Home of Jump Racing. As a reward for their patience, however, The Showcase
Meeting or The Festival™. In 2021, there were three Irish-trained winners, including the John McConnell-trained Bardenstown Lad, who went on to finish third at The Festival in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Another of the trio of Irish-trained winners in 2022 was Definite Plan, who gave exciting young jockey Jordan Gainford a first Cheltenham winner in front of a full crowd – his previous winner at the course had come aboard The Shunter at The Festival in 2021 when no specatators were present due to Covid. Afterwards, an overjoyed Gainford summed up what a winner at the meeting means. He said: “I am delighted. To come here in front of a crowd like this is brilliant and to ride for my boss and a great owner and supporter of the yard is brilliant. To be in Cheltenham is one thing but to have a winner is extra special.” Those attending The Showcase can expect to see a number of runners who will go on to scale greater heights as the season progresses, and one horse who really comes alive at Cheltenham is Coole Cody, trained in Wales by Evan Williams. For the past two seasons, the Wayne Clifford-owned gelding has finished second at The Showcase before going on to claim a big prize later at the Home of Jump Racing. In 2020/21, it was the
in October treats them to not one but two days of high-quality fare to get the new season off to a flying start. Recent campaigns have seen The Showcase come of age, with raiders from across the Irish Sea now a feature almost as regular as those in The November
For ticket and hospitality pricing and to book, head online now thejockeyclub.co.uk
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THE SHOWCASE 21-22 OCTOBER 2022
“We have made tremendous strides to minimise our carbon footprint”
the environment, day one of The Showcase this season will feature its first-ever raceday dedicated to showcasing sustainability at our venue and in our sport, demonstrating to racegoers what is already being done and how they can help. Ian Renton, The Jockey Club’s Managing Director for Cheltenham and the West Region, said: “We have made tremendous strides in recent years to minimise our carbon footprint and to recycle as much as possible. “At The Showcase, racegoers will be able to find out more about all of the steps we are taking to further reduce our impact on the environment and the efforts they can make to help us facilitate that. “With The Showcase kicking off our new season, there is no better time for all of us the take stock and make sure we are all doing everything we can to improve the environment.”
Novices’ Chase and went on to land the Grade Two From The Horse’s Mouth Podcast Novices’ contest at The November Meeting. Guard Your Dreams, trained locally by Nigel Twiston-Davies, took the Abu Dhabi Digital Exchange Handicap Hurdle and won the Grade Two Unibet International Hurdle in December. This year’s Showcase meeting will also highlight The Jockey Club’s dedication to environmental sustainability. Having committed itself to sending no waste to landfill by 2020, this target was achieved in 2018 – two years ahead of schedule – and The Jockey Club continues to maximise efforts to recycle as much as possible. At Cheltenham itself, solar panels were installed in 2015. Sustainability is, naturally, an area of focus that can never be ‘completed’ and there is still much work to be done. To highlight the challenges ahead and The Jockey Club’s ongoing commitment to
Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at The November Meeting, while last season it was the Grade Three Racing Post Gold Cup at The International in December and the Grade Three Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase at The Festival. Evan Williams knows better than anyone Coole Cody’s love of Cheltenham, and after the horse’s Festival success, he said: “He is 11 years of age and he has got so many miles on the clock, but he will sit back and keep fighting all the way. He is a remarkable horse. This track should be all wrong for him as he jumps right-handed. He is not a particularly brilliant jumper, but this is a tough place for tough horses.” Winners at The Showcase last season who graduated to win at Graded level at Cheltenham included the Dan Skelton-trained Third Time Lucki, who was successful in the squareintheair.com
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Only The Festival can rival The November Meeting for both the quality and quantity of racing on offer at Cheltenham. We asked Ben Cox to look at what makes the three-day spectacular so popular ahead of this year’s meeting, which takes place on 11, 12 and 13 November THE NOVEMBER MEETING
THE NOVEMBER MEETING 11-13 NOVEMBER
I f it is The Showcase that gets Many of the sport’s biggest names have participated at The November Meeting over the years, including the greatest of them all, three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup victor Arkle. And since he won a novices’ chase on his Cheltenham debut at the fixture all the way back in 1962, plenty more legends have followed suit. The amazing Sprinter Sacre began his fairytale comeback, which would culminate in a second victory in the Cheltenham’s season underway, it is at The November Meeting that Jump racing really steps up a gear. Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, when winning the Shloer Chase on the Sunday in 2015. And in more recent times, the likes of dual Randox Grand National victor Tiger Roll and the dual Festival heroine Put The Kettle On have been seen in action. Centre stage at The November Meeting is the first major contest of the Jump season – the Paddy Power Gold Cup. Run over an extended two-and-a-half miles on the Saturday, and first staged back in 1960, the roll of honour for the Grade Three handicap chase features some legendary performers, including Champion Chase heroes Fortria and Dunkirk, and Grand National winner Gay Trip. Such is its competitive and valuable nature, the Paddy Power Gold Cup can be
explains: “I’m sure it is emotional for most jockeys, but it is especially emotional for me to have retired and come back and do all this for my family. To come down and ride these big winners is amazing. “I was very positive and that is how I rode him and that is how he has gone and done it. There are no plans to retire – I’ve got a good ten years in me yet!” The November Meeting is far more than just one race, though, with high-quality Graded action taking place on each of the three days. Another of Saturday’s highlights is the Grade Two Novices’ Chase over two miles, which serves as a trial for the Grade One Sporting Life Arkle Novices’ Chase at The Festival. Subsequent three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup scorer Best Mate won this contest in 2000, while both Azertyuiop (2002) and Put The Kettle On (2019) both went on to Arkle success later in the campaign. Friday is Countryside Day with an array of rural-themed activities around the racecourse. It is on Countryside Day that Cheltenham’s unique Cross Country
used as a starting point for horses with higher aspirations. For example, Long Run was third in the 2010 renewal, before going on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup later in the same season. Unusually for a big-race at Cheltenham, Irish raiders have a relatively modest record in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, with just five successful since its inception and none since Tranquil Sea in 2009. Tranquil Sea also has the distinction of being the last favourite to succeed, and overall, just 14 of the 62 runnings (22.5 per cent) have gone to the market leader, so punters who study the form rather than simply backing the favourite are often rewarded. The 2022 renewal saw the prize go north for the first time in 14 years, when the Sue Smith-trained Midnight Shadow (9-1) landed the spoils under Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania by three-quarters of a length from 11-2 Favourite Protektorat. For Mania, who had previously retired in 2014, only to return to the saddle five years later, it was a milestone success. He
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THE NOVEMBER MEETING 11-13 NOVEMBER
course stages the first of its three contests of the season – the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase. There was a popular local success in this contest in 2021 when the Martin Keighley-trained Back On The Lash justified 4-1 favouritism under Sean Bowen. Such is the competitive nature of the action at the Home of Jump Racing in November, winners are hard to obtain, particularly for those trainers who lack the resources of the leading stables. So there was no more emotional success throughout the season at Cheltenham in 2021/22 than when 33-1 McAlpine handed Irish trainer Philip Rothwell success in the Valda Energy Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. It had been 15 years since Rothwell had last been in Cheltenham’s winners’ enclosure, back when Native Jack landed the Cross Country Chase at The Festival in 2006, and the County Wicklow handler was overcome by emotion to be back on such hallowed ground. Rothwell says: “This is special. It was 15 years ago I won the Cross Country and didn’t think it would take 15 years to get back here! I love it and it means so much – it’s my favourite place in the world. “I love standing on the front and get a huge thrill out of it. I have been second a few times and obviously had the Festival
FIRST RUN IN 2009, THE SHLOER CHASE HAS QUICKLY DEVELOPED INTO ONE OF THE EARLY-SEASON TARGETS FOR THE VERY BEST TWO-MILE CHASERS
successes including the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Last year’s winner was West Cork, who defied an absence of some 631 days thanks to the combination of trainer Dan Skelton and his jockey brother Harry. It proved to be a memorable afternoon for the Skeltons, as they also landed the day’s feature race over fences, the Shloer Chase, with Nube Negra. One of the most recent additions to the race programme at Cheltenham, first run in 2009, the Shloer Chase has quickly developed into one of the early-season targets for the very best two-mile chasers, with Sprinter Sacre (2015) and Put The Kettle On (2020) both going on to claim the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at The Festival later in the same season. Not only does The November Meeting provide plenty of clues ahead of The Festival, it also serves up some of the best action on the track all season.
winner here – I would love another one. We are a small yard and to have a winner today is very special. I know it was 15 years because two days before the Cross Country victory my daughter was born! ” Sunday is Family Fun Day and has a very relaxed feel with plenty on offer for the whole family and the chance to get some Christmas shopping bought in good time. On the track, Sunday’s highlight is the ultra-competitive Unibet Greatwood Hurdle, run in honour of Helen and Michael Yeadon’s Marlborough-based charity, Greatwood, which does such amazing work for retired racehorses. Taking place over an extended two miles, this high-class handicap was inaugurated in 1987 when it went to Celtic Shot, a horse that captured the Champion Hurdle later in the same season, a feat matched by Rooster Booster in 2003/04. Another good winner was Sizing Europe, who later excelled over fences with
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78 BLACK TYPE
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FEATURE AFTER HOURS
Ever wondered what Willie Mullins watches on Netflix? Or if Joseph O’Brien is a secret Love Island fan? After Hours will be back for the upcoming season to answer all those questions that we really want to know the answers to… After Hours
L ive after all the action from Cheltenham and Blenheim International Horse Trials, ITV Racing ’s Chris Hughes will return to host the hit online show, After Hours . With a selection of guest co-hosts, from TV presenter Rosie Tapner to fellow ITV presenter Alice Plunkett, you can keep up to date with all the day’s events and enjoy the content you didn’t know you needed. “It is such a fun show to do – I really look forward to it,” says Chris. “ After Hours means we are able to highlight the fun side of racing. Obviously, we discuss all the action from the day and the biggest racing stories, but where else are you going to see Rachael Blackmore chatting about her favourite TV show? Or Olympians like Laura Collett talking you through her day at the event… It just doesn’t happen! But After Hours brings it into people’s living rooms and I love that we get to do that. “After Hours is a half-hour show full of exclusive behind-the-scenes content and interviews with the biggest names in the sport. Plus, it provides – we
hope! – the opportunity for viewers to find out what they really want to know about the sport’s most exciting stars. “The whole idea of the show is to open up racing and eventing to a new audience. It gives us a chance to let the personalities of the people in our sport shine through. They are all such great people, and we are not always able to see that when they are interviewed on ITV or before a race because they are so focused on the job in hand. “I enjoy asking them the questions that I think the people at home will want to know! To try to get inside the minds of these top athletes a little, and hopefully, that comes across on the show.” Tens of thousands tuned in to catch up on each day’s action this year, with After Hours streaming live on The Jockey Club’s social media platforms. In the upcoming season, After Hours , brought to you by Glenfarclas, will return to The Festival and The November Meeting for what is sure to be another thrilling set of behind-the-scenes shows.
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AFTER HOURS WITH CHRIS HUGHES will be streamed live on The Jockey Club’s social media channels after racing. For more information on the racedays and After Hours , head to thejockeyclub.co.uk
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FEATURE SPOTLIGHT ON TRAINERS
SPOTLIGHT ON Britain’s Best Trainers
Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson are Britain’s two most prolific Jump trainers of the modern era B ased at stables in Ditcheat, Somerset, Paul Nicholls has been crowned Champion Trainer an astonishing 13 times, while Nicky Henderson, based at Seven Barrows, pair, both of whom received an OBE in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to the horse racing industry, speak to Graham Clark about the five top
contenders we should be observing closely when the 2022-23 season gets underway…
near Lambourn in Berkshire, has won the title six times. Here, the
PAUL NICHOLLS
Monmiral “Monmiral is only five, but we have always been excited about going chasing with him. Last season was a bit of a ‘fill-in’ one while we were waiting to go over fences this season. He had a setback after the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, then he ran two good races in the spring at Fontwell in the National Spirit and up at Aintree in the Aintree Hurdle. “He will start over two miles over fences this season and see where we go from there. He is ready to go novice chasing and he is a very exciting prospect.”
Bravemansgame “He looks fantastic and his number one aim is the King George at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. I might start him off at
Newton Abbot in the race he won
last year if the ground is OK.
We would step him up in class for something else between then and Kempton if he goes that route. We will make a plan after
Christmas for the second half of the season. I’m not sure he wants three-and-a-quarter miles. He doesn’t strike me as being a really big, strong, staying horse like Ahoy Senor. He could be a horse that 2m 5f or 2m 6f might suit better, though he will get three at Kempton. He did very little wrong last season.”
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FEATURE SPOTLIGHT ON TRAINERS
Gelino Bello “We did the right thing with him at the end of last season missing Cheltenham and going for the Grade One at Aintree. He loves a flat track, but he has run well at Cheltenham twice. He stays well and he will make a lovely, staying novice chaser. He came of age at Aintree. He travelled well and jumped very nicely. I’d probably start him over 2m 6f before going back up to three. He could possibly have the Kauto Star at Kempton Park as a first half-season target. If he jumps fences well, he will go further than he has done over hurdles already.”
McFabulous “He was going to go over fences last season, but he had a setback, so we decided to stay over hurdles for another season. He could be one to go to that first Chepstow meeting and then the Rising Stars at Wincanton. Places like Kempton Park really suit him. Up until now, Cheltenham hasn’t really suited him. A race that would suit him at Christmas is the Kauto Star at Kempton Park. He has always schooled over baby fences. I don’t think fences will be a problem to him. He is a very smart horse and we have been itching to go chasing with him.”
Stage Star “He won the Challow Hurdle at Newbury last season. He is a two-and-a-half mile to 2m 6f horse but he might get further. He is a bit like Bravemansgame in that I would put a line through the spring. I shouldn’t have run him at
Cheltenham on that ground, and then he was over the top at Aintree. Hopefully, we will start him off on decent ground in Chepstow in October. Stage Star was progressive over hurdles. Who knows where he will end up, but he is a lovely horse to go novice chasing.”
NICKY HENDERSON
Constitution Hill “You can nearly call him a bit of a freak. You just never know with these horses, and ones like him do happen. We have all just got to pray that he comes back the same horse when we start all over again. What we saw last season should make him very exciting this season, but there is a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and March.
“His objective this season is the Champion Hurdle. The great thing would be to have one
meeting with Honeysuckle. Which route we take I’m not sure, as Epatante is still there. It is very possible that he has to take the same route in going to the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle.
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FEATURE SPOTLIGHT ON TRAINERS
Epatante “She will go the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle route as they are her tracks [Newcastle and Kempton Park]. She had a fantastic season winning three Grade Ones, but there is a problem and that is Constitution Hill! She had a difficult time the season before last, but she really bounced back to what we thought she was capable of, which was fantastic. She is a very good mare, there is no doubt about that. At the end of the day, you come to the Champion Hurdle, but would you move Epatante up to the Mares’ Hurdle over two and a half? We will discuss it with JP [McManus, owner] and see what he wants to do, as it is his call. However, she will start over two miles and go Fighting Fifth, then on to the Christmas Hurdle, all being well.”
Marie’s Rock “The race at Punchestown was a topsy-turvy kind of race, but Marie’s Rock was very good there again, just as she was at Cheltenham. She is a dual Grade One winner and was basically the champion mare last season. The surprise was the season before when she went lame before Cheltenham. She came back in 2020-21 and had a horrible season, as we just couldn’t find her. Last season, she came back and was good the whole way through. You might even find that she will get further than two-and-a-half miles.”
Shishkin “We found the problem after Cheltenham, which is this bone
disease. It is absolutely bizarre. I would like to get to the Tingle Creek, but we might just start a bit too late for that, as we are looking at six months recuperation from when it happened and the first time it showed up, and that was Cheltenham. “It was a great shame what happened at Cheltenham, but he won what was the race of the season at Ascot in the Clarence House Chase. “Unfortunately, the Champion Chase was over before the second fence. If I can get him to the Tingle Creek, we will. Otherwise it will be the Clarence House then Cheltenham for the Champion Chase.”
Jonbon “If it wasn’t for Constitution Hill, he would be the star novice hurdler of last season and near-on favourite for the Champion Hurdle. So, he is not going for the Champion Hurdle and will go novice chasing instead. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got further than two miles over fences. He is a very high-class horse. Fences should bring out even more in him as he is a great jumper.”
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THE BETFAIR CHASE 19 NOVEMBER 2022
Early-season highlights don’t come much bigger than the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, and last year’s renewal was no exception. Graham Clark looks at what makes the race so important… BETFAIR CHASE
I n a sport that celebrates its rich heritage and stages prestigious races dating back centuries, it is rare to find a contest that feels so established while being less than 20 years old. The Betfair Chase was only established in 2005, yet the three miles and one furlong race attracts the best staying chasers in training and is often viewed as the first step towards the holy grail that is the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. Britain’s first Grade One contest of the season and the first leg of The Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown, it also boasts a roll of honour that underlines just why it has rapidly achieved such status in the Jump racing calendar. Household names to have won the race include three-time winners Cue Card, trained by Colin Tizzard, who won the race in 2013, 2015 and 2016, and Bristol De Mai from the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard, who was successful in 2017, 2018
said that no Irish horse had won it, which I didn’t know at the time, so my hope started to dissipate! “We had him right and ready for it and everyone at home was happy with him. He jumped well, Rachael was brilliant on him and it all seemed to fall right. “It was really a bit of a ‘wow’ moment when he went on after the third last. He was so impressive. It was a fantastic race to win. We were just coming out of Covid and it was great the crowds were back.” This year’s renewal of the Betfair Chase will take place on Saturday 19 November and de Bromhead is already counting down the days until he can bring A Plus Tard back to the Merseyside track. He added: “I think we are all very keen to come back and have a go at the race again. If we can turn him into a multiple winner, that would be incredible, so we are certainly aiming towards the Betfair Chase in November.”
and 2020. However, one stands out above all – the late, great Paul Nicholls-trained Kauto Star, who triumphed four times in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. With time on his side, there is every chance last season’s winner, A Plus Tard, could go on to match such exploits, especially after winning the 2022 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March with jockey Rachael Blackmore. For trainer Henry de Bromhead, A Plus Tard’s 22-length Betfair Chase victory remains one of the ‘wow’ moments of last season, and he says: “It was in the April after he came second in the Gold Cup that the Betfair Chase came on to the radar. “It is a Grade One and one of the top staying chases of the year. We are always looking for left-handed tracks to run him on and it was obvious to go there for it. “I was hopeful enough until I got there. Then, within about an hour of being there, I’d say every second person I met
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NEW YEAR’S DAY 1 JANUARY 2023
For many fans of the sport, Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day fixture is as much a seasonal tradition as carol singing, Christmas turkey and the singing of Auld Lang Syne is to others. Graham Clark takes a look at a thrilling day of racing… NEW YEAR’S DAY
T he temperature might be close to zero, but with plenty of top-class action and free family fun on offer on New Year’s Day, the Home of Jump Racing is the place to beat the chill. Headlining the card is the Grade Two Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle, which was switched to the New Year’s Day fixture in 2016 from its former slot at The International in December. The extended 2m 4f prize has been won by some smart individuals, including 2012 Champion Hurdle winner Rock On Ruby, who landed the 2014 renewal, and More Of That, who added the race to his CV in 2013 before tasting victory in the Stayers’ Hurdle at The Festival™ later in the season. This year’s winner, Stormy Ireland, showed that the race can stack up with
While much of the attention on the day will centre around two Grade Two contests, the undercard is one packed full of quality as well. For those who like to get their teeth stuck into competitive handicaps, the Grade Three Paddy Power New Year’s Day Chase offers that very opportunity, while the Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle is another regularly intriguing encounter that can take plenty of solving. Anyone interested in finding a star of the future need look no further than the two Listed events, the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the ‘Junior’ National Hunt Flat Race, which open and close the card, ensuring the meeting not only caters for all types of racing fan, but also blows away the New Year’s Eve cobwebs in the process.
the best of them after a mighty run on her return to Cheltenham at The Festival™, when finishing a close-up fourth back at Grade One level in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle. The Relkeel Hurdle might not have produced many future winners at The Festival™ in recent seasons, but it is always competitive, while the other Grade Two on the card, the Paddy Power Novices’ Chase, is a strong contest in its own right, while also serving as a useful stepping stone in recent seasons. This year’s race was claimed by the Venetia Williams-trained L’Homme Presse, who followed up his victory with Grade One wins in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park and at The Festival™ in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
For ticket and hospitality pricing and to book, head online now thejockeyclub.co.uk
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