THE ROAD TO CHELTENHAM 2015

The 66 most important race trials for the (November - March)

© 2015 Gavin Priestley RACE INDEX

1) CHARLIE HALL CHASE (WETHERBY) – 31ST OCTOBER 2) WEST YORKSHIRE HURDLE (WETHERBY) – 31ST OCTOBER 3) HALDON GOLD CUP CHASE (EXETER) – 3RD NOVEMBER 4) ELITE HURDLE (WINCANTON) – 7TH NOVEMBER 5) CROSS COUNTRY CHASE (CHELTENHAM) – 13TH NOVEMBER 6) PADDY POWER CHASE (CHELTENHAM) – 14TH NOVEMBER 7) JUVENILE NOVICES HURDLE (CHELTENHAM) - 14TH NOVEMBER 8) GREATWOOD H'CAP HURDLE (CHELTENHAM) – 15TH NOVEMBER 9) NOVEMBER NOVICES CHASE (CHELTENHAM) – 15TH NOVEMBER 10) 2M LISTED CHASE (CHELTENHAM) – 15TH NOVEMBER 11) ASCOT HURDLE (ASCOT) – 21ST NOVEMBER 12) (HAYDOCK) - 21ST NOVEMBER 13) NOVICE CHASE (NEWBURY) -28TH NOVEMBER 14) LONG DISTANCE HURDLE (NEWBURY)-28TH NOV. 15) HENNESSY GOLD CUP CHASE (NEWBURY)-28TH NOVEMBER 16) FIGHTING FIFTH (NEWCASTLE)-28TH NOVEMBER 17) HENRY VIII CHASE (SANDOWN) -5TH DECEMBER 18) TINGLE CREEK (SANDOWN) -5TH DECEMBER 19) NOVICE HURDLE (CHELTENHAM) -12TH DECEMBER 20) GOLD CUP HANDICAP (CHELTENHAM) -12TH DECEMBER 21) (CHELTENHAM) -12TH DECEMBER 22) (CHELTENHAM) -12TH DECEMBER 23) KENNEL GATE NOVICE HURDLE (ASCOT) -19TH DECEMBER 24) NOVICE CHASE (ASCOT) -19TH DECEMBER 25) LADBROKE HANDICAP HURDLE (ASCOT) -19TH DECEMBER 26) SILVER CUP HANDICAP CHASE (ASCOT) -19TH DECEMBER 27) LONG WALK HURDLE (ASCOT) -19TH DECEMBER 28) FELTHAM NOVICE CHASE (KEMPTON) -26TH DECEMBER 29) (KEMTON) -26TH DECEMBER 30) KING GEORGE VI CHASE (KEMPTON) -26TH DECEMBER 31) ROWLAND MEYRICK HANDICAP CHASE (WETHERBY) -27TH DECEMBER 32) FUTURE CHAMPION JUVENILE HURDLE (CHEPSTOW) -27TH DECEMBER 33) WELSH GRAND NATIONAL (CHEPSTOW) -27TH DECEMBER 34) NOVICES CHASE (KEMPTON) -27TH DECEMBER 35) CHALLOW NOVICES HURDLE (NEWBURY) -29TH DECEMBER 36) DIPPER NOVICES CHASE (CHELTENHAM) – 1ST JANUARY 37) TOLWORTH HURDLE (SANDOWN) 38) CLASSIC CHASE (WARWICK) 39) LIGHTNING NOVICE CHASE (ASCOT) 40) TRIAL (HAYDOCK) 41) NOVICE CHASE (HAYDOCK) 42) PETER MARSH CHASE (HAYDOCK) 43) TROPHY CHASE HANDICAP (CHELTENHAM) 44) COTSWOLD CHASE (CHELTENHAM) 45) FINESSE JUVENILE HURDLE (CHELTENHAM) 46) CLEEVE HURDLE (CHELTENHAM) 47) RIVER DON NOVICE HURDLE (DONCASTER) 48) HANDICAP HURDLE (SANDOWN) 49) SCILLY ISLES NOVICE CHASE (SANDOWN) 50) TOWTON NOVICES CHASE (WETHERBY) 51) GAME SPIRIT CHASE (NEWBURY) 52) AON CHASE (NEWBURY) 53) BETFAIR HURDLE (NEWBURY) 54) NH FLAT RACE (NEWBURY) 55) WELSH CHAMPION HURDLE (FFOS LAS) 56) KINGMAKER NOVICE CHASE (WARWICK) 57) REYNOLDSTOWN NOVICE CHASE (ASCOT) 58) ASCOT CHASE (ASCOT) 59) RENDLESHAM HURDLE (HAYDOCK) 60) KINGWELL HURDLE (WINCANTON) 61) DOVECOTE NOVICE HURDLE (KEMPTON) 62) PENDIL NOVICE CHASE (KEMPTON) 63) RACING POST CHASE (KEMPTON) 64) ADONIS JUVENILE HURDLE (KEMPTON) 65) NATIONAL SPIRIT HURDLE (FONTWELL) 66) IMPERIAL CUP (SANDOWN) RACE 14: LONG DISTANCE HURDLE – NEWBURY SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER – 3M ½F HURDLE (4yo+) RESULTS: 2005 – 2014

YEAR FORM WINNER HURDLE RUNS ODDS TRAINER AGE WEIGHT RATING 2014 2275-2 Medinas (FR) 16 8/1 King, A 7 11-0 151 2013 426-16 Celestial Halo (IRE) 29 7/2 Nicholls, P F 9 11-8 161 2012 11111- Big Bucks (FR) 30 1/12 Nicholls, P F 9 11-8 174 2011 /1111- Big Bucks (FR) 25 1/8 Nicholls, P F 8 11-8 174 2010 /1111- Big Bucks (FR) 21 2/7 Nicholls, P F 7 11-8 174 2009 11111- Big Bucks (FR) 17 2/5 Nicholls, P F 6 11-8 174 2008 /312-1 Duc De Regniere (FR) 5 9/1 Henderson, N J 6 11-0 150 2007 /1213- Inglis Drever 18 15/8 Johnson, J H 8 11-8 168 2006 2/11F- Inglis Drever 14 15/8 Johnson, J H 7 11-8 0 2005 1112-1 Inglis Drever 12 8/13 Johnson, J H 6 11-8 163 TRENDS: • All 10 winners were aged 6-9yo • 9 of the 10 winners were rated 150+ (exception would surely have also been rated 150+) • 9 of the 10 winners had their last run at Grade 1 or Grade 2 level • 9 of the 10 winners had run at least 12 times over hurdles • 8 of the 10 winners returned 7/2 or shorter • 6 of the 10 winners had their last run at Aintree (from just 13 such runners) • 6 of the 10 winners won their last start • 6 of the 10 winners were making their seasonal debut • Only 1 winner (from 23 such runners) had their last start in a handicap • All 7 runners who had their last run over fences finished unplaced TOP 5 TRAINERS: Runs/Wins/Places/Profit-Loss P. NICHOLLS 8 5 2 +1.40 A. KING 7 1 1 +2.00 N. TWISTON-DAVIES 4 0 1 -4.00 P. BOWEN 3 0 2 -3.00 N. HENDERSON 3 1 1 +7.00

RACE AS A POINTER TO THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL:

Despite this race featuring small fields, and more often than not an odds on favourite, it has been a great guide to the World Hurdle having provided the winner 6 times in the last 10 years. There doesn't seem much point in focussing on the also-rans as it's the principals that have provided the best results over the last decade.

In 2014 the runner up, Cole Harden, won the World Hurdle at 14/1, Big Bucks won this race and the World Hurdle in Season's 2011-12, 2010-11 & 2009-2010 and Inglis Drever did the double in Season's 2007-08 and 2006-07

The 2013 beaten favourite At Fishers Cross went on to finish 3rd in that Season's World Hurdle while Kasbah Bliss ran 3rd here and second in the World Hurdle during the 2007/08 Season