The Showcase meeting at Cheltenham opens on Friday 23 October with seven races over hurdles and fences. We’ve pulled together the stats that matter for every race: course winners, the horses that look well treated on ratings, and the trainers with a strong record at this meeting and this month.

The biggest prize of the day is the squareintheair.com Handicap Chase at 3.35pm, worth £52,030 to the winner. The Grade 2 Oddschecker Novices’ Hurdle at 3pm, registered as the Sharp Novices’ Hurdle, is worth £47,552.

Cheltenham Race Schedule For Friday 23rd October

Time	Race	Grade	Distance	Runners
1.15pm	William Hill Epic Boosts Handicap Hurdle	Class 3	2m3f 200y	13
1.50pm	Catesby Estates “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase	Class 2	1m7f 199y	5
2.25pm	Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle	Class 3	2m 87y	13
3pm	Oddschecker Novices’ Hurdle	Grade 2	2m 87y	10
3.35pm	squareintheair.com Handicap Chase	Class 2	1m7f 199y	9
4.10pm	McCoy Contractors Novices’ Hurdle	Class 2	2m3f 200y	7
4.45pm	Chapel Down Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase	Class 3	3m1f	11

Cheltenham course winners running on Friday

Four of Friday’s runners have won at Cheltenham before. Only Calico has won over today’s course and distance.

Horse	Race	Cheltenham record	Note
Calico	3.35pm	2 wins from 8 runs	Won this race in 2024 and 2025
Soul Icon	3.35pm	1 win from 3 runs	Sixth on the most recent visit, in January 2025
East India Express	1.15pm	1 win from 4 runs	Won a Class 2 hurdle here in April 2025; fell in this race last year
Unanswered Prayers	4.45pm	1 win from 6 runs	Fifth in this race last year, beaten 1½ lengths

Well-handicapped runners on ratings

A quick way to spot a horse that may be well treated is to compare its Racing Post Rating (RPR) on the GG racecard with the official rating it runs off today. The bigger the gap, the better the horse has run compared with its current mark. These are the biggest gaps in Friday’s four handicaps.

Horse	Race	Official rating	RPR	Gap
Traprain Law	3.35pm	133	163	+30
Palacio	3.35pm	132	162	+30
Crooked Path	1.15pm	116	145	+29
Unanswered Prayers	4.45pm	112	140	+28
Norman Fletcher	1.15pm	114	142	+28
Sky Lord	3.35pm	132	160	+28
Better Off Alone	4.45pm	104	130	+26
Snatch A Glance	1.15pm	114	140	+26
Thankyouandplease	2.25pm	109	133	+24
Emerald Time	2.25pm	111	133	+22

• Unanswered Prayers: carries 11st 1lb in the 4.45pm. That’s 14lb less than when fifth in the same race last year, beaten 1½ lengths at 50/1, and Henry Main rides again.
• Traprain Law: was fourth in the 3.35pm last year and carries 10st 3lb, a pound more than then.
• Calico: the dual winner of the 3.35pm carries 11st 4lb, 8lb more than when winning last year.
• In form and well treated: Crooked Path won at Fontwell eight days ago, Emerald Time won at Stratford on 5 October, Better Off Alone won at Uttoxeter on 4 October and Norman Fletcher was second at Newton Abbot six days ago.

Trainers with a good record at this meeting

These figures cover every runner at Cheltenham’s October meeting from 2021 to 2025, for trainers with runners on Friday.

Trainer	Showcase record 2021-25	Strike rate	Friday runners
Philip Hobbs & Johnson White	2 from 5	40%	The Hardest Geezer
Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls	2 from 6	33%	Wild Goose
Henry de Bromhead	4 from 19	21%	Sky Lord
Chris Gordon	2 from 10	20%	Unanswered Prayers
John C McConnell	5 from 31	16%	Cloonainra
Martin Keighley	3 from 19	16%	Continuance, Duke Of Luckley, Better Off Alone
Gordon Elliott	6 from 41	15%	Bowensonfire, Cosmos d’Ainay
Olly Murphy	2 from 13	15%	Little Ledgend
Dan Skelton	5 from 35	14%	Ice Jet, Loriko, Cooltobecareless, Calico, Snipe
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	5 from 36	14%	Norman Fletcher, Scott’s Legacy, Mister Coko
Nicky Henderson	2 from 15	13%	East India Express, La Pinsonniere, Planters Punch
Fergal O’Brien	4 from 38	11%	John Barbour, Frontier Prince, Snatch A Glance, Fils De Roi

• Dan Skelton: won two of Friday’s races last year, the Sharp Novices’ Hurdle with Fortune De Mer and the 3.35pm with Calico.
• Last year’s other Friday winners: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White (1.15pm), Olly Murphy (1.50pm), Fergal O’Brien (2.25pm) and Martin Keighley (4.10pm) all have runners again.
• Poor records at the meeting: Ben Pauling is 1 from 18, although 11 of the 18 finished in the places. Jonjo O’Neill is 0 from 14, Joe Tizzard 0 from 10 and James Owen 0 from 8.

Trainers in form this month

These figures cover all runners from 1 to 22 October 2026, for trainers with at least five runners this month and a runner on Friday.

Trainer	October 2026	Strike rate	Friday runners
Patrick Neville	5 from 9	56%	Datstheholyallofit
Warren Greatrex	5 from 12	42%	Governors Rock
John Dawson	2 from 5	40%	Kingofthefrontier
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	12 from 34	35%	Norman Fletcher, Scott’s Legacy, Mister Coko
Alastair Ralph	2 from 6	33%	In The Air
Jamie Snowden	7 from 25	28%	Handlethekettle
Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls	3 from 11	27%	Wild Goose
Alex Hales	3 from 11	27%	Spanish Darling
Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore	9 from 35	26%	Traprain Law
Dan Skelton	28 from 116	24%	Ice Jet, Loriko, Cooltobecareless, Calico, Snipe
Olly Murphy	10 from 45	22%	Little Ledgend
Joe Tizzard	7 from 33	21%	JPR One

Some yards are quiet this month. John C McConnell is 1 from 41, Ross O’Sullivan 1 from 29, Nick Scholfield 0 from 21 and Ian Patrick Donoghue 0 from 14.

1.15pm Cheltenham – William Hill Epic Boosts Handicap Hurdle

Thirteen runners over 2m3f 200y on good ground.

• Last year: French Ship won at 6/1 for Philip Hobbs & Johnson White. Bowensonfire was third and East India Express fell.
• Course winner: East India Express won a Class 2 hurdle here in April 2025.
• Ratings: Crooked Path (official rating 116, RPR 145) and Norman Fletcher (114, RPR 142) have the biggest gaps in the race.
• Quick returns: Norman Fletcher ran six days ago and Crooked Path eight days ago. Al Gasparo has been off for 476 days.
• Strength in numbers: Fergal O’Brien runs John Barbour, Frontier Prince and Snatch A Glance, and Nicky Henderson runs East India Express and La Pinsonniere.

1.50pm Cheltenham – Catesby Estates “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase

Five runners over 1m7f 199y.

• Last year: Alnilam won at 9/4 for Olly Murphy.
• Top rated: Bowensonfire is the highest-rated runner on 143 for Gordon Elliott. He was third in the 1.15pm handicap hurdle at this meeting last year.
• Winning run: Passing Diamond has won five of his last six starts and carries top weight of 11st 12lb.
• Mullins: Jarrive De Mee runs for W P Mullins and is ridden by Mr P W Mullins.

2.25pm Cheltenham – Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle

Thirteen runners over 2m 87y, all ridden by conditional jockeys.

• Last year: Leloopa won at 14/1 for Fergal O’Brien, whose Fils De Roi runs this year.
• Jockey at the course: Tom Broughton, who rides Fils De Roi, has three wins from 12 rides at Cheltenham. Fils De Roi has been off for 532 days.
• Ratings: Thankyouandplease (109, RPR 133), Emerald Time (111, RPR 133) and Gower Prince (111, RPR 131) have the biggest gaps.
• Recent winners: Emerald Time won at Stratford on 5 October and Gower Prince at Chepstow on 11 October.
• Top weight: Loriko carries 12st 0lb off a mark of 134 for Dan Skelton.

3pm Cheltenham – Oddschecker Novices’ Hurdle

Ten runners over 2m 87y in the Grade 2 registered as the Sharp Novices’ Hurdle.

• Last year: Fortune De Mer won at 14/1 for Dan Skelton, who runs Cooltobecareless this time.
• Top rated: Planters Punch (128) and Bells Grove (127). Planters Punch has won all three starts and returns from 195 days off for Nicky Henderson.
• Jockey at the course: Nico de Boinville, who rides Planters Punch, has 59 wins from 350 rides at Cheltenham.
• Trainer form: Warren Greatrex (Governors Rock) has had 5 winners from 12 runners this month.

3.35pm Cheltenham – squareintheair.com Handicap Chase

Nine runners over 1m7f 199y for the day’s biggest prize.

• Dual winner: Calico won this race in 2024 and 2025 for Dan Skelton. He carries 11st 4lb, 8lb more than last year.
• Course form: Soul Icon has won one of three starts at Cheltenham. Traprain Law was fourth in this race last year.
• Ratings: Traprain Law (133, RPR 163), Palacio (132, RPR 162) and Sky Lord (132, RPR 160) have the biggest gaps.
• Top weight: JPR One carries 12st 0lb off 158 and is 0 from 7 at Cheltenham.
• Bottom weights: five runners carry bottom weight of 10st 2lb.

4.10pm Cheltenham – McCoy Contractors Novices’ Hurdle

Seven runners over 2m3f 200y.

• Last year: De Temps En Temps won at 22/1 for Martin Keighley.
• Top rated: Cosmos d’Ainay is the highest-rated runner on 126 for Gordon Elliott.
• Hot trainer: Patrick Neville has had 5 winners from 9 runners this month and runs Datstheholyallofit, who has won the last two starts.
• Mullins: Mr Hollywood runs for W P Mullins after 86 days off.

4.45pm Cheltenham – Chapel Down Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase

Eleven runners over 3m1f, all ridden by amateurs.

• Last year: Smugglers Haven won at 100/30 for Sara Bradstock. Unanswered Prayers was fifth, beaten 1½ lengths, and carries 14lb less this time.
• Ratings: Unanswered Prayers (112, RPR 140), Better Off Alone (104, RPR 130) and Jupiter Des Bordes (112, RPR 135) have the biggest gaps.
• In form: Little Ledgend has won the last two starts for Olly Murphy. Better Off Alone won at Uttoxeter on 4 October.
• Riders at the course: Gina Andrews (Youdecide) has 11 wins from 80 rides at Cheltenham, and Derek O’Connor (Fairlawn Skipper) has 7 from 58.

Key angles

• Calico: goes for a hat-trick in the 3.35pm and is the only course-and-distance winner on the card.
• Dan Skelton: won two Friday races here last year, has five runners on the card and has had 28 winners this month.
• Twiston-Davies yard: Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies have a 35% strike rate this month and three Friday runners.
• Weight drop: Unanswered Prayers carries 14lb less than when fifth in the 4.45pm last year.

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