The jumps season proper begins at Cheltenham today, with Planters Punch headlining the opening day of the Showcase meeting. Wilful made a winning return at Carlisle on Thursday, Enable’s son Entrust makes his eagerly awaited debut at Doncaster, and Storm Austen has now wiped out Newbury’s Saturday card as well.
Here is the racing news today, rounded up for Friday.
Cheltenham’s new season gets under way
Prestbury Park opens its doors for the first time this season today, and the Showcase meeting serves up a seven-race card from 1.15pm. The highlight is the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle at 3pm, where Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten Planters Punch takes on nine rivals, while JPR One and defending champion Calico clash in the £100,000 handicap chase at 3.35pm.
Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins have both sent over raiders, and Dan Skelton arrives in red-hot form after his four-timer at Worcester on Wednesday. Joe Napier has three best bets from the card, and there are plenty of course winners and trainers to note before the tapes go up.
Wilful digs deep on his return at Carlisle
Last season’s County Hurdle hero Wilful picked up where he left off in the Listed Panoramic Hurdle at Carlisle on Thursday. Third behind Lossiemouth in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle in the spring, he had it between him and Golden Ace at the last in a slow-run but thrilling race, and asserted on the run-in.
Harry Skelton produced a late charge on Mirabad, but Jonjo O’Neill Jr drove Wilful out to hold on by three-quarters of a length at 3/1 for Jonjo and AJ O’Neill, with favourite Golden Ace back in third. The son of Westerner has risen from a mark of 121 to 152 in little more than a year, and this gritty Panoramic Hurdle success suggests there is more to come.
Enable’s first runner, Entrust, debuts at Doncaster
All eyes will be on Doncaster at 3.55pm, where Entrust becomes the first foal out of Enable to reach the racecourse. The Juddmonte-owned son of Dubawi is the 11-time Group 1 winner’s third foal, and he makes his debut for John and Thady Gosden in a ten-runner novice stakes over a mile under Colin Keane.
His dam won three King Georges, two Arcs and the Breeders’ Cup Turf for John Gosden, so expectations are understandably high. “His work has been pleasing us going into the race, of course it is his first time out, but the mile should suit him well,” said Thady Gosden to the Racing Post, who added that the colt has never worked on ground as soft as he will face on Town Moor. Charlie Appleby’s Age Of Reason looks the main danger.
Newbury loses Saturday’s card to Storm Austen
Storm Austen has claimed Newbury‘s Saturday fixture, with the course still waterlogged after Friday’s card was lost on Thursday. Officials had given the track an extra 24 hours in the hope that the forecast would be kinder, but conditions only worsened overnight.
It means there will be no St Simon Stakes or Horris Hill Stakes this year, unless the two Group 3s are rescheduled, and the Berkshire track’s final Flat meeting of the year is gone. Constitution Hill’s connections will be glad they opted for Milan on Sunday instead.
Racing today
Sligo — first race: 12:50 · last race: 16:55
Cheltenham — first race: 13:15 · last race: 16:45
Doncaster — first race: 13:35 · last race: 17:35
Newbury — first race: 13:42 · last race: 16:40 · meeting abandoned
Wolverhampton — first race: 16:25 · last race: 20:30
Dundalk — first race: 17:15 · last race: 20:15
[View today’s racecards] · [Latest non-runners] · [Today’s results]