Seven horses have been entered for Friday’s Grade 2 Shloer Chase, which is the feature race on day one of Cheltenham’s November Meeting. A race synonymous with throwing up Queen Mother Champion Chase contenders, Friday’s contest, which is off at 2.20pm has attracted some notable names.
Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon won this race in 2023 and 2024 and was second last year. He heads a field that also includes JPR One, who won over course and distance last month, and dual Cheltenham winners Calico and Libberty Hunter. Our columnist Dave Young’s November Meeting trends points out that eight of the last 11 Shloer winners had already won at Cheltenham, so below we’ve added each runner’s record at the course.
Jonbon (Nicky Henderson)
Cheltenham record: 8 runs, 2 wins, 6 seconds
Jonbon has never finished outside the first two at Cheltenham. He won the Shloer in 2023 at 4/9 and again in 2024 at 1/3, when he made all. His six seconds include the 2022 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the 2023 Arkle, a neck defeat in the Clarence House Chase when it was run here in January 2024, and the 2025 Champion Chase. He was also beaten 15 lengths into second in this race last year at 5/6, and 10 lengths into second in the Ryanair Chase in March.
Stat: Only Sprinter Sacre has won this race aged older than eight in recent years.
JPR One (Joe Tizzard)
Cheltenham record: 8 runs, 1 win, 2 seconds
JPR One got off the mark at Cheltenham at the eighth attempt last month. He led three out and kept on to win a two-mile handicap chase at 3/1 under Brendan Powell, with Calico fourth. Earlier visits had produced a neck second in a novices’ hurdle in December 2021 and a half-length second in a handicap chase last December. Fourth in the Ryanair Chase in March and beaten only a head in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase at Sandown in April. Joe Tizzard‘s nine-year-old was then second in the Haldon Gold Cup at Aintree on last weekend.
Stat: None of the last nine Shloer winners had run earlier in the season.
Calico (Dan Skelton)
Cheltenham record: 9 runs, 2 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third
Calico has run at Cheltenham more than any horse in the line-up. Both of his wins came in the same two-mile handicap chase at the October meeting. He was also second in a handicap chase at this meeting in 2023, beaten three-quarters of a length, and third here in November 2024. He has been well beaten in two runs in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival
Libberty Hunter (Mrs C Williams)
Cheltenham record: 6 runs, 2 wins, 2 seconds
Libberty Hunter won a novices’ limited handicap chase here in January 2024 and a handicap chase in December 2024, and was second in the 2024 Grand Annual. His jumping has let him down here in the past, though. He fell three out in the 2025 Champion Chase and unseated his rider at the sixth in this race last year. However, his biggest result around Prestbury Park was last season when he finished second in Champion Chase at massive odds.
Stat: The last 13 Shloer winners had never fallen.
Gidleigh Park (Harry Fry)
Cheltenham record: 2 runs, 1 win (both over hurdles)
Gidleigh Park won the Grade 2 Classic Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in January 2024. He was then sixth in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He does hold an entry in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Satuday, but he’s yet to race over fences at Cheltenham, so could be set for his first crack over the larger obstacles at the Gloucestershire track.
Mighty Bandit (Warren Greatrex)
Cheltenham record: 1 run, pulled up
Mighty Bandit‘s only Cheltenham run came in the 2024 Triumph Hurdle, when he was pulled up. He is the youngest in the field at six, and he progressed well over fences last season. He won three handicap chases in a row at Newbury and Doncaster, making all in both Doncaster wins, and then stayed on to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April.
Saint Segal (Jane Williams)
Cheltenham record: 2 runs, no placings
Saint Segal was tenth in the Fred Winter at the 2022 Festival. He was pulled up after a bad mistake at the first fence in the Champion Chase in March. Away from Cheltenham he was a consistent front-runner last season. He won at Kelso and was second in the Haldon Gold Cup, the Desert Orchid Chase and the Game Spirit. He was pulled up again in the Melling Chase, though, and was fourth at Ffos Las on his reappearance on 14 October.
Shloer Chase 2026: Cheltenham records
A quick look at the Cheltenham record of all seven entries for the Shloer Chase on Friday
| Horse | Trainer | Age | Weight | Cheltenham record | Best Cheltenham result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonbon | Nicky Henderson | 10 | 11-10 | 8: 2-6-0 | Won Shloer Chase 2023 & 2024 |
| Calico | Dan Skelton | 10 | 11-4 | 9: 2-2-1 | Won 2m handicap chase Oct 2024 & Oct 2025 |
| Gidleigh Park | Harry Fry | 8 | 11-4 | 2: 1-0-0 | Won Classic Novices’ Hurdle (G2) Jan 2024 |
| JPR One | Joe Tizzard | 9 | 11-4 | 8: 1-2-0 | Won 2m handicap chase Oct 2026 |
| Libberty Hunter | Mrs C Williams | 10 | 11-4 | 6: 2-2-0 | Won handicap chase Dec 2024; 2nd Champion Chase 2026 |
| Mighty Bandit | Warren Greatrex | 6 | 11-4 | 1: 0-0-0 | Pulled up, Triumph Hurdle 2024 |
| Saint Segal | Jane Williams | 8 | 11-4 | 2: 0-0-0 | 10th, Fred Winter 2022 |
2026 Shloer Chase Racecard
14:20 Cheltenham
Shloer Chase (Registered As The Cheltenham Chase) (Grade 2) (GBB Race)
- Going Good
- Distance 1m 7f 199y
- Class Class 1
- Race Type Chase Turf
- Surface Turf
- Runners 7
- 1st £56,950
- 2nd £21,370
- 3rd £10,700
- 4th £5,330
- 5th £2,680
- 6th £1,340
Runners: 7 runners
Type: Chase Turf
Surface: Turf
Weather: —
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Betting Forecast
Jonbon, Calico, Gidleigh Park, Jpr One, Libberty Hunter, Mighty Bandit, Saint Segal