Friday sees one of the biggest and best early season meetings go under starter’s orders. Held at the home of jumps racing, Cheltenham’s November Meeting is one of the key dates in the diary for fans of the National Hunt game.
As is almost always the case at Cheltenham, there are no bad races among the 19 contests over the three days. However, each day is lit up by an enthralling centrepiece. Friday sees the two-mile chasers grab the spotlight in the Grade 2 Shloer Chase, whilst Saturday belongs to the compelling handicap of the Paddy Power Gold Cup. Last but not least, the two-mile hurdlers take centre stage on Sunday afternoon in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.
Offering £100,000 in guaranteed prize money, this Premier Handicap occasionally falls to a runner who progresses to become a Grade 1 star. Trawling back through the list of previous winners reveals the names of 2003 Champion Hurdle hero Rooster Booster and Arkle and Queen Mother Champion Chase king Sizing Europe. Will a similar star emerge in 2024?
Dysart to Deliver for O’Brien?
Fergal O’Brien has yet to grab Greatwood Gold, but this year looks to represent his best chance yet. Flying the flag for the Gloucester handler is the mightily impressive mare Dysart Enos.
Joining the yard following a promising runners-up effort in her Point-to-Point, this daughter of Malinas wasted no time finding her stride under rules. A perfect three from three in Bumpers in 2022/23, she rounded off her campaign with a nine-length demolition of the field in the big Grade 2 event at the Aintree Grand National Meeting. That form has been well advertised, with the runner-up, Golden Ace, since storming home to land the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Golden Ace is now unbeaten in four starts over hurdles, and Dysart Enos sits just one win behind her, having won each of her three outings over timber with the minimum of fuss. This represents a significant step up from those Class 3 and Class 4 events. However, with Golden Ace now sitting on a rating of 143, Dysart looks potentially well handicapped off 131. The market certainly hasn’t missed her claims, with the mount of Jonathan Burke trading as the general 5/2 favourite for this competitive event.
No Shortage of Talent Amongst 19 Rivals
The chance of Dysart Enos advertises itself. However, if she retains her place at the head of the market, she will need to end a run of defeated favourites stretching back to the 2006 success of Detroit City.
That stat is unlikely to put too many punters off, given the impressive nature of her wins. However, if Dysart Enos does come up short, the market suggests the following five contenders are most likely to take advantage.
- Burdett Road – Last sighted finishing a respectable sixth behind the mighty Kyprios in the Grade 2 Long Distance Cup, this James Owen star is two from three over hurdles, including an easy win in the Grade 2 Triumph Trial over this course and distance. He was no match for Sir Gino back here in January, but time may show there is no shame in that
- Go Dante – With 13 hurdles outings to his name, this Olly Murphy runner is far more experienced than either Dysart Enos or Burdett Road. Having got up late to land the 2024 Imperial Cup, he is also proven in the hustle and bustle of big field events like this. He’s five pounds higher than for that Sandown success but may have more to offer
- Be Aware – Successful in 2016 and 2021, Dan Skelton will have high hopes of landing the hat-trick with this son of Martaline. Never out of the first two in four starts to date, he’s six pounds higher than when going down narrowly in a 20-runner event at Sandown. However, he remains unexposed, and that effort can be upgraded, considering he lost a shoe during the race
- Under Control – Given his prowess in the two-mile hurdle division, it was surprising to learn that Nicky Henderson was winning this race for the first time when saddling Iberico Lord to victory in 2023. This year, Henderson relies on a mare who mastered Iberico Lord in a novice event at Sandown in 2023. Raced only once in 2024, Under Control put in a fine performance to finish second in a Grade 2 at Doncaster and goes in the same JP McManus silks as last year’s winner
- Liari – With three previous wins, Paul Nicholls needs just one more to join Martin Pipe and Philip Hobbs atop the all-time trainer’s table for this event. Joining the Nicholls operation in October 2023, Liari made a spectacular start at Ditcheat to win each of his first three outings. He’s zero from two since but hated the heavy ground in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and looked in need of the run on his recent return at Chepstow. Now four pounds below his career-high rating, he may go close under Harry Cobden
With 13 other hopefuls remaining in contention, including a pair of Irish raiders from the yard of Emmett Mullins, this Sunday showpiece is a race not to be missed.
