A competitive seven-race National Hunt card takes place at Market Rasen Racecourse on Tuesday 3 March, featuring a mix of staying chases, novice hurdles and competitive handicaps. With over £86,000 in prize money on offer, the afternoon promises solid midweek Jump action, beginning at 2:15pm and concluding at 5:15pm.
The meeting opens at 2:15pm with The ITM Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Steeple Chase, a Class 4 contest worth £12,000 over a demanding 3m 4f 26y. With four runners declared, the extended trip will place emphasis firmly on stamina and controlled tactics, particularly as the race is restricted to conditional jockeys. Patience and accurate jumping are likely to prove decisive in the closing stages.
At 2:45pm, eight runners line up for The Think Thoroughbred, Think Ireland Novices’ Hurdle Race, a Class 4 event over 2m 161y with £10,000 in prize money. This two-mile contest should be run at a steady tempo around Market Rasen’s sharp circuit, where slick hurdling and good positioning can make a significant difference.
The 3:15pm race, The Visit Irish Bloodstock Sales with ITM Maiden Hurdle, is another Class 4 event worth £10,000 and run over 2m 4f 205y. Five runners go to post in this maiden contest, where lightly raced horses will be seeking a breakthrough success. The extended trip should bring stamina into play and could reward those showing gradual improvement.
The 3:45pm feature, The Unibet Middle Distance Series Veterans’ Handicap Steeple Chase at Market Rasen Racecourse, carries a prize fund of £20,000 and is run over 2m 5f 209y. Five experienced campaigners line up, headed by Sure Touch, a 10-year-old gelding rated 135 who carries 12st and represents trainer Olly Murphy under Lewis Saunders.
Pull Again Green, also aged 10 and rated 133, carries 11st 12lbs for trainer Fergal O’Brien with Liam Harrison booked to ride, while Neon Moon, another 10-year-old rated 132, runs off 11st 11lbs for David Pipe with Jack Tudor in the saddle.
Completing the field are the 11-year-old Can You Call, rated 128 and set to carry 11st 7lbs for trainer Evan Williams with Ben Jones riding, and Geryville, a 10-year-old rated 121 who carries 11st for trainer Micky Hammond under Conor O’Farrell. With ratings ranging from 121 to 135 and all runners proven over fences, the veterans’ contest promises to be a tightly matched and tactically run highlight of the afternoon.
At 4:15pm, The Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Handicap Hurdle, a Class 4 race over 2m 4f 205y, offers £11,000 in prize money. With five runners declared, this mid-distance hurdle should be evenly contested, where stamina and race positioning could determine the outcome in the straight.
The penultimate race at 4:45pm is The It Pays To Buy Irish Handicap Steeple Chase, another Class 4 contest worth £12,000 over 2m 1f 106y. With five runners declared, this shorter-distance chase places emphasis on accurate jumping and pace, potentially favouring horses able to travel smoothly throughout.
The card concludes at 5:15pm with The Experience Irish Racing with ITM Handicap Hurdle, a Class 5 event over 2m 7f 82y worth £11,000. Although only three runners are set to line up, the near three-mile distance ensures a true stamina test to close proceedings.
Overall, Tuesday’s fixture at Market Rasen presents a balanced and competitive Jump programme, highlighted by the £20,000 veterans’ chase and supported by a strong mix of hurdles and chases across varying distances.
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