CATTERICK is expected to wake with a familiar spark on Friday as the Start of the Jumps meeting signals the opening breath of the 2025/26 National Hunt season. The old stone stands should feel alive again, the northern air sharper than it has been in months, and the first runners of winter will begin to line up with that unmistakable nervous energy. There’s always a moment before the opener where jockeys tighten their girths, trainers share a hopeful handshake and the crowd leans in as if sensing something about to begin. This year, those glances may drift toward the Jodie Standing’s Point-To-Point Recruits Handicap Chase, a race that rarely raises its voice but often shapes the future in quiet, steady ways. Catterick has always loved beginnings — and tomorrow promises another one worth watching.
Seven races from 12:07pm to 3:35pm will start to reveal who has winter steel, who arrives a touch raw and who might grow into the weeks ahead. There will be no certainties, only signs, and that’s what makes opening day so absorbing.
Moments That Give Tomorrow Its Meaning
A gentle buzz surrounds the Jodie Standing’s Point-To-Point Recruits Handicap Chase, not for its prize money but for what it could say about staying types entering the months when stamina becomes currency. Catterick leans into tradition, and locals tend to return for the first sight of hooves cutting into soft northern ground. Fresh chances fill the card: juveniles trying to catch the eye, handicappers hoping to restart their stories, and recruits stepping into new chapters. Nothing about the afternoon looks predictable, which feels exactly right for the first meeting of winter.
With seven contests waiting to unfold, here’s how the card is shaping up ahead of tomorrow’s Start of the Jumps meeting at Catterick.
Race 1: Racing To School Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase (12:07pm, 3m1f54y)
The season should open on a steady, revealing note.
I SEE THE SEA, KARAVOMYLOS and EMOTIONAL ROLLER may look eager to press on early, forcing the pace before the field naturally settles. WASTHATOK, YOU SAY ITS OVER and STONEGATE seem more likely to wait for the race to come back to them, letting tired legs fade in the final stretch. Races like this often give the first real hint of who has arrived fit, sharp and mentally ready.
Winner’s purse: £4,040
Race 2: Juvenile Hurdle (12:40pm, 1m7f156y)
Juveniles bring their own kind of electricity.
TURENNE, DIVISION DAY and EXPLODE might travel with confidence, testing how willing the others are to match their stride. INDIAN RIVER, RED SCARLET and STITCHING WHEEL may rely on fluent, careful jumping to stay involved. One neat move over the top of the hill could separate the polished from the still-learning.
Winner’s purse: £4,357
Race 3: Support The Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap Hurdle (1:15pm, 3m1f71y)
This is where the more experienced hurdlers begin their winter campaigns.
YOU SOME GIRL, HEATHER HONEY and MONSIEUR LE FUZZ could try to dictate the early terms, but GEORDIE NIGHT, POETRY MAN and PRINCESSE MILANIA may prefer to stalk and surge late. Expect a tactical race that turns on one bold choice approaching the final bend.
Winner’s purse: £4,225
Race 4: Novices’ Hurdle (1:50pm, 2m3f66y)
A gathering of horses who might climb the ladder this winter.
RING OF KERRY, WESTERN MOUNT and SILVER HILL could try to keep things honest up front, while JONQUILLA and MARY STANFORD may be ridden for a late, saving strike once the pack stretches. These early novices’ hurdles often reveal improvers who become talking points by Christmas.
Winner’s purse: £4,357
Race 5: Weatherbysshop.Co. Uk Handicap Chase (2:25pm, 2m3f51y)
This chase could feel wide open.
MASTER BREFFNI, GREATNESS AWAITS and WILLIAM CODY may be inclined to make an early statement, but NEIGH BOTHA, SLEEPING SATELLITE and EMPTY NEST could play the waiting game, creeping forward as the fences come thick and fast. The smallest error tomorrow could be the difference between momentum and misfortune.
Winner’s purse: £5,281
Race 6: Jodie Standing’s Point-To-Point Recruits Handicap Chase (3:00pm, 3m1f54y)
This staying chase carries extra intrigue and should draw a committed group. PEEJAYBEE and ALMAZHAR GARDE might try to turn it into a stamina test, while ABOUTDAMNTIME and CARRIGEEN CASTLE may prefer to bide their time and pounce only when the field begins to stretch. These early-season stayers often set the tone for how the deeper winter might unfold.
Winner’s purse: £6,337
Race 7: Thank You Team Ramshay NH Flat Race (3:35pm, 1m7f156y)
The finale belongs to the unexposed horses still finding their identity.
TONY JOE, BLAZING ECHO and BOGHA BAISTE may show early enthusiasm, while CHURCH LANE LAD, GOGETHER JOSEPI and WHISPERING CLOUD could be ridden to learn, then unleash a late run. These races often reveal the quiet talent that resurfaces again in spring.
Winner’s purse: £2,451
Tomorrow’s Start of the Jumps meeting at Catterick isn’t just a curtain-raiser — it’s the first heartbeat of a long season that will stretch through mud, frost, and the occasional burst of winter sunlight. Some horses will take their first steps into meaningful campaigns, others will simply hint at something waiting to emerge. But that’s the beauty of opening day: everything remains possible until the first flag drops, and Catterick is ready to feel alive again.
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