Winter Saturday racing tends to bring its own rhythm, and the meeting scheduled for 24 January at Cheltenham Racecourse will follow a familiar and well-established pattern. The Cheltenham Race Cards 24 January will outline an eight-race programme that combines novice events, competitive handicaps, and Grade 2 contests, beginning at 12:05pm and running through to 4:10pm.
The afternoon will open at 12:05pm with the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Steeple Chase, a Class 2 contest run over 2m 5f 2y and offering £40,000 in prize money. Nine runners are expected to line up, including Push The Button, Califet En Vol, Quebecois, and Jordans Cross, in a race likely to place early emphasis on accurate jumping and sound positioning.
At 12:40pm, attention will turn to juvenile hurdlers in the Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle, a Grade 2 contest over 2m 1f 15y. Ten runners will compete for £80,000, with One Horse Town, Maestro Conti, Chartwell Jock, and Hardy Stuff among the notable entries in a race that will provide a clear measure of developing four-year-old talent.
The 1:15pm contest will feature a Class 1 Handicap Steeple Chase over 2m 5f 2y, carrying prize money of £100,000. Eleven runners are set to take part, including Boombawn, Jagwar, Riskintheground, and Booster Bob, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive handicaps on the card.
At 1:50pm, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase will present a specialist examination over 3m 5f 56y. Sixteen runners are due to contest the £35,000 event, with Favori de Champdou, Final Orders, Latenightpass, and Annual Invictus among those expected to take on Cheltenham’s distinctive cross-country layout.
The feature chase of the afternoon will be staged at 2:25pm with the Cotswold Steeple Chase, a Grade 2 contest run over 3m 1f 182y and worth £125,000. A select field of four runners is due to compete, featuring Grey Dawning, L’Homme Presse, Flooring Porter, and Spillane’s Tower in a high-quality staying test.
At 3:00pm, the focus will return to hurdles with a Grade 2 contest over 2m 1f 15y, also carrying £125,000 in prize money. Four runners will go to post, including Nemean Lion, Sir Gino, The New Lion, and Brentford Hope, in a race expected to be run at a strong and even tempo.
Staying hurdlers will then be showcased at 3:35pm in the Cleeve Hurdle, a Grade 2 event over 3m 105y. Six runners will compete for £70,000, with Gowel Road, Impose Toi, Strong Leader, and Doddiethegreat among the leading names in a contest that traditionally rewards stamina and consistency.
The card will conclude at 4:10pm with the AIS Novices’ Hurdle, a Grade 2 contest over 2m 4f 140y offering £80,000. Eight runners are expected, including Act of Innocence, Adonedeal, Fortune Timmy, and Heads Up, bringing the afternoon’s racing to a competitive close.
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