The race meeting at the distinguished Newbury Racecourse will begin with a seven-race National Hunt programme under GBB conditions on Saturday, 21 March, and will present a carefully structured afternoon of racing that will combine emerging novice talent with seasoned handicap performers. The fixture will bring together runners across a spectrum of experience levels, with total prize money set to exceed £280,000 and several contests set to carry notable significance within the domestic jumping calendar.
Proceedings will begin at 1:15pm with The Castle Windows Newbury Anniversary Novices’ Hurdle Race (Class 3), which will be run over a distance of 2m 69y and will offer £17,000 in prize money. A field of eight will go to post, including Kocktail Bleu, Lisbane Park, Gambino, Giddyupadingdong, King Berry, and Noble Don, each of whom will seek to further their progression in the novice division.
The second race at 1:50pm will be The Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Race (Class 3), which will be contested over 2m 2f 183y with a prize fund of £21,000. Ten runners will be expected, including Storming George, Fresh Perspective, Red Oak, Grand Vendetta, Glancing Jack, and Kapitein Kool, forming a competitive and evenly matched field.
At 2:25pm, the card will feature The Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 2), which will be run over 2m 3f 187y with £40,000 in prize money. The eight-runner line-up will include Twinjets, Hercule du Seuil, Knappers Hill, Heltenham, Prairie Wolf, and Scarface, with established chasers set to be tested over a demanding intermediate trip.
The feature event at 3:00pm will be The British EBF “National Hunt” Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 2), which will be staged over 2m 4f 118y with a purse of £65,000. A substantial field of 16 runners will be set to assemble, including Charisma Cat, Betty’s Daisy, Watamu, Getawhisky, Indannya, and Strong Run. This contest will serve as a significant platform for mares progressing through the novice ranks at graded level.
At 3:35pm will come The Hundred Grand Bumper (Class 2), a flat race that will be run over 2m 69y and will offer the day’s highest prize fund of £100,000. The 20-runner field will include Way Maker, Diamond Street, Keltype, Lover Desbois, No Way Jay, and Saint Arion, showcasing a broad array of unexposed and promising performers.
The penultimate race at 4:10pm will be The John Haine Memorial Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 3), which will be contested over 2m 92y with £22,000 in prize money. A compact field of five runners—Escapeandevade, Kotmask, Palacio, Koukeo, and Xcitations will likely ensure a measured and tactical contest.
The meeting will conclude at 4:45pm with The Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 3), which will be run over a testing 2m 7f 91y and will carry a prize fund of £22,000. Eight runners will be expected, including King Turgeon, Manothepeople, Makin’yourmindup, Ballycamus, Almazhar Garde, and Elysian Knight, bringing the curtain down on a well-balanced and competitive programme.
The Newbury Race Cards 21 March will present a thoughtfully composed card, blending developmental contests with established handicap events, while the Grade 2 mares’ hurdle and the valuable bumper will stand as the principal highlights of the afternoon.
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