Storm Claudia threatened to derail the November Meeting, as torrential rain caused mass flooding and gale-force winds ripped down trees across the country, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of racegoers, and we were ultimately treated to three thrilling days of National Hunt racing at Cheltenham.
That said, the Prestbury Park groundsmen may have a race against time to get the track back in working order ahead of the Festival Trials Day in January, as it was only just about holding up by the conclusion of racing on Sunday afternoon.
While last year was the first time in over a decade that a November Meeting winner failed to follow up at the Cheltenham Festival, what is considered the season’s curtain raiser by many has traditionally been regarded as a good place to start finding winners early for March’s highlight.
So, who are some of the trainers, jockeys and horses who excelled at the November Meeting and are now hoping to return to Prestbury Park in a few months’ time seeking glory at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival?
Let’s look at some of the key takeaways and the yards and horses to follow following a November Meeting packed with clues.
An early-season marker from the Skeltons
Brothers Dan and Harry Skelton have taken British National Hunt racing by storm in the last couple of seasons. Once dominated by veterans Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson, the Skeltons have quickly become the top yard in the United Kingdom.
Team Skelton has world-class facilities, operating out of Lodge Hill and Badbury Hill Barn in Warwickshire, and their hard work behind the scenes is paying off with notable wins at the biggest meetings and millions in prize money each season.
However, while Harry claimed the lucrative David Power Jockeys’ Cup last season, pocketing £500,000 in the process, Dan has been pipped to the post by the indomitable Willie Mullins in the race for the British Trainers’ Championship for the last two seasons running.
The Irish force of Mullins likely won’t be felt in the UK until the big spring meetings, when he will once again hope to chase down the Skeltons. But, for now, Dan is hoping to put as much money on the board as possible, and he surpassed the £1 million marker for the season at the November Meeting.
The Skeltons enjoyed four winners over the weekend, most notably Panic Attack in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. The classy mare was 6/1 for the November Meeting’s feature race and blew the field away with a four-length win under Harry, who entertained fans with his trademark ‘Skelicopter’ celebration as he passed the winning post.
She’s now the 10/1 ante-post favourite for the TrustATrader Plate on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. L’Eau Du Sud was another big winner for the yard, cruising home in the Grade 2 Shloer Chase to beat Jonbon by 15 lengths and deny the popular horse a hat-trick in the contest and could be value for the Champion Chase with ante-post odds still as far out as 33/1.
The Skeltons showed they mean business once again at the November Meeting, and even if it isn’t with one of their four winners from last weekend, they will almost certainly be amongst the winners at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Sean Bowen’s on fire
It wasn’t just the Skeltons who enjoyed a good weekend at Prestbury Park. Champion jockey Sean Bowen has been racking up the winners in the opening stages of this season as he looks to defend his crown, already surpassing 130 victories for the campaign, and he enjoyed another double at the November Meeting.
His ride on Wade Out in the Listed Novices’ Chase on the opening day was one of the highlights of the entire festival. The Olly Murphy-trained horse jumped poorly and looked out of the race on several occasions, but Bowen persisted relentlessly, and the six-year-old stayed on to somehow win.
The Welsh riders’ other win came aboard Celestial Tune, a spare ride he picked up in the Listed Mares’ Bumper. The Thomas Cooper-owned horse justified favouritism with Bowen in the saddle, scoring by a comfortable three lengths.
It’s astonishing to think that someone of Bowen’s quality is yet to ride a winner at the Cheltenham Festival. But Murphy’s yard is getting strong with each passing season, and Bowen’s reputation means he can pick up quality spare rides, so it would be no surprise if this were the year he finally broke his duck.
No drama for No Drama This End
It seems somewhat harsh to say that Paul Nicholls has been stuck in something of a rut for the last couple of years, but the 14-time Champion Trainer has such high expectations, and he has perhaps fallen short of those, at least last season, when operating off his lowest strike rate since 1994-95 (18%).
What has let him down the most is perhaps the lack of a horse of genuine top-class quality. Ginny’s Destiny was tipped to be Ditcheat’s star last season, but flattered, while Caldwell Potter, who cost a then-record fee of €740,000, didn’t really get going until late in the campaign and now sadly missed this season with injury.
A new season brings fresh hope for the Nicholls team, and No Drama This End is the horse they look set to be relying on to bring home the major triumphs. The six-year-old won his first two races under rules before coming home ninth of 17 in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
The grey gelding was thrown straight into the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the November Meeting for not only his seasonal reappearance but also his debut over obstacles, but had no issues when going clear on the run-in for a three-length win over the well-backed favourite Heads Up.
Nicholls is famous for training horses of elite calibre, like Denman and Kauto Star, and No Drama This End clearly has the potential to reach significant heights like his predecessors at Ditcheat. He’s currently 12/1 for the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, which could prove good value at this stage.
100% strike rate at the meeting for team Tizzard
Taking over from his father was never going to be easy for Joe Tizzard, with legendary horses like Cue Card, Thistlecrack and Native River propelling Colin to victories in an array of major contests, including the King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup.
But he’s quickly making a name for himself as the top dog at the established Venn Farm Racing. Last season was his best yet, and he proved he can compete with the elite yards at the November Meeting when all three of his runners won their respective contests.
Firstly, 11-year-old Eldorado Allen rolled back the years to win the Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase. Then Triple Trade scored by a neck in a handicap chase before Alexei romped home by six lengths in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, which is the feature race of the final day.
As impressive as the five-year-old’s victory was, he remains 40/1 in the ante-post market for what looks set to be a red-hot renewal of the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March. However, just look at how this year’s renewal panned out, with Golden Ace landing the spoils. So never say never.
Clues elsewhere
It wasn’t just the November Meeting that provided National Hunt racing fans with clues for the Cheltenham Festival. The jumps campaign has really ramped up for the first time this season in recent days, and the markets for the spring carnival have fluctuated dramatically.
Mydaddypaddy was slashed into favouritism for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after a noteworthy seasonal reappearance in a maiden hurdle at Carlisle for the Skeltons. At Navan, the Irish sent out their big guns for much-anticipated debuts.
2025 Supreme Kopek Des Bordes shortened for the Arkle after making a winning start over fences, while fellow Mullins-trained horse Final Demand also made a good first impression over the larger obstacles and is now as short as 6/4 for the Brown Advisory Novice Chase.
All eyes were also on Exeter on Monday, too, as Lulamba marked his first chase start with a victory for Nicky Henderson. He’s set to take on Kopek Des Bordes in the Arkle and is hot on the tail of Mullins’ leading hope in the ante-post market.
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The National Hunt season is firmly back underway, and with Christmas just around the corner, expect further clues and dramatic changes in the ante-post markets for the Cheltenham Festival’s biggest races. This is the only beginning.
