The NATIONAL HUNT CHALLENGE CUP Novices Handicap Chase

[Saxon Warrior]

TO CLOSE BY NOON ON FEBRUARY 18th


CHELTENHAM Tuesday, March 11th

THE NATIONAL HUNT CHALLENGE CUP
NOVICES’ HANDICAP STEEPLE CHASE
(CLASS 2)
(GBB RACE)


TOTAL PRIZE FUND gbp100,000
Distributed in accordance with the Stakes and Prize Money Code

gbp52,030 to the winning horse
The second to receive gbp23,920,
the third gbp11,960,
the fourth gbp5,980,
the fifth gbp2,990,
the sixth gbp1,490,

for novice five yrs old and upwards

THREE MILES ABOUT SIX FURLONGS (3m 5f 201yds)

Enter by noon, February 18th and pay gbp150 stake
Confirm by noon, March 5th and pay gbp350
Declare by 10.00 a.m. March 9th

Weights published on February 26th

Highest weight .......12st

Penalties, after February 23rd, 2025, a winner of a steeple chase 5lb
(No penalty to increase Horse’s weight above 12st)

(Rated 0-145)
Which prior to 24th February 2025 have started a minimum of THREE Steeple Chases
in Britain, Ireland or France, one of which must be in the current season,
and which have places 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in a Steeple Case with an official distance description of
'two miles seven and a half furlongs' or more

Maximum 18 runners (with 2 Reserves)

Example for post-race recording of results

2025 1st XXXXXXX 6-11-2, 9/2F, Gordon Elliott - Sam Ewing - OR 143






2025. 1st OR 1xx, 2nd OR 1xx, 3rd OR 1xx, 4th OR 1xx (Highest OR 14x, Lowest OR 13x) 18 ran


2025 Initial Entries;

1. Alcedo (IRE)
2. Aworkinprogress (IRE)
3. Caesar Rock (IRE)
4. Captain Cody (IRE)
5. Chigorin (IRE)
6. Cleatus Poolaw
7. Destroytheevidence
8. Duffle Coat (IRE)
9. Eyed
10. Gericault Roque (FR)
11. Haiti Couleurs (FR)
12. Hasthing (FR)
13. Herakles Westwood (FR)
14. Ideal des Bordes (FR)
15. In d’Or (FR)
16. Jasmin de Cotte (FR)
17. Johnnywho (IRE)
18. Jupiter Allen (FR)
19. Karuma Grey (GER)
20. Katate Dori (FR)
21. Klarc Kent (FR)
22. Kyntara
23. Latenightrumble
24. Midnight Our Fred (IRE)
25. No Time To Wait (IRE)
26. Now Is The Hour (IRE)
27. One More Stroke (IRE)
28. Pic Roc (IRE)
29. Resplendent Grey (IRE)
30. Rock My Way (IRE)
31. Sa Majeste (FR)
32. Search For Glory (IRE)
33. Shannon Royale (IRE)
34. Stuzzikini (IRE)
35. Tanganyika (FR)
36. The Changing Man (IRE)
37. The Kniphand (FR)
38. The Short Go (IRE)
39. Transmission (IRE)
40. Walking On Air (IRE)
41. Westerninthepark (IRE)
42. Weveallbeencaught (IRE)
43. Whistle Stop Tour (IRE)
44. Will Do (IRE)
45. Zertakt (FR)

[Eggs]

….post #1 updated with initial entries.

[Hurricane fly]

Gericault Roque on the way to the national is interesting

[Dilinja]

Gericault Roque on the way to the national is interesting

Yep been keeping tabs on him since he came back from injury. Not going to get into the national off 133 though. Will he need a 10 pound hike? Entered in the Kim muir too

[JamieSensible]

Just checking the requirements as I'm not fully understanding.

Must have a minimum of 3 chase races, 1 must be in the current season - tick.

In terms of the distance requirements of over 2m 7.5f, how many runs do they require at this distance?

In terms of finishing in the top 4 at the above stated distance, again, how many times?

[Quevega]

Just checking the requirements as I'm not fully understanding.

Must have a minimum of 3 chase races, 1 must be in the current season - tick.

In terms of the distance requirements of over 2m 7.5f, how many runs do they require at this distance?

In terms of finishing in the top 4 at the above stated distance, again, how many times?

You have to finish in top 4 in a race over 2m7.5f, at least once.
There are a few entered who have not done this.

[Eggs]

1. Duffle Coat (IRE) 12 0 145
2. Sa Majeste (FR) 11 11 142
3. Resplendent Grey (IRE) 11 11 142
4. Stuzzikini (IRE) 11 9 140
5. The Changing Man (IRE) 11 9 140
6. Captain Cody (IRE) 11 9 140
7. Johnnywho (IRE) 11 9 140
8. Now Is The Hour (IRE) 11 8 139
9. Pic Roc (IRE) 11 6 137
10. Katate Dori (FR) 11 6 137
11. Whistle Stop Tour (IRE) 11 5 136
12. Destroytheevidence 11 5 136
13. Weveallbeencaught (IRE) 11 5 136
14. Haiti Couleurs (FR) 11 4 135
15. In d’Or (FR) 11 3 134
16. Tanganyika (FR) 11 3 134
17. Hasthing (FR) 11 2 133
18. Transmission (IRE) 11 2 133
19. No Time To Wait (IRE) 11 2 133
20. Will Do (IRE) 11 1 132
21. Rock My Way (IRE) 11 1 132
22. Midnight Our Fred (IRE) 11 1 132
23. Gericault Roque (FR) 11 0 131
24. Herakles Westwood (FR) 10 12 129
25. Klarc Kent (FR) 10 10 127
26. The Kniphand (FR) 10 8 125
27. Kyntara 10 8 125
28. Ideal des Bordes (FR) 10 8 125
29. Caesar Rock (IRE) 10 7 124
30. Jupiter Allen (FR) 10 7 124
31. Aworkinprogress (IRE) 10 4 121
32. Alcedo (IRE) 10 4 121
33. Latenightrumble 10 2 119
34. Eyed 10 1 118
35. Jasmin de Cotte (FR) 9 13 116
36. One More Stroke (IRE) 9 12 115
37. Zertakt (FR) 9 11 114

[Pigeon Island]

There must be people on here who fancy Now is the hour……… what am I missing? Why is he so short?

[Kevloaf]

There must be people on here who fancy Now is the hour……… what am I missing? Why is he so short?

I can partly answer

Why is he so short - because he got bought by JP

What are you missing? - nothing

[Eggs]

….Haiti;

’He was very good when winning at Cheltenham in December. I was just worried if he won another chase between now and then it would take him to nearly topweight in the National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase which wouldn’t be ideal over three miles and five. It would be great if Sean Bowen could ride him again, but Ollie Murphy has a couple of entries in the race, and we will find out shortly. He has come out of the Newbury race very well and I couldn’t be happier with him. (Rebecca Curtis)

Johnnywho;

He is in good form and entitled to go there and he has a few options and really we won’t know until we have studied the entries and found out where everyone goes. (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill)

[Pigeon Island]

I can partly answer

Why is he so short - because he got bought by JP

What are you missing? - nothing

Ah thanks for this, I must have missed he was bought by JP so price making a lot more sense now!
Not saying he can’t or won’t win but he certainly excels in a swamp (based on his emphatic Haydock win over hurdles) and I’m not sure he’s going to get that.
Hope Transmission is coming here, some decent course experience and could improve for the distance, he will do for me.

[luisgarciaisgod]

On a line through Haiti Colours is Destroytheevidence not massively overpriced for this? He beat HC by Chepstow 2l giving him 8lbs and then finished only 3lbs behind him at HQ after making loads of mistakes (again giving HC 8lbs) and now only has to give Haiti Colours 1lb but is 10 times the price.

Probably wouldn't want it too soft although he was just touched off by a unexposed Skelton sort at Warwick giving away 7lbs on soft ground last time out. He was actually my first handicap antepost punt but for the Ultima but Kim Bailey having Trewlane DTE only has one entry- this.

Would slightly be worried about the turn around from Warwick but 40/1 with Denise NRNB is absolutely huge.

[Captain Chris]

On a line through Haiti Colours is Destroytheevidence not massively overpriced for this? He beat HC by Chepstow 2l giving him 8lbs and then finished only 3lbs behind him at HQ after making loads of mistakes (again giving HC 8lbs) and now only has to give Haiti Colours 1lb but is 10 times the price.

Probably wouldn't want it too soft although he was just touched off by a unexposed Skelton sort at Warwick giving away 7lbs on soft ground last time out. He was actually my first handicap antepost punt but for the Ultima but Kim Bailey having Trewlane DTE only has one entry- this.

Would slightly be worried about the turn around from Warwick but 40/1 with Denise NRNB is absolutely huge.

I think you might have mixed your HQ form lines here. Transmission was 3 lengths behind Haiti at Cheltenham, Destroy the evidence was a further 40 lengths back. His Chepstow run was good though!

[luisgarciaisgod]

jaysus you're spot on, I use Irish racing when going through form and they've got this totally wrong.

https://www.irishracing.com/raceresults/Sat-14th-Dec-2024/Cheltenham/1240

[Eggs]

….looks a lot of Oddschecker blue for Johnnywho at the moment.