DeAnn Sloan

Why October to December is Big for Cheltenham

Charlie McCauley, Comments Off on Why October to December is Big for Cheltenham

Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, England, taken from Cleeve Hill. The town of Cheltenham is seen beyond the racecourse. Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in June 2006 and placed in the public domain. Wikimedia Commons/CC.

Cheltenham Racecourse is widely regarded as the home of National Hunt Racing. While the Cheltenham Festival grabs most of the headlines, the season truly begins in earnest during the final months of the year. From October to December, Cheltenham hosts a series of prestigious meetings that shape the storylines, establish early-season form, and highlight the trainers, jockeys, and horses destined to make waves later in the campaign.

The October Showcase – The Season Opener

The excitement begins with The Showcase, held in late October. This two-day meeting marks Cheltenham’s first action of the season and gives fans an early look at returning Festival heroes and up-and-coming stars. The races are competitive, with many runners having their first outings after the summer break, and trainers use the event to test their horses’ fitness ahead of bigger targets.

Key contests include valuable handicap hurdles and chases, often used as stepping stones toward bigger Grade 1 events. For fans, it’s the first chance to feel the unique Chelsea atmosphere that will build steadily towards March.

November Meeting – A Three-Day Spectacle

The November Meeting, formerly known as the Open Meeting, is one of Cheltenham’s marquee events before Christmas. Spread across three days, it features races that attract top-quality fields and provide early clues for Festival betting.

The highlight is the Gold Cup, a fiercely competitive handicap chase that often produces future Festival winners. The Greatwood Hurdle, run on the Sunday, is another standout race, showcasing speedy hurdlers who can go on to compete at the highest level.

For trainers like Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson, and Dan Skelton, the November meeting is an opportunity to lay down a marker. Jockeys such as Harry Cobden and Harry Skelton will aim to make their presence felt, with big wins here boosting confidence.

The December Gold Cup and Christmas Meeting

As December arrives, the quality continues with the Christmas Meeting. This two-day fixture is headlines with the December Gold Cup, another fiercely competitive handicap chase run over the same course and distance as the previous month’s Gold Cup. Horses that ran well in November often return for another crack, making it an intriguing contest for all involved.

Another highlight is the International Hurdle, a key trial for the Champion Hurdle at the Festival. Over the years, this race has produced stars that have gone on to bigger and better things.

Handicap chase. Photo by Carine06 from UK. Wikimedia Commons/CC.

Trainers, Jockeys, and Storylines

Between October and December, Cheltenham provides a stage for some of the sport’s biggest names to begin shaping their seasons. Trainers carefully plot campaigns, often bringing horses back at these meetings to test their form against quality opposition. Jockeys also know the importance of riding winners here, as it builds momentum and trust heading into the Festival.

This period is also a chance for fans and horse racing betting enthusiasts to take note of form, track performance, stable strength and more, all of which can influence proceedings for the months ahead.

Why It Matters

While the Cheltenham Festival may be the pinnacle, the groundwork is laid well before. The October to December meetings offer excitement in their own right, with competitive races, early-season storylines, and the chance to see stars emerge. They set the tone for the National Hunt season, reminding everyone that Cheltenham isn’t just about four days in the Spring.

How Horses Are Helping Children Overcome Speech and Language Disorders

DeAnn Long Sloan, Comments Off on How Horses Are Helping Children Overcome Speech and Language Disorders
Horses aren’t just partners in the arena—they’re also helping children find their voices. A new pilot program in Ohio is showing how equine-assisted therapy can boost confidence and improve speech and language skills for kids with communication challenges. (more…)

Standing Ovation: Durango® Boots Awards Second Annual $30,000 ‘National Day of the Cowgirl’ Scholarship

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Scholarship Recipient Laurel Cox is an Undergraduate Animal Science and Journalism Student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (more…)

When Horses Outsmart the Odds: Favorite Upsets of 2025 So Far

Charlie McCauley, Comments Off on When Horses Outsmart the Odds: Favorite Upsets of 2025 So Far

Eduard Labár/Unsplash/CC

The first half of 2025 has served up more than a few surprises on the track. Fan favorites stumbled, long shots triumphed, and the sport’s unpredictability proved again it’s the ultimate game of chance and strategy.

From big-name stumbles to longshots stealing the spotlight, we’ve rounded up the most jaw-dropping turnarounds from 2025, each one proving why racing never plays it safe.

1. Sovereignty Caps It All in Belmont

No horse had seemed more in control than Journalism, chalked up as the favorite throughout Triple Crown season. Yet, Sovereignty, at 7–1, surged past him in the Kentucky Derby, pulling away down the stretch on a sloppy Churchill Downs track.

The real signature moment came in the Belmont Stakes. With Journalism again installed as the favorite at 2-1, Sovereignty defied expectations still, this time winning by three lengths. That kind of consistency, upsetting favorites not once, but twice, is as rare as it is remarkable.

For fans following these shifts in momentum and race-day surprises, platforms like FanDuel Racing make it easy to stay updated on major racecards, daily entries, and odds swings across top tracks.

2. Hit Show Derails Dubai

Dubai’s richest race, the World Cup, is often predicted almost to the wire, but not this year. Hit Show, a U.S.-trained longshot, stormed past heavily backed favorites in the final stretch to win at staggering 41–1 odds.

More than just about beating the favorite, it was about rewriting the story when it mattered most. That late surge made it the most shocking upset of the race, dominating international headlines.

Hit Show trailed early, making his closing speed even more impressive against a tired field. His win also snapped a streak of heavily favored winners at Meydan, shaking up future betting strategies.

3. Nick Rockett’s Grand National Charge at 33–1

History rarely smiles on amateurs in the Grand National. Yet Nick Rockett, piloted by amateur jockey Patrick Mullins, took home victory at 33–1, a rare and thrilling win.

Beyond the odds, consider the technical cliff of stamina and jumps needed over four miles. The conditions were heavy, the field deep, and the pressure intense. To conquer it all, as an outsider tells you, this wasn’t luck, but instead grit and timing on a monumental day.

4. Golden Ace’s 25–1 Triumph at Cheltenham

The Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham is a crown jewel event. With Constitution Hill and State Man as co-favorites, few expected Golden Ace to take the lead, yet he did, and by a staggering nine lengths.

At 25–1, this was less a shock than a statement of fact. When two top picks fall and an underdog runs clean, it shows just how railway-like jumping races can be. Observers now pay more attention to form beyond just favorites.

What made Golden Ace’s win more compelling was his clean travel and efficient jumping. The horse was mistake-free and steady from start to finish. The heavy going tripped up others, but he handled the course like he had run it a dozen times.

5. Desert Flower Upsets at the 1000 Guineas

Headlines often hail the 1000 Guineas, but the spotlight stayed on Desert Flower, the even-money favorite, who pulled off a decisive surprise at Newmarket. Leading gate to wire in a fashion usually reserved for less-favored fillies, she won and dominated.

The margin slipped later in the Oaks, but that Guineas win remains a win measured both in form and impact, redefining her place in the division.

6. Cercene’s 33–1 Shock at the Coronation Stakes

At the 2025 Royal Ascot, Cercene stunned the field in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes with a powerful late charge, winning at 33–1 odds. Trained by Joseph Murphy and ridden by Gary Carroll, the filly overtook the heavy favorite Zarigana in the final stretch.

The upset came in a stacked field of top milers and marked one of the biggest surprises of the meet. Cercene’s composed tracking and well-timed move proved that even on racing’s grandest stages, longshots can still rewrite the script.

7. Poniros Shocks at Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle

In a stunning turn of events at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, Poniros soared past all expectations with a jaw-dropping triumph in the Triumph Hurdle. Carrying odds of 100–1, this Willie Mullins-trained runner stunned the crowd by jumping clear of the field, and became the longest-shot ever to win that race.

Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Jonjo O’Neill Jr., the gelding tracked the leaders before launching a late surge that left the field behind. It was a flawless execution on the biggest stage, unexpected yet perfectly timed.

Upset Season Isn’t Over Yet

So far, 2025 has given us a masterclass in unpredictability, from dirt tracks to jumps, short odds to huge longshots. And that’s exactly where the sport thrives. What this year has shown is simple. That is to never sleep on the mid-level or ignored entries. Pre-race buzz didn’t follow these horses, but their performance left no doubt when it was time to run.