🏇 Cheltenham Showcase Meeting: The Full Report

How’s it going?

Well, anyone who upgraded to Paddock Report Pro had a good week, but now we turn our attention to the weekend.

One word: Cheltenham.

It’s back, and Saturday’s meeting looks the business.

Since Sunday, Paddock Report Pro selections have included winners at 10/1, 9/1 and 5/1.

The latest? Frontier Prince, who won today’s 1.50 at Cheltenham after The Purist tipped him at 10/1:

Next up: The Purist’s final weekend picks, delivered tomorrow morning.

Your Pro membership includes:

Join now and get our Jumps Season Preview 2026/27 straight to your inbox immediately. It’s already produced a 9/1 winner in Williethebuilder. More seasonal guides will follow throughout the year, all included in your membership.

👉 There are eight Saturday races on ITV – five at Cheltenham and three from Doncaster.

👉 Newbury’s two-day meeting is off owing to a waterlogged track.

👉 Cheltenham’s feature William Hill Handicap Chase (2.55) hasn’t produced a winning favourite since 2013.

👉 Doncaster’s Futurity Trophy (1.30) is the final Group 1 of the 2026 Flat season. 

👉 Kelso’s feature race is the Edinburgh Gin Handicap Chase (3.50).

👉 Trainer Joe Tizzard and jockey Brendan Powell had a memorable four-timer at Ffos Las on Thursday (2/7, 4/1, 11/4, 11/1).

👉 Constitution Hill’s fan club may be seen arriving in Milan to support their hero in Sunday’s Group 2 – connections are pleased with heavy rainfall in Italy.  

👉 If you’re up early on Saturday morning, then Australia’s Group 1 Cox Plate is live on Sky Sports Racing (7.10). The winner gets almost £2m.

Here are a trio of well-researched edges to take into Saturday’s action.

1. Henry De Bromhead (Trainer) 
✅ CHELTENHAM SHOWCASE MEETING

ℹ️ Saturday’s corresponding meeting produced 4 wins from 19 runs for a +£32 profit to £1 level stakes (since 2000) – all four winners came in handicaps.

Saturday’s runners:

2. Ryan Moore (Jockey) 
✅ DONCASTER

ℹ️ Saturday’s corresponding meeting produced 5 wins from 15 runs for a +£5 profit to £1 level stakes (since 2000).

Saturday’s rides:

3. Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore (Joint-trainers) 
✅ KELSO

ℹ️ Saturday’s corresponding meeting produced 11 wins from 52 runs for a +£12 profit to £1 level stakes (last five years).

The yard’s hurdlers did best at 8-26 (+£28) – the chases were 3-26 (-£16).

Saturday’s Kelso hurdlers:

Following in-form trainers is a wise approach at any point of the year, but never more so than right now as a new jumps season unfolds.

Here’s who’s been cooking in the last seven days (excl. Friday)…

Featuring the latest big-race roll of honour alongside ten-year trends analysis, our ‘Super Trends’ reveal the key stats for all the big races.

Use these trends to find your selections, or if you’re short of time, check our shortlist below each race.

Who fits all the trends?

🏅 Rockonliam
🏅 Spectacularsunrise
🏅 Palamon

Who fits all the trends?

🏅 Road To Wembley
🏅 Kashchei
🏅 Newbrook Diamond

Who fits all the trends?

🏅 Ace Of Spades
🏅 Kitty Foyle

Who fits all the trends?

🏅 Shannon Royale

Who fits all the trends?

🏅 Lord Byron
🏅 North Shore

If you’ve ever heard the ‘Cheltenham’ charity song released in 2010, then that’s what The Purist was singing down the phone earlier in the week.

He reckons his beloved ‘Bookie-paid Saturday night takeaways’ are well within reach again – in fact, his local kebab shop even rang him to check if everything was alright owing to his absence of late.

Let’s see if he can get back amongst the chilli sauce now the jumps are back. Here’s one of the horses The Purist is backing on Saturday – and it’s not one of Hendo’s…

I’m personally done with the Flat for this season, as the Saturday winners became harder to find.

Backing improving horses – especially handicappers ahead of their mark – during the first half of a season has worked well for me down the years, and the new jumps season is a very welcome sight.

I’ll be watching plenty of replays and checking data to find an army of improving types during the coming weeks – several of which could be on show this weekend, including at Kelso. 

Trainer Dan Skelton is simply shitting winners at the moment, and he sends Ashdown Forest to Kelso on Saturday for the 2m handicap hurdle (3.14).

This improver moved to Skelton in May and underwent wind surgery, which benefited the four-year-old as he won in July over 2m, before twice getting beaten over further. 

Ashdown Forest was then dropped back to 2m last Saturday and won with plenty in hand under Miss Heidi Palin (claims 5lb), who keeps the ride on Saturday. He beat rivals rated 99 & 100 that day, so his mark of 101 looks lenient.

(By the way, The Purist is back tomorrow morning with more tips for Pro members. Keep an eye out for that if you've already upgraded, and if you haven't, the link is here.)

One caught our eye at Plumpton on Monday. 

Bass Hunter (6yo)

An improver in bumpers last season – finished third in Cheltenham’s Champion Bumper – and won on his hurdles debut here in impressive fashion.

Diamond Hunter won this Plumpton novice 12 months ago before winning a Grade 2 at Haydock the following month.

Anyone over the age of 40 may recall comedian Jimmy Cricket’s catchphrase: “And there’s more”.

Well, that’s the case regarding the number of stable interviews online.

Here’s our latest pick involving the in-form Jamie Snowden, who seems very sweet on new recruit County Prospect:

📌 Aintree stage a cracking card on Sunday featuring the Old Roan Chase, which features in Saturday morning’s Paddock Report Pro.

► ITV: Cheltenham: 1.10, 1.45, 2.20, 2.55, 3.30; Doncaster: 12.55, 1.30, 2.05.

Next week sees the jumps season hit top gear with Ascot, Wetherby and Down Royal between them staging the Charlie Hall Chase, West Yorkshire Hurdle, Sodexo Gold Cup Chase and Champion Chase, plus more 🤯

Wetherby also put on a superb Friday card featuring the bet365 Premier Handicap Chase and the Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle – we’ll be all over those in our midweek Paddock Report Pro newsletter.

Until then…

…keep ‘em peeled 👀

The Paddock Report Team.