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Running horses in the Imperial Cup at Sandown races on Saturday, 8 March comes with extra incentive. Any winner of the Class 2 Handicap Hurdle that goes in again during the Cheltenham Festival the following week scoops a £100,000 bonus. It’s well worth winning and helps to focus the minds of trainers and owners on …

The Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury races on Saturday, 1 March sees Premier Handicap action from the Berkshire track. It stands alone as the feature contest on a seven-race card. Forecast ground is on the testing side with the going stick in the low 3s. The races that horses have at Newbury may leave their …

Saturday, 1 March is the big day for Kelso races in the Scottish Borders. It’s the Morebattle Hurdle card also featuring Listed action over fences and the Grade 2 Premier Novices’ Hurdle. A £100,000 bonus for any horse successful in the feature handicap who follows-up at the Cheltenham Festival only adds extra intrigue. The supporting …

The final Cheltenham Festival trials take place at Kempton races on Saturday, 22 February. These events are the Grade 2 Pendil Novices’ Chase, Adonis Juvenile Hurdle and Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle. Although there’s an argument they provide a better indicator towards Aintree’s Grand National meeting than the big one at Cheltenham these days, the action at …

The only Grade 1 over fences at Ascot races today, the eponymous Betfair Ascot Chase, headlines the card in Berkshire on Saturday, 15 February. It features a rematch between last year’s first and second Pic D’Orhy and L’Homme Presse. A distance of two miles five furlongs seems optimum for Paul Nicholls’ charge around here. Venetia …

Another Premier Raceday over jumps at Haydock races on Saturday, 15 February sees the official Grand National Trial as the feature contest. This Premier Handicap Chase over three-and-a-half miles seldom produces the winner of the big one on Merseyside’s other track Aintree, but still excites punters. This year’s edition of the Grand National Trial contains …

Despite losing the Classic Chase to wintry weather last month, Warwick races has its Kingmaker card set for Saturday, 8 February. That Grade 2 novice chase over two miles is the last Arkle trial before the Cheltenham Festival. It features top-level winner L’Eau Du Sud, who has the small mercy of avoiding Sir Gino before …

The Newbury Super Saturday of 2025 has a new sponsor. So long associated with Betfair, William Hill now take over as partners of an 8 February card that contains two Grades 2 and a valuable Premier Handicap. Initially the Schwepps Hurdle, and run for a period as the Tote Gold Trophy, the race known in …

Willie Mullins saddles four of the five runners in the Irish Champion Hurdle on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival. This boils down to a Leopardstown clash on Sunday, 2 February between State Man and the mare Lossiemouth with others playing for places. It’s an eight-race card rounding off this weekend meeting to the …

Willie Mullins throws plenty of darts at the Dublin Racing Festival 2025 including some of his best prospects and top horses. That is probably why he cleans up at this two-day Leopardstown fixture that gets underway on Saturday, 1 February with the Irish Gold Cup. That is the last of four Grade 1 races taking …