The Centenary Novices Handicap Chase
The Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase is the last race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. It’s the perfect chance for horses, jockeys and trainers to finish with a flourish after the euphoria of the big races on day one of the grand event.
The race is a fight for the line over two miles and four and a half furlongs. The restrictions are in the title as the race is open to novice horses only with an accepted point rating of between 0 and 140.
The Centenary Novices Handicap Chase 2011
The Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase 2011 will be an intensely fought race because there is a lucrative £55,000 up for grabs to jockeys and trainers. This is a healthy sum of money in a climate where the row over prize money in horse racing rumbles on.
There is a huge field for the Centenary Novices Handicap Chase 2011 with the current betting market picking and choosing with a list of over 20 horses. The last race of the opening day at Cheltenham will finish with just as much excitement and value as the first.
The Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase 2011 has been renamed because of the new Jewson Novices’ Chase, which takes over as the premier Novice’s race for the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham Opening Day Final Race
This race does not get close to the prize money and the calibre of horses like other races but it’s special because it is the Cheltenham opening day final race. The Cheltenham crowds on day one often get a little muted between the big races.
However, it is tradition at the festival for the crowds left in the main stands to all push forwards and roar the runners and riders off to the start in the same manner as the ‘Cheltenham Roar’ which is heard at the start of the day.
Centenary Novices Handicap Chase Star Horse
The Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase star horse for this year looks set to come from the stable of well respected and established trainer Willie Mullins. The horse is called Quel Esprit and is heavily fancied to be the winning horse for the Cheltenham opening day final race.
Willie Mullins is a star trainer who holds a lot of accolades and has a very good record at Cheltenham. He will want his Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase star horse to help him rival famous Cheltenham trainers such as Tom Dreaper.
The Centenary Novices Handicap Chase Title Holder
The Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase title holder is an eight-year-old horse trained by Philip Hobbs. Copper Bleu came from towards the back of the field in the version of this race last year to beat a massive field from a held up position.
The horse was way out in the betting before the race at a price of 12/1. This goes to prove the magic of the Cheltenham Festival never stops as there is value in every single race whether it is the first race or the Cheltenham opening day final race.