October has rolled around once again, and for horse racing fans, that means the jump season returns, and there is plenty of Gloucestershire interest.
Chepstow Racecourse is home to the first big meet of the jump season, with many horses, trainers and jockeys based in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire involved in today’s event.
And with the Cheltenham Races getting underway on Friday, 27th October, and preparation building for the festival in March, today’s meeting in South Wales is a fantastic indicator for the rest of the season.
Nigel Twiston-Davies – Naunton, Gloucestershire
Nigel Twiston-Davies is one of the bigger names in racing, and the Gloucestershire-based trainer gets his jump season into stride with three entries at Chepstow over two days.
Twiston-Davies had a positive season last season, taking 33 wins over hurdles and 101 places, highlighting his credentials as a top trainer.
The form for the 66-year-old coming into Chepstow is pleasant viewing, taking 11 wins out of 30 runners in the last 14 days, which includes a nice 4/1 winner at Huntington with Mr Mackay, with his son Sam Twiston-Davies taking the reins of the four-year-old.
In the Class 2 Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase at 1:35, Sam Twiston-Davies will be riding Good Boy Bobby, who opens up as favourite at 15/8 for his father.
The form is not a good look for the 10-year-old horse, whose last victory came in December 2021. But Nigel Twiston-Davies’ yard has been going well so far this season, and a chance for a return to form for Good Boy Bobby would provide a statement win.
Jonjo O’Neill – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Along with Twiston-Davies, Jonjo O’Neill, another Gloucestershire trainer, is involved at Chepstow this weekend.
The Cheltenham-based trainer is another big name in the world of GB jumps, and he enters Chepstow with four horses on Friday, with another three running the next day in what appears to be a busy stable.
It was a busy season for O’Neill last year as well, with 287 hurdle races entered, taking 14 wins and 118 places in a very respectable season.
The trainer, based at the home of jump racing, is not sharing the cracking start that Twiston-Davies has started with, but a win at Worcester on October 12 for Wellington Arch highlights that there are winning horses in the stables for the 71-year-old trainer.
He will be looking for a win in the 2:48 at Chepstow on Friday afternoon with Zonda, a newcomer to jump racing but is out of a Listed hurdle winner with a fantastic pedigree, so the expectations for the five-year-old are high.
If O’Neill can train this horse to glory on its first run, it’ll set up what could be another fantastic season for the Cheltenham stable.
Fergal O’Brien – Withington, Gloucestershire
Renowned trainer Fergal O’Brien makes it a trio of high-quality Glouestershire-based trainers taking their talents to Chepstow this afternoon.
He has many entries in South Wales, with five horses racing on Friday, with two more a day later, hoping to kick on as the jump season builds up.
Last season was a busy one and a superb one for the 51-year-old, taking 82 wins and 211 places out of 454 runs over the hurdles, placing 46% of the time.
Two wins in O’Brien’s last two entries in Worcester and a 9/4 win with Police Academy at Ludlow shows the Irish trainer has started in fantastic form, picking up from last season and indicating the chances of a big 2024 over the hurdles.
O’Brien will be hoping that this form will continue in the Chepstow Construction Equipment EBF Mares’ “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle at 3:58, with Politacus running at 11/4 favourite for the Gloucestershire-based trainer.
A couple of wins for O’Brien at Chepstow this weekend will keep his terrific form going, and as the jump season gets into its stride, it could be an even more successful season.
