GLENFARCLAS CROSS COUNTRY CHASE CANCELLED AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING

Article 16th October 2026 Cheltenham

Friday 16th October 2026: Cheltenham Racecourse has today announced that the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at The November Meeting (Friday 13th November) has been cancelled due to firm and currently unraceable ground on the Cross Country course.

Following an exceptionally dry summer and unseasonably warm temperatures, the Cross Country course has been unable to be irrigated while resources have been focused on preparing the Old Course to provide safe ground for racing at The Showcase (23 and 24 October). The forecast suggests that dry conditions are likely to continue, with insufficient rainfall expected to achieve safe conditions on the Cross Country course in time for The November Meeting.

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase will now be rescheduled for Festival Trials Day on Saturday 30th January, creating an eight-race card.

Working in conjunction with the BHA and the NTF, and taking into consideration the continued dry conditions, a decision will be made by Friday 30th October on the replacement race that will be run on Friday 13th November.

Jon Pullin, Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “It is always disappointing to lose any race or fixture, and the team have worked incredibly hard in very challenging conditions to get the Old Course ready for racing next week.

“Given the exceptionally dry summer, which has continued into the early autumn, our priority has had to be ensuring the Old Course is ready. The forecast suggests that there is limited rainfall expected in the coming weeks and warm temperatures are set to continue, meaning our attention will need to remain on the Old Course in the lead-up to The November Meeting.

“We wanted to take the decision to cancel the Cross Country Chase as early as possible to allow participants time to adjust their plans.

“Unfortunately, we have already lost a number of fixtures across the country due to the challenging conditions. In discussions with the BHA and the NTF, we recognise that this may continue over the next couple of weeks. Therefore, there may be races that need rescheduling that could be accommodated at The November Meeting so we will confirm the replacement race by Friday 30th October.”