SUNDAY LANDMARKS
* It is rare that today's Cheltenham card doesn't produce a future winner at The Festival supported by Magners. In 2015, four horses - Altior, Ballyandy, Sprinter Sacre and Unowhatimeanharry were victorious on this day and again in March. In 2016 Defi Du Seuil won on The November Meeting Saturday and followed up with JCB Triumph Hurdle success at The Festival, and the Philip Hobbs-trained five-year-old runs in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial today, making his chasing debut.
* Perhaps the most popular result today would be if Lalor took the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial for Kayley Woollacott. Champion jockey Richard Johnson was in the plate when Lalor won a G1 hurdle at Aintree in April and has the ride for the six-year-old's chasing debut. Woollacott took over the training licence after the tragic death of her husband Richard in January.
* In the nine-year history of the Shloer Chase, the winner has twice subsequently triumphed at The Festival presented by Magners. The 2014 scorer Uxizandre subsequently landed the 2015 G1 Ryanair Chase, while 2015 winner Sprinter Sacre went on to capture the 2016 G1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. Can any of today's six runners in the two-mile G2 race do the same?
* A host of future Festival heroes and heroines have won the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle, including Altior, Dodging Bullets and Cue Card. Last year Colin Tizzard was victorious with Slate House, ridden by Harry Cobden, and today the trainer and jockey team up again with Elixir De Nutz. Last year's runner-up, the Tom George-trained Summerville Boy, went on to win the G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival presented by Magners. Today George saddles Seddon.
* No horse has yet won today's feature Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle twice, but Old Guard will attempt to do so. The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old, who is part-owned by TV presenter Jeremy Kyle, took the £100,000 two-mile handicap in 2015 under Harry Cobden; conditional jockey Lorcan Williams, claiming 5lb, has the ride this time.
* Is there a future Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup winner amongst the runners in the concluding High Sheriff of Gloucestershire and Racing Remember Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race? In 1999 Henrietta Knight scored with Best Mate, who went on to win Jump racing's Blue Riband three times (2002, 2003 and 2004).
* The leading current trainer and jockey at The November Meeting are Paul Nicholls and Richard Johnson, who have 45 and 28 wins over the years at the meeting apiece. They cannot be overtaken today; Nicholls' nearest rival is Philip Hobbs, with 34 victories, while second to Johnson - only two winners behind - is Ruby Walsh, who is not riding at Cheltenham today.
* It is rare that today's Cheltenham card doesn't produce a future winner at The Festival supported by Magners. In 2015, four horses - Altior, Ballyandy, Sprinter Sacre and Unowhatimeanharry were victorious on this day and again in March. In 2016 Defi Du Seuil won on The November Meeting Saturday and followed up with JCB Triumph Hurdle success at The Festival, and the Philip Hobbs-trained five-year-old runs in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial today, making his chasing debut.
* Perhaps the most popular result today would be if Lalor took the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial for Kayley Woollacott. Champion jockey Richard Johnson was in the plate when Lalor won a G1 hurdle at Aintree in April and has the ride for the six-year-old's chasing debut. Woollacott took over the training licence after the tragic death of her husband Richard in January.
* In the nine-year history of the Shloer Chase, the winner has twice subsequently triumphed at The Festival presented by Magners. The 2014 scorer Uxizandre subsequently landed the 2015 G1 Ryanair Chase, while 2015 winner Sprinter Sacre went on to capture the 2016 G1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. Can any of today's six runners in the two-mile G2 race do the same?
* A host of future Festival heroes and heroines have won the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle, including Altior, Dodging Bullets and Cue Card. Last year Colin Tizzard was victorious with Slate House, ridden by Harry Cobden, and today the trainer and jockey team up again with Elixir De Nutz. Last year's runner-up, the Tom George-trained Summerville Boy, went on to win the G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival presented by Magners. Today George saddles Seddon.
* No horse has yet won today's feature Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle twice, but Old Guard will attempt to do so. The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old, who is part-owned by TV presenter Jeremy Kyle, took the £100,000 two-mile handicap in 2015 under Harry Cobden; conditional jockey Lorcan Williams, claiming 5lb, has the ride this time.
* Is there a future Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup winner amongst the runners in the concluding High Sheriff of Gloucestershire and Racing Remember Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race? In 1999 Henrietta Knight scored with Best Mate, who went on to win Jump racing's Blue Riband three times (2002, 2003 and 2004).
* The leading current trainer and jockey at The November Meeting are Paul Nicholls and Richard Johnson, who have 45 and 28 wins over the years at the meeting apiece. They cannot be overtaken today; Nicholls' nearest rival is Philip Hobbs, with 34 victories, while second to Johnson - only two winners behind - is Ruby Walsh, who is not riding at Cheltenham today.
