# Cheltenham Friday Preview 2026: Shloer Chase and the Card _Friday at Cheltenham's November Meeting, 13 November 2026: the six-race card, the Shloer Chase field led by Jonbon, and what our results files say._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting-friday-2026-preview/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting-friday-2026-preview/) · last updated 2026-11-11* Cheltenham's November Meeting opens on Friday 13 November with a six-race card, and the Shloer Chase at 2:20pm is the race of the day. It is a Grade 2 over 1m 7f 199y on the Old Course, and Jonbon, who won it in 2023 and 2024, is among the 7 entries. This page is Friday's card. The meeting's dates, history and results are on our [Cheltenham November Meeting guide](/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting/), and how we would approach the weekend's big handicaps is in the [November Meeting tips](/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting-tips/). Saturday's and Sunday's features have their own pages: the [Paddy Power Gold Cup 2026 preview](/racing-news/paddy-power-gold-cup-2026-preview/) and the [Greatwood Hurdle 2026 preview](/racing-news/greatwood-hurdle-2026-preview/). Everything for the three days is gathered on the [November Meeting hub](/festivals/cheltenham-november-meeting/). Every horse named here is an entry, not a declared runner. Friday's fields are settled at the declarations on Thursday 12 November, and we will update this page then. The declared fields, with every runner's StableBet Rating, go up on our [Cheltenham racecards](/racecards/cheltenham/) the day before racing. Tap the star beside any horse or trainer to follow them in your [Horse Tracker](/horse-tracker/). ## Friday's six races Cheltenham calls the Friday Countryside Day. Its own page for the day lists gates opening at 10:30am and six races, with a note that times and races can change: | Off | Race | What it is | Entries | |---|---|---|---| | 1:10pm | AIS Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle | Class 3 handicap hurdle, a qualifier for the Challenger Staying Hurdle Series Final | 63 | | 1:45pm | Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Novices' Chase | Listed novices' chase | 9 | | 2:20pm | Shloer Chase | Grade 2 chase | 7 | | 2:55pm | Jilly Cooper Veterans Chase | Class 2 handicap chase for veterans | 16 | | 3:30pm | Hyde Novices' Hurdle | Grade 2 novices' hurdle, run under Albert Bartlett's sponsorship | 15 | | 4:00pm | Valda Energy Novices' Handicap Hurdle | Class 3 novices' handicap hurdle | 35 | The entry counts are from the cards published on 8 November. The two handicap hurdles at either end of the day have far more entries than can run, so those fields will look very different after Thursday's declarations. The three Class 1 races in the middle of the card are much closer to their final shape. The veterans' chase is named this year for the author Jilly Cooper, whom the course is honouring on the day. Saturday's card is built around the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Sunday's around the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, both big-field handicaps. Friday is different: its three best races are not handicaps, so the fields are smaller and the horses meet on terms much closer to level weights. ## The Shloer Chase: Jonbon and six others The Shloer Chase is registered as the Cheltenham Chase and was first run in 2009. It has 7 entries this year: | Horse | Age | Trainer | Official rating | |---|---|---|---| | Jonbon | 10 | Nicky Henderson | 165 | | JPR One | 9 | Joe Tizzard | 161 | | Libberty Hunter | 10 | Cath Williams | 159 | | Gidleigh Park | 8 | Harry Fry | 155 | | Saint Segal | 8 | Jane Williams | 153 | | Mighty Bandit | 6 | Warren Greatrex | 151 | | Calico | 10 | Dan Skelton | 148 | The names are the same on Sporting Life's card, horseracing.net's card and in PA's entries report. The ratings are from Sporting Life's card alone. It shows Jonbon set to carry 11st 10lb and the other six 11st 4lb, so he would give each of them 6lb. ### Jonbon (Nicky Henderson) Jonbon won this race in 2023 and 2024 for Nicky Henderson. He was odds-on to win it a third time last year and finished second of six to L'Eau Du Sud, who is not among this year's entries. Jonbon is the highest-rated horse in the race by 4lb. He has not run since March, so this would be his first start of the season. Three horses have won the race two years running since it became a Grade 2 in 2015: Fox Norton, Nube Negra and Jonbon. None of them won it a third time. ### JPR One (Joe Tizzard) JPR One is the only horse in the race with a win in our results files this season. He won a 1m7f handicap chase here on 23 October at 3/1, then finished second of six in the Haldon Gold Cup, which was rearranged to Aintree, on 6 November at 11/4. Friday would be his third run in three weeks for Joe Tizzard. ### Calico (Dan Skelton) Calico was fourth in the race JPR One won here on 23 October, starting at the same price. He is the lowest-rated of the seven, and PA's report describes this as a step up in class for him. Dan Skelton won the race last year. ### Gidleigh Park (Harry Fry) Gidleigh Park is also entered in Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup, where he shares top weight. Harry Fry has said the horse is more likely to run in a non-handicap, and this race was the one mentioned. He has not run this season. ### The other three Libberty Hunter (Cath Williams) was second in the Champion Chase at the Festival in March, according to PA, and has not run since. Mighty Bandit (Warren Greatrex) is the youngest in the race at six; PA reports that he won three handicaps in a row last season and was last seen at Aintree in the spring. Saint Segal (Jane Williams) has had one run this season, fourth of eight in a handicap chase at Ffos Las on 14 October at 6/1. ## The novices and the veterans Form lines below are from our own results files, which hold every British and Irish result since 1 June 2026. Prices are starting prices. ### Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Novices' Chase, 1:45pm A Listed novices' chase over about three miles and a furlong. Nine horses are in it at this stage, and PA reports that nine is also the maximum field. - Chanceawetmorning is trained by Gordon Elliott and has won his last two starts over fences: at Sligo on 30 September at 2/1, and a Grade 3 novice chase at Punchestown on 14 October at 11/2. - Follow Your Luck and Derryhassen Paddy have already met over the same trip here. They were second and third of six in a novices' chase at the Showcase meeting on 24 October, at 18/1 and 4/1. - Intosomethinggood was third of three in a novices' chase over three miles at Aintree on 6 November at 4/1. - Kingston Narcissus and Dunkerque are both entered in Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup as well. Kingston Narcissus was third of six in a Premier Handicap chase at Wetherby on 30 October at 11/8. Dunkerque has run five times since June and won twice. ### Jilly Cooper Veterans Chase, 2:55pm A Class 2 handicap chase over about two and a half miles. Sixteen horses are in it at this stage. - Three of them ran against each other in a veterans' handicap chase at Market Rasen on 25 October, a five-runner race: Triple Trade won at 15/8, Sure Touch was third at 9/4 and Ga Law fifth at 9/2. - Thunder Rock won a handicap chase at Perth on 15 October at 11/4. - Sherborne ran as recently as 10 November, fourth of five in a veterans' handicap chase at Huntingdon at 4/1. - Mahons Glory and Guard Your Dreams are also entered in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. ### Hyde Novices' Hurdle, 3:30pm A Grade 2 novices' hurdle over about two miles and five furlongs. Fifteen horses are in it at this stage. It is sponsored by Albert Bartlett, and it is a different race from the three-mile novices' hurdle the same sponsor backs at the Festival in March. - Woodstock Octo has won at the course this season: a novices' hurdle at the Showcase meeting on 24 October at 9/2. Otie's Friend was third of seven in another novices' hurdle there the day before, at 16/1. - Lock Stock and Hopeful Hero both ran in the Persian War Novices' Hurdle, a Grade 2 at Chepstow on 9 October with 11 runners. Lock Stock was third at 9/1, after winning his two starts before that at Worcester. Hopeful Hero was fifth at 50/1. - Luck Between Us won three of four handicap hurdles in Ireland between 16 July and 26 September. - Dallas Star was second of six at 5/4 in a Listed novice hurdle at Limerick on 17 October. - Four of them have run once in our files and won: Petersham Place at Perth and Ferocimo at Fontwell, both on 15 October, Divine Diva at Chepstow on 11 October, and Hitintheheadlines at Chepstow on 10 October at 14/1. A horse entered in two races at the meeting will run in one of them at most, so Thursday's declarations will thin these lists. ## What our results files say ### Most of the Shloer field has not run since the summer The Shloer Chase has 7 entries, and four of those horses have no run in our results files, which start on 1 June: Jonbon, Gidleigh Park, Libberty Hunter and Mighty Bandit. The other three have had four runs between them this season, for one win. So for most of the field Friday would be a first run back, and the form you are reading is last season's. ### Their trainers in the last 14 days Jumps runs in Britain and Ireland from 28 October to 10 November, in our results files: | Trainer | Winners | Runners | |---|---|---| | Dan Skelton | 23 | 99 | | Joe Tizzard | 7 | 30 | | Nicky Henderson | 4 | 14 | | Cath Williams | 3 | 31 | | Harry Fry | 2 | 12 | | Warren Greatrex | 2 | 11 | | Jane Williams | 1 | 9 | Dan Skelton has had the most winners and by far the most runners. Nicky Henderson has had few runners so far, and four of his 14 have won. Samples this small are background, not a betting angle. ### Henderson and Skelton at Cheltenham's autumn meetings Our race database starts in October 2023. At the Showcase and November meetings combined, from 2023 to 2025, Nicky Henderson had 8 winners from 32 runners and Dan Skelton 12 from 63. ### Favourites at the November Meeting In the same database the favourite won 36.8% of the 57 races at Cheltenham's November Meeting from 2023 to 2025. That is close to the figure for all British jumps racing in the database, 37.1%. A favourite that wins a little more than one race in three still loses money over time at starting price, because the prices already allow for it. The StableBet Rating, our pounds figure for each runner, appears beside every horse on the racecard once the fields are declared. ## The model's view, and your picks against it ### When the model's view lands Friday's races are not on a declared card yet, so our model has nothing to rate. Its timetable: - **Thursday 12 November, 2:10pm:** the day-before provisional view, once the fields are declared. The model's chances for every Shloer Chase runner will then show in the box on this page. - **Friday 13 November, 5am:** the final ratings and fair prices for every British race on the [AI Lab's daily card](/ai-race-predictor/today/). Neither is a tip. The model is a test we publish in full, and its [track record](/ai-race-predictor/track-record/) shows every result, losers included. Across 11,947 races its top pick has won 24.5% of the time, and backing every one of them at starting price has returned −13.6%. ### Your picks against it The November Meeting has its own free prediction game, [You v the AI](/ai-race-predictor/lab/can-you-beat-the-bookies/festival/cheltenham-november-meeting-2026/). You pick one horse in every race at Cheltenham over the three days, and your picks are scored against our model, five AI chatbots and the market favourite, all at the official starting price. Friday's card opens for picks on Thursday afternoon, and each pick stays open until its race is due off. No money is staked and there are no prizes. The meeting has its own leaderboard, and you need to play two of the three days to be ranked on it. We have set out how it works in [You v the AI at Cheltenham](/ai-race-predictor/blog/you-v-the-ai-cheltenham-november-meeting/). ## Going, racecards and where to bet ### The going We are not stating a going description here, because the reports we read on 11 November do not agree. PA's entries report gave the ground as good, good to firm in places when the entries were made. A later report says the course has been watering and that good to soft has come into the description. Cheltenham's own going report is the one to trust, and trainers often decide whether to run once they have seen it. ### Racecards and results The declared fields go up on our [Cheltenham racecards](/racecards/cheltenham/) on Thursday, with a StableBet Rating beside every runner. Friday's results will be on the [November Meeting results page](/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting-2026-results/) that evening. If you are going, our [day out at Cheltenham](/uk-racecourses/cheltenham/cheltenham-day-out-guide/) covers getting there, and the [November Meeting guide](/racing-news/cheltenham-november-meeting/) has the timings for all three days. ### Where to bet - **Best odds guaranteed.** Prices in small fields can move sharply once the declarations are known. A [BOG bookmaker](/bookmakers/best-bog-bookmakers/) pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took. - **Cheltenham offers.** Our [Cheltenham betting offers](/bookmakers/cheltenham-offers/) page compares what our partners are running for racing at the course, from the November Meeting to the Festival. - **Each-way terms.** Small fields pay fewer places each way than the big handicaps on Saturday and Sunday, and the smallest are win only. Our [each-way guide](/betting/bet-types/each-way/) has the full table, and the [each-way calculator](/betting/calculators/each-way/) works out the returns. A bet struck before Thursday's declarations is normally an ante-post bet, so if your horse is not declared you usually lose the stake. Read the terms before you bet early.
### Bet responsibly Decide what you can afford to spend over the three days before Friday's first race, and keep to it. Over time the odds favour the bookmaker. If gambling stops being fun, free confidential support is available from [BeGambleAware](https://www.begambleaware.org/) on 0808 8020 133. 18+.
## Frequently asked questions ### What time is the first race at Cheltenham on Friday? The first race is at 1:10pm and the last at 4pm, according to Cheltenham's own page for the day, which lists gates opening at 10:30am. The course says times can change. ### What time is the Shloer Chase? The Shloer Chase is the 2:20pm on Friday 13 November, the third of six races. ### Is Jonbon running in the Shloer Chase? Jonbon is among the 7 entries. Whether he runs is settled at the declarations on Thursday 12 November, and we will update this page then. ### Who won the Shloer Chase last year? L'Eau Du Sud, trained by Dan Skelton, with Jonbon second. L'Eau Du Sud is not among this year's entries. ### How far is the Shloer Chase? 1m 7f 199y, which is just under two miles, on Cheltenham's Old Course. It is a Grade 2 race. ### When are Friday's runners confirmed? At the declarations on Thursday 12 November. The declared fields then go on our [Cheltenham racecards](/racecards/cheltenham/). ### Can I play You v the AI on Friday's races? Yes. Friday's card opens for picks on Thursday afternoon on the [November Meeting challenge page](/ai-race-predictor/lab/can-you-beat-the-bookies/festival/cheltenham-november-meeting-2026/). It is free, no money is staked and there are no prizes. ## Sources and verification Checked on 11 November 2026 against: - [The Jockey Club: Countryside Day, Friday 13 November 2026](https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham/events-tickets/the-november-meeting/countryside-day/) (race names, times, gates) - [Sporting Life: Shloer Chase racecard](https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/racecards/2026-11-13/cheltenham/racecard/948325/shloer-chase-registered-as-the-cheltenham-chase-grade-2-gbb-race) (entries, trainers, ages, official ratings, weights, distance) - [horseracing.net: Shloer Chase runners 2026](https://www.horseracing.net/news/shloer-chase-runners-2026-13th-november) (the same seven names, ages, time since each horse last ran) - [Sidmouth Herald (PA): report on the Shloer Chase entries](https://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/sport/national/26708627.jonbon-among-seven-shloer-entries/) (the horses entered, the going at that stage, the novices' races) - [The Comet (PA): Gidleigh Park likely to swerve the Paddy Power Gold Cup](https://www.thecomet.net/sport/national/26704588.gidleigh-park-likely-swerve-paddy-power-gold-cup/) - [Racing Post: L'Eau Du Sud wins the 2025 Shloer Chase](https://www.racingpost.com/news/reports/leau-du-sud-dominates-shloer-chase-with-jonbon-well-beaten-in-second-and-jj-slevin-produces-amazing-recovery-at-last-aaMKR2Q8rvw2/) and [Sky Sports' report of the same race](https://www.skysports.com/racing/news/12426/13470303/cheltenham-dan-skeltons-leau-du-sud-sinks-jonbon-with-stylish-shloer-chase-success) - [Sky Sports: Jonbon wins the 2024 Shloer Chase](https://www.skysports.com/racing/news/13254747/businesslike-jonbon-makes-it-back-to-back-shloer-chase-victories-at-cheltenham) The race's first running, its grade history and its earlier winners come from our research record for the race, built from Wikipedia and the reports above. Entry counts for the other five races are from the Racing Post and Sporting Life cards published on 8 November. Every run since 1 June and the 14-day trainer figures come from our own results files, and the meeting records from our race database, which starts in October 2023. Official ratings come from Sporting Life's card alone and the fields change at the declarations.