Greatwood Hurdle 2026 Preview: Entries, Weights and Trends

The race drew 44 entries. Dan SkeltonAdd Dan Skelton to the Horse Tracker has at least six of them, the most of any yard, and five of the names below are trained in Ireland.

Iberico LordAdd Iberico Lord to the Horse Tracker has top weight of 12st on an official rating of 144, for Nicky HendersonAdd Nicky Henderson to the Horse Tracker. The four-year-old Minella StudyAdd Minella Study to the Horse Tracker is next on 11st 13lb, then three on 11st 12lb: MirabadAdd Mirabad to the Horse Tracker, Idaho SunAdd Idaho Sun to the Horse Tracker and The Kemble BreweryAdd The Kemble Brewery to the Horse Tracker.

Horse	Age	Weight	Rating	Trainer
Iberico Lord	8	12-0	144	Nicky Henderson
Minella Study	4	11-13	143	Adam Nicol
Mirabad	7	11-12	142	Dan Skelton
Idaho Sun	6	11-12	142	Harry Fry
The Kemble Brewery	7	11-12	142	Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls
Burdett Road	6	11-11	141	James Owen
Give It To Me Oj	5	11-8	138	Jamie Moore & Josh Moore
Indeevar Bleu	8	11-8	138	Olly Murphy
White Noise	6	11-7	137	Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls
Mossy Fen Road	6	11-6	136	Harry Derham
Dedicated Hero	7	11-5	135	Sandy Thomson
Captain Hugo	6	11-4	134	Philip Hobbs & Johnson White
Serious Challenge	6	11-4	134	Fergal O'Brien
Knickerbockerglory	10	11-4	134	Dan Skelton
Mondo Man	5	11-3	133	Jamie Moore & Josh Moore
Pioneer Pete	6	11-3	133	Jonjo & A J O'Neill
All In You	6	11-2	see note	Warren Greatrex
Ben Hur	4	11-1	131	Noel Meade
Trustintimes	5	11-1	131	Harry Fry
Switch From Diesel	7	11-1	131	Ross O'Sullivan
Let It Rain	7	11-0	130	Dan Skelton
Manlaga	4	11-0	130	Nicky Henderson
Helnwein	8	11-0	130	Alan King
The Mighty Celt	4	10-13	129	Dan Skelton
Castleheath	5	10-12	128	Ciaran Murphy
Harry Lowes	5	10-12	128	Dan Skelton
Mister Ursus	5	10-12	128	Olly Murphy
Hamlet's Night	5	10-11	127	James Owen
Bibe Mus	4	10-9	125	Paul Nicholls
Listentoyourheart	7	10-9	125	Dan Skelton
Rubber Ball	6	10-9	125	Neil King
Tennessee Tango	6	10-7	123	Joe Tizzard
Race To Base	6	10-6	122	Nick Scholfield
The Hardest Geezer	7	10-5	121	Philip Hobbs & Johnson White
Rightsotom	7	10-5	121	Joe Tizzard
Nap Hand	6	10-4	120	Chris Gordon
Give Him A Chance	7	10-3	119	P J Rothwell
Turenne	4	10-1	117	David Pipe
Day Trader	5	10-1	117	A J Martin
Haas Boy	9	10-1	117	Chester Williams

Weights and ratings as shown on the Racing Post entry card on 7 November. The card gives 44 entries, but four names did not show when we read it, so the table has 40 names; we will add the others once we can read them. Haas BoyAdd Haas Boy to the Horse Tracker is marked as a non-runner on the card. All In YouAdd All In You to the Horse Tracker's 11st 2lb includes a 5lb penalty for winning a handicap hurdle at Aintree on 6 November, which the race's conditions add for any hurdle win after 1 November.

The long handicap

The minimum weight is 10st 2lb. TurenneAdd Turenne to the Horse Tracker, Day TraderAdd Day Trader to the Horse Tracker and Haas Boy are weighted at 10st 1lb, so if they run they carry a pound more than their rating says. The weights each horse actually carries are fixed at Friday's declarations.

Form figures below come from the Racing Post card and read right to left, so the last figure is the most recent run. A dash marks the break between seasons.

Iberico Lord (Nicky Henderson)

Iberico LordAdd Iberico Lord to the Horse Tracker won this race in 2023 as a five-year-old, carrying 11st at 7/1 under Nico de BoinvilleAdd Nico de Boinville to the Horse Tracker. He is eight now, rated 144 and top weight on 12st. His card figures are 9918-0. A winner of his age would be outside the four-to-seven band every winner from 2016 to 2025 fell into.

Burdett Road (James Owen)

Burdett RoadAdd Burdett Road to the Horse Tracker won it in 2024 as a four-year-old, on 11st 10lb at 7/2 with Harry CobdenAdd Harry Cobden to the Horse Tracker riding. He spent the summer on the Flat for James OwenAdd James Owen to the Horse Tracker, including the Ebor at York on 22 August (seventh of 22 at 80/1), and was fifth of eight in the Listed Panoramic Hurdle at Carlisle on 22 October at 4/1. He is set to carry 11st 11lb.

Idaho Sun (Harry Fry)

Idaho SunAdd Idaho Sun to the Horse Tracker is unbeaten over hurdles and was ruled out of the Festival only days before it, according to a PA report carried by The Comet, which says the handicapper left him on 142. Harry FryAdd Harry Fry to the Horse Tracker told PA the Greatwood has "very much been the plan" and that he hopes to get the ground. His card figures are 6/111 and he has not run since last season.

Mirabad (Dan Skelton)

MirabadAdd Mirabad to the Horse Tracker was second in that Panoramic Hurdle at Carlisle on 22 October at 9/2, finishing in front of Burdett Road. He is rated 142 and set to carry 11st 12lb, the highest of Dan SkeltonAdd Dan Skelton to the Horse Tracker's entries.

White Noise (Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls)

White NoiseAdd White Noise to the Horse Tracker won the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on 12 March at 40/1 for Kim Bailey and Mat NichollsAdd Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls to the Horse Tracker, according to The Jockey Club and RTÉ. She is rated 137, set to carry 11st 7lb, and her card figures are 11212.

Pioneer Pete (Jonjo & A J O'Neill)

Pioneer PeteAdd Pioneer Pete to the Horse Tracker has won all three of his runs since June in our results files: novice hurdles at Worcester on 6 June and Stratford on 5 September, then the Welsh Champion Hurdle, a 17-runner limited handicap at Chepstow, on 9 October at 3/1. He goes up to 133 and 11st 3lb.

Helnwein (Alan King)

HelnweinAdd Helnwein to the Horse Tracker was second in last year's race behind AlexeiAdd Alexei to the Horse Tracker, according to Sporting Life's report. He is eight now, on 130 and 11st, for Alan KingAdd Alan King to the Horse Tracker, who trained two of the ten winners from 2016 to 2025.

The model's day-before view of the race goes up on Saturday afternoon, 14 November, and will be added here beside its public track record. It is a test of the model, not a tip.

Our results files hold every British and Irish result since 1 June 2026. Of the 40 entries we can name, 26 have run in them since then, several of them on the Flat over the summer.

Where the entries have already met

• Chepstow, 9 October, the Welsh Champion Hurdle (17 ran). Seven of this year's entries ran. Pioneer PeteAdd Pioneer Pete to the Horse Tracker won at 3/1, Tennessee TangoAdd Tennessee Tango to the Horse Tracker was third at 16/1 and Captain HugoAdd Captain Hugo to the Horse Tracker sixth at 5/1; Hamlet's NightAdd Hamlet's Night to the Horse Tracker (10th), KnickerbockergloryAdd Knickerbockerglory to the Horse Tracker (11th), ListentoyourheartAdd Listentoyourheart to the Horse Tracker (13th) and Serious ChallengeAdd Serious Challenge to the Horse Tracker (16th) were further back.
• Carlisle, 22 October, the Panoramic Hurdle (8 ran). MirabadAdd Mirabad to the Horse Tracker was second at 9/2, Burdett RoadAdd Burdett Road to the Horse Tracker fifth at 4/1, Hamlet's Night sixth and Dedicated HeroAdd Dedicated Hero to the Horse Tracker eighth.
• Ascot, 31 October, a 16-runner handicap hurdle. TrustintimesAdd Trustintimes to the Horse Tracker won at 11/4 for Harry FryAdd Harry Fry to the Horse Tracker. Nap HandAdd Nap Hand to the Horse Tracker, RightsotomAdd Rightsotom to the Horse Tracker and Hamlet's Night finished 11th, 12th and 14th.

Two more entries won their latest race: All In YouAdd All In You to the Horse Tracker, a handicap hurdle at Aintree on 6 November at 6/4, and CastleheathAdd Castleheath to the Horse Tracker in a handicap hurdle at Galway on 25 October at 3/1.

Trainers in the last 14 days

Jumps runs in Britain and Ireland from 24 October to 6 November, in our results files:

Trainer	Winners	Runners
Dan Skelton	20	100
Olly Murphy	8	30
Joe Tizzard	7	29
James Owen	5	24
Harry Derham	4	24
Philip Hobbs & Johnson White	0	23
Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls	4	17
Jamie Moore & Josh Moore	4	16
Nicky Henderson	3	13
Harry Fry	2	8

Joe TizzardAdd Joe Tizzard to the Horse Tracker, who won last year's race with Alexei, has two entries this year, Tennessee Tango and Rightsotom. Philip Hobbs and Johnson WhiteAdd Philip Hobbs & Johnson White to the Horse Tracker have had 23 jumps runners in the fortnight without a winner. Small samples, so read these as background.

The StableBet Rating, our pounds figure for each runner (the official rating less 2lb for every length the horse was beaten last time), appears beside every runner on the racecard once the field is declared. In our tests the top-rated horse on it won handicaps more often than the horse with the top official rating, and the market already prices that in.

When the model's view lands

The race is not on a declared card yet, so our model has nothing to rate. Its timetable for Sunday's racing:

• Saturday 14 November, 2:10pm: the day-before provisional view, once the field is declared. We will add the model's top-rated runner in this race here, beside its public track record, losers included.
• Sunday 15 November, 5am: the final ratings and fair prices for every British race on the AI Lab's daily card.

Neither is a tip. The model is a test we publish in full, and the track record shows how it has done.

The going

Cheltenham has not published a going description for this meeting yet. We will add it here, with the date it was given, once the course does. Harry FryAdd Harry Fry to the Horse Tracker has already said he hopes to "get the ground" for Idaho Sun, so it may decide more than one declaration.

Four trends from our winners record for the race, set against this year's entries. Ten runnings is a small sample, and none of these is a reason to back or oppose a horse on its own.

• Age. Every winner from 2016 to 2025 was aged four to seven, and six of the ten were five. Of the 40 entries we can name, five are older: Iberico LordAdd Iberico Lord to the Horse Tracker, Indeevar BleuAdd Indeevar Bleu to the Horse Tracker and HelnweinAdd Helnwein to the Horse Tracker are eight, Haas BoyAdd Haas Boy to the Horse Tracker nine and KnickerbockergloryAdd Knickerbockerglory to the Horse Tracker 10.
• Weight. Winners carried anything from 9st 7lb (Nietzsche, 2018) to 12st (I Like To Move It, 2022). Each of the last four winners carried 11st or more, so a big weight has not been a bar.
• Favourites. We hold starting prices for the six runnings from 2020 to 2025, and one favourite won: AlexeiAdd Alexei to the Horse Tracker at 10/3 last year. The other five winners started between 7/2 and 11/1.
• Trainers. Dan SkeltonAdd Dan Skelton to the Horse Tracker (North Hill Harvey 2016, West Cork 2021) and Alan KingAdd Alan King to the Horse Tracker (Elgin 2017, Harambe 2019) trained two winners each in the decade. Skelton has at least six entries this year; King has Helnwein.

The November Meeting guide carries the result once the race is run.

The race has drawn big fields in recent years: 13 to 18 ran in each of the five runnings from 2020 to 2025 whose results we checked. That puts it on the line between the two standard sets of each-way terms.

The standard terms

Under the usual UK each-way terms, a handicap with 16 or more runners pays four places at a quarter of the odds, and one with 12 to 15 runners pays three places at a quarter. Last year 18 ran, in 2024 and 2023 15 each, so in two of the last three years the fourth place was not paid at standard terms. Our each-way guide sets out the full table.

What it means for a £10 each-way bet

A £5 each-way bet on a 12/1 shot, at a quarter of the odds, returns £20 from the place leg (a quarter of 12/1 is 3/1) if it places: a £10 profit on the £10 staked. If 15 run and it finishes fourth, that is a £10 loss at standard terms, and a £10 profit with a bookmaker paying four places.

What to check

• The declared field on Friday. If 16 or more are declared, four places are standard; one late withdrawal can take it back to three.
• Extra places. Some bookmakers pay more places than standard on the big Cheltenham handicaps. The terms are set race by race.
• The fraction. An extra place at a fifth of the odds pays less on every placed horse than standard terms at a quarter.

The each-way calculator works out your own stake and price.

The Greatwood is the 3:10pm at Cheltenham on Sunday 15 November, the last day of the November Meeting. Cheltenham's page for the day, Carnival Sunday, lists gates opening at 11am and the Greatwood as the sixth race of seven, after a Shetland pony race at 12:15pm opens the card. We will add the TV channel once it is confirmed. Our day out at Cheltenham covers getting there.

Where to bet

• Extra places. Our Cheltenham extra places page compares which bookmakers pay extra places on Cheltenham's big handicaps and which say they do not. It is written for the Festival in March, so check each bookmaker's terms for this race on the day.
• Best odds guaranteed. A BOG bookmaker pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took, which matters in a big handicap where prices move late.
• Cheltenham offers. Our Cheltenham betting offers page compares what our partners are running for racing at the course, from the November Meeting to the Festival.

Betting before the declarations

A bet struck before Friday's declarations is normally an ante-post bet, and if your horse is not declared you usually lose the stake. Some bookmakers offer non-runner no bet in race week, so read the terms first.

Checked on 7 November 2026 against:

• Racing Post: Greatwood Handicap Hurdle entry card (entry count, weights, official ratings, ages, form figures, conditions, minimum weight, penalty, trip, off time)
• Racing Post: entries for the Paddy Power, Greatwood and Coral Gold Cup, 27 October (the entry count, Dan Skelton's entries, past winners entered)
• William Hill: Greatwood Hurdle ante-post preview, 2 November (the entry count, the date and trip)
• The Jockey Club: Carnival Sunday, 15 November 2026 (race times, gates)
• The Comet (PA): Greatwood is Plan A for Idaho Sun
• The Jockey Club: White Noise wins the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, 12 March 2026
• RTÉ: Cheltenham round-up, 12 March 2026
• Sporting Life: Alexei wins the 2025 Greatwood (Helnwein second)
• Wikipedia: Greatwood Hurdle (winners, ages and weights)

Starting prices and field sizes for 2020 and 2022 to 2025 come from Sporting Life result pages, listed in our research record for the race. Runs since 1 June and the 14-day trainer figures come from our own results files. Weights and ratings come from the Racing Post card alone and change at the declarations.