Early to mid-November sees one of the key fixtures of the early National Hunt season. The home of the jumping game sets the stage as the leading trainers and jockeys head to Cheltenham for the three-day November meeting.
Running from Friday, 14 November, to Sunday, 16 November, this much-anticipated meeting features seven contests rated at Listed level or above and a host of quality handicaps. The pick of the bunch in the handicap category is the Paddy Power Gold Cup, which takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon.
Making its debut in 1960, this 2m4f contest was known as the Mackeson Gold Cup until 1995. Since then, Murphy’s, Thomas Pink, Paddy Power and BetVictor have all lent their backing to the race, with Paddy Power returning for a second sponsorship spell in 2020. Offering £160,000 in prize money, the event boasts an impressive roll of honour, including two-time Champion Chase winner Fortria, Grand National champ Gay Trip, and Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Imperial Commander.
With the clock counting down to the 2025 edition, we look set for a typically competitive renewal. From a raft of realistic contenders, the market has zeroed in on two runners who are no strangers to Cheltenham success.
Jagwar to Strike for Greenall and Guerriero?
Just shading favouritism in most betting lists is the Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero-trained Jagwar. Now six years old, this JP McManus-owned runner has been spoken of in glowing terms by his handlers since arriving from France in January 2023. Winning only one of five hurdles outings, his career over the smaller obstacles was a little underwhelming. He has proven to be a different proposition over fences.
Kicking off 2024/25 with back-to-back wins at Wetherby and Bangor, he then suffered a blip at Uttoxeter. Recovering his form, his best efforts came on his final two outings last season. Having landed a Class 2 event over 2m4½f of the New Course in January, he returned to that track and trip to claim a famous success in the Trustratrader Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
He’s 9lb higher here as the action switches to the Old Course, but may not have finished improving yet.
Il Ridoto Returns to Defend His Crown
Narrowly behind Jagwar in the betting market is the Paul Nicholls-trained Il Ridoto. Few horses in training have as much Cheltenham experience as this son of Kapgarde. Still only eight years old, Il Ridoto has made 15 appearances at the home of the jumping game, finishing in the top four seven times, including two wins. The most recent of those successes came in the 2024 edition of this race, when defying a mark of 141 to score by 4½l.
Appearing four more times at this track over the winter and spring, he failed to get anywhere near those levels. However, those poor performances mean that he gets in here off 142 – only 1lb higher than when winning so easily 12 months ago. Having blown away the cobwebs with a recent spin at Chepstow, it is easy to understand why he is proving popular with punters.
Vincenzo to Continue Sam Thomas Hot Streak?
Few trainers have begun the 2025/26 campaign as well as South Glamorgan’s Sam Thomas. Between 27 October and 8 November, five of Thomas’s nine runners hit the target for an impressive strike rate of 56%. Having tasted big handicap success in the Badger Beer Handicap Chase, Ladbrokes Trophy, and Welsh Champion Hurdle last season, Thomas sends Vincenzo in pursuit of this valuable pot. While he can’t match the Cheltenham form of Jagwar or Il Ridoto, Vincenzo ended 2024/25 with a fine second in the Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury.
Greatwood Gold Cup 2025 Result (1/3/25)
| Pos. | Horse | SP | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Booster Bob | 16/1 | Sean Bowen | Olly Murphy |
| 2 | Vincenzo | 5/1 | Dylan Johnston | Sam Thomas |
| 3 | Saint Segal | 10/1 | David Noonan | Jane Williams |
With his trainer in flying form, he may have more to offer on only his fifth outing in a handicap chase.
Panic Leads Skelton Attack
Having lost out to Willie Mullins in the past two battles for the Champion Trainer title, Dan Skelton currently tops the 2025/26 table. Whether that remains the case after the big spring festivals remains to be seen, but Skelton will hope to increase his early advantage by claiming this valuable prize.
Flying the flag for Skelton’s Warwickshire yard is a mare who began life with Willie Mullins back in 2020. Successful on her only start for the Closutton maestro, Panic Attack won four times for David Pipe before joining Skelton in November 2024. Considering she had been off the track for 649 days before arriving at Lodge Hill, the Bryan Drew-owned runner performed with credit last season. In four outings, she never finished outside the first three and posted an impressive win over this trip in a mares’ event at Windsor.
Panic Attack’s 2024/25 Form
| Date | Race | Course | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/12/24 | Mares’ Handicap Hurdle | Ludlow | 3rd |
| 28/12/24 | Mares’ Handicap Hurdle | Newbury | 3rd |
| 17/1/25 | Mares’ Handicap Chase | Windsor | 1st |
| 8/2/25 | Handicap Hurdle | Warwick | 2nd |
From a handicapping perspective, a career-high mark of 135 makes life tough. However, Harry Skelton opts to ride her ahead of Hoe Joly Smoke and Riskingtheground, suggesting she is showing all the right signs at home.
A Fitting Win for the Irish?
The top four in the betting all hail from a British yard. No Irish trainer has saddled the winner since Edward O’Grady claimed the 2009 renewal with Tranquil Sea. With this year’s edition named in honour of O’Grady, who sadly passed away earlier in 2025, an Irish win would be a fitting tribute to the training great.
This year’s @paddypower Gold Cup will be run in memory of legendary Irish trainer Edward O’Grady 🏇
O’Grady recorded 18 Cheltenham Festival winners between 1974 and 2006 👏
Join us at The November Meeting as we honour one of the greats 💚
Read more: https://t.co/v2Al1iBu9B pic.twitter.com/htGICsHE24
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) October 27, 2025
The Henry De Bromhead duo, Coming Up Easy and Theatre Native, Gavin Cromwell’s The Other Mozzie and Thecompanysergeant, and Conyers Hill from the Paul Nolan operation are the challengers hoping to take the prize back to the Emerald Isle.