One of the highlights of the National Hunt Season at Chepstow is the Unibet Jump Season Opener Meeting, which falls across two days in October and traditionally launches the winter national hunt programme in the UK. The Racing Horse has ALL THE NUMBERS to help our readers and supporters of Chepstow Racecourse get up to speed on what to expect! The National Hunt Season starts NOW!

The action starts on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th October 2021 when all the big names in racing compete for fantastic prize money across the two days, this year it totals £400,000, making for high class racing and fabulous excitement!

Friday is the first day of the Unibet Jumps Season Opener meeting and is one of the finest Chepstow events on the horse racing calendar. The £60,000 Grade 2 Unibet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle over 2m3½f is the day's feature race, which has been won by many high class horses including Silviniaco Conti and Bonanza Boy. Twelve times champion trainer Paul Nicholls has trained eight winners of the race including McFabulous and Secret Investor.

The first running of this race  was in 1977 and was named after Persian War, who was a three-time winner of the Champion Hurdle and was trained near Chepstow. The race was moved to late October in 2004 and then to an earlier date in October 2015.

But first, we look at our FREE RACECOURSE TEMPLATE for Chepstow and digest the information:CHEPSTOW RACECOURSE TEMPLATE

FAVOURITES NON-HANDICAP (5 YEARS)   FAVOURITES HANDICAP (5 YEARS)
Hurdle:   52-104 for 50%  (+3.43)   34-96  for 35%  (+8.94)
Chase:     7-24  for 29% (-10.17)   43-120 for 36% (+16.89)
NHF:      13-36  for 36%  (-8.16)   0-0    for  - 
Total:    72-164 for 44% (-14.90)   77-216 for 36% (+25.82)

TOP TRAINERS at Chepstow for 2020/2021          +/1   E
P Nicholls (23%): 18-52 for 35% (+23.87)       +12%   6 ✓
E Williams (11%):  7-60 for 12% (-27.50)        +1%   1
V Williams (15%):  6-24 for 25%  (-4.50)       +10%   0
N Henderson (25%): 4-14 for 29%  (-0.12)        +4%   2 ✓
D Pipe (14%):      4-17 for 24%  (+8.25)       +10%   1

TOP TRAINER at Chepstow for last 5 seasons  
P Nicholls (23%):    39-146 for 27%  (+7.42)    +4%   6 ✓ 
E Williams (11%):    26-194 for 13% (+20.45)    +2%   1
Colin Tizzard (13%): 22-165 for 13% (-75.21)    +0%   1
Philip Hobbs (16%):  17-113 for 15% (-18.33)    -1%   4 ✓
David Pipe (14%):    16-69  for 23% (+33.73)    +9%   1

TOP JOCKEYS at Chepstow for 2020/2021
Harry Cobden (21%): 12-36 for 27%  (-2.41)      +6%   5 ✓
Tom Scudamore (13%): 7-24 for 29% (+10.12)     +16%   2
James Bowen (14%):   7-31 for 23%  (+0.45)      +9%   0
Bryan Carver (14%):  4-21 for 19%  (-7.67)      +5%   1
Lilly Pinchin (13%): 3-7  for 43%  (+5.52)     +30%   0

TOP JOCKEY at Chepstow for last 5 seasons
Harry Cobden (21%):  27-116 for 23% (-15.19)    +2%   5 ✓
Tom Scudamore (13%): 21-99  for 21% (+18.60)    +8%   2
Adam Wedge (12%):    18-130 for 14% (+33.08)    +2%   2
S T-Davies (16%):    12-73  for 16% (-20.81)    +0%   3
Sean Bowen (17%):     9-78  for 12% (-31.52)    +5%   1

TOP OWNERS for last 5 seasons
Mr & Mrs William Rucker: 12-49 for 24% (+55.08)       0
Kate & Andrew Brooks;     7-21 for 33%  (+5.47)       1
John P McManus:           5-46 for 11% (-18.45)       2
The Stewart Family:       4-9  for 44%  (+6.55)       0
G Thompson:               4-15 for 27% (+16.82)       0

HOT TRAINERS 08/09/2021 to 08/10/2021
N Henderson (25%): 9-18 for 50.0% (+1.50)      +25%   2 ✓
C Longsdon (11%):  7-22 for 31.8% (+1.75)      +21%   1
S Edmunds (15%):   3-11 for 27.3% (+2.00)       +8%   2
M Harris (11%):    7-27 for 25.9% (-1.80)      +15%   1
D Pipe (14%):      3-12 for 25.0% (+0.00)      +11%   1

COLD LIST TRAINERS    E
Katy Price (7%): 24   1
T Vaughan (9%):  24   1
J Scott (13%):   20   1

HOT JOCKEYS 08/09/2021 to 08/10/2021
N de Boinville (22%): 5-12 for 41.7% (+1.50)   +20%   2 ✓
M Bastyan (10%):      5-15 for 33.3% (-2.00)   +23%   2
K Brogan (16%):       6-20 for 30.0% (-1.00)   +14%   1
T Bellamy (11%):      4-14 for 28.6% (-9.00)   +18%   1
T Scudamore (13%):    6-23 for 26.1% (+3.08)   +13%   2
H Cobden (21%):       2-8  for 25.0% (+0.00)    +4%   5 ✓

COLD LIST JOCKEYS            R
S Quinlan (6%):         31   2
C Ring (5%)	        24   1
A Johns (9%)	        21   1

FITURES
Friday 8 October 2021
Saturday 9 October 2021
Tuesday 26 October 2021
Wednesday 3 November 2021

• FAVOURITES: Winning favourites at Chepstow produce a profit to level stakes. Over the past 5 years results show 149-380 for 39% (+10.92), so way above the national average of around 32%. Best category are winning favourites in non-handicaps showing 52-104 for 50% (+3.43).
• TRAINERS: Paul Nicholls reigns supreme at the course and shows 234-988 for 24% (£2,318,940) (-128.55). His horses are forward and he sends 6 to the course tomorrow. Dan Skelton sends 5, Philip Hobbs 4 and Nicky Henderson 2. This is probably the best place to start those betting thought processes. ✓✓✓
• JOCKEYS: Harry Cobden is the main beneficiary of the Nicholls skill factor, he has 5 rides. Nico de Boinville has 2 whilst Sam Twiston-Davies has 3 and we are all aware of his team's preparedness to go in early season. Currently they are 1-7 for this month so far, but the months of October & November show them averaging around 25 winners within that time frame, some at big prices. They record 101-715 for 14% at Chepstow. ✓✓
• OWNERS: The Ruckers do very well at this track via Evan Williams but no runners tomorrow. John P McManus has 2 runners and Kate & Andrew Brooks 1.

 UNIBET PERSIAN WAR NOVICES' HURDLE (Grade 2) (4yo+) 2m3f100y

At first glance the suggestion is to filter those aged 5 and 6yo, in the top three in the betting, who had won their last run and rated higher than 130, the winner will probably be found in this bandwidth. This means the front two in the market PASO DOBLE (P Nicholls) and FIRST STREET (N Henderson) are both 4yos and the trends says those aged 5 or 6yo win this race at 75%. Here are the trends over the last 12 years:

9/12: Aged 5 or 6yo (75%)
9/12: Top three in the betting (75%)
8/12: Won on last run (67%)
7/12: Rated 130 or higher (58%)
5/12: Winning favourites (42%)
3/12: Previously ran at Chepstow (25%)
2/12: Previously won at Chepstow (17%)

The Racing Horse Verdict: COEUR SEREIN 11/2, will run a place at least! 

Proving the quality of the race, 3 of the last 12 winners ran in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, and 9 of those winners won at least one more race that season. Interesting that 6 of the winners ran in the Hyde Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham on their next run with 2 winning, whilst 4 won on their next start after this race.

Another of the day’s highlights is the £30,000 Professor Caroline Tisdall Supports Heroic Jumpers Veterans’ Chase. With this age group one can never be sure who turns up on the day, but course and distance winner Geordie Des Champs comes to the race on the back of two Ffos Las hurdling wins, so gets the vote off a reduced chasing mark. Sir Ivan for Harry Fry has had breathing operation and previously won a veterans event at Newbury in 2020/21. Acts on soft ground also and often travels strongly, he would have a chance and give our selection plenty to think about.

The Racing Horse Verdict: GEORDIE DES CHAMPS 11/2 Alt: Sir Ivan 13/2

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Chepstow Racecourse is easily reached by public transport including bus and rail services. Due to extensive road links and the parking available on site, car is also a popular way to reach the course. The racecourse is on the A466 Chepstow to Monmouth road, not far from the now toll-free Severn Bridge. From the M4 East (Junction 21) or M4 West (Junction 23), take the M48 and exit at Junction 2 (Chepstow).

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