The Racing Horse offers our Chepstow NH Racecourse Template for Sunday 12 October 2024. There is a 7-race card for the final day of the Welsh Racing Festival. The going on the chase course is good to firm, good in places, and on the hurdles course it is good.

ALL the WINNERS can be found HERE!

CHEPSTOW FAVOURITES (5 seasons)
Non-handicap                   Handicap
Hurdle 65-131   50%   +2.82    36-120   30%   -21.37
Chase  6-12     50%   -2.09    50-150   33%    -8.53
NHF    17-46    37%   -6.70    0-0	 	
TOTAL  88-189   47%   -5.97    86-270   32%   -29.90

TOP 5 TRAINERS at Chepstow (last 5 seasons)  +/-   E
Paul Nicholls (23%)  44-194   23%   -72.12   +0%   4
Evan Williams (11%)  25-231   11%   -17.12   +0%   4
Fergal O'Brien (18%) 16-114   14%   -19.77   -4%   2
Dan Skelton (18%)    15-146   10%   -74.07   -8%  10
Sam Thomas (19%)     13-68    19%    +3.84   +0%   1
    
TOP 5 JOCKEYS at Chepstow (last 5 seasons)   +/-   R
Harry Cobden (23%)    38-146  26%   -29.62   +3%   5
Ben Jones (15%)       21-99   21%   +64.55   +6%   0
Adam Wedge (11%)      18-161  11%   -34.35   +0%   1
Gavin Sheehan (18%)   16-72   22%   +12.11   +4%   0
Jonjo O'Neill (15%)   15-100  15%   -25.69   +0%   0

Sean Bowen (21%)       9-90   10%   -50.19  -11%   3
James Bowen (17%)      6-54   11%   -24.75   -6%   0

TOP 5 OWNERS at Chepstow (last 5 seasons)    +/-   E
David Brace (13%)     8-33   24%   +21.25   +11%   0
Walters Plant (21%)   8-41   20%    +5.27    -1%   1
John P McManus (18%)  8-63   13%   -13.18    -5%   0
William Rucker (10%)  6-50   12%   -18.50    +2%   0
Colm Donlon (20%)     4-11   36%   +11.75   +16%   1

Saturday's results not included...
    
Upcoming Chepstow Fixtures:
Wednesday 5 November 2025

Forthcoming Racecourse Templates
Lingfield AW: Tuesday 14 October 2025
Bath: Thursday 30 October 2025
Chepstow: Wednesday 5 November 2025

What are RACECOURSE TEMPLATES?	
The importance of NATIONAL AVERAGES	

FAVOURITES: Chepstow is a punter friendly racecourse. The last 5 seasons show 174 winning favourites from 459 races for 37.91% for a level stake loss of -35.87. The strike is around +5% above the national average. Non-handicap winning favourites score at 47% whilst those handicap winning favourites record 32% for a 15% differential. 

BEST CATEGORY: Winning favourites in non-handicap hurdles 65-131 for 50% (+2.82)
WORST CATEGORY: Winning favourites in handicap hurdles 36-120 for 30% (-21.37) 

TRAINERS: Paul Nicholls (23%) is the top trainer at the course and should register at least one winner from the following: BLUEKING D'OROUX 2.42, TUTTI QUANTI 3.17, IL RIDOTO 3.52 & LANCEALOT D'ALENE 5.02.

Dan Skelton (18%) has ran 17 horses over the first two days of the Festival for 2 winners. We expect him to score again on Sunday and he might even record a win double. He runs 10, they include DEEP PURPLE 1.32, SETTLE DOWN JILL 2.07, DOYEN QUEST 2.42, LISTENTOYOURHEART 3.17, RISKINTHEGROUND, FRERE D'ARMES, JET PLANE, HARPER'S BROOK & UNEXPECTED PARTY 3.52, and COOLTOBECARELESS 5.02

JOCKEYS: Harry Cobden (23%) has not ridden a winner at the Festival so far but has a chance of win double for Nicholls.

OWNERS: Walters Plant (21%) will be hoping to win the Welsh Champion Hurdle with CELTIC DINO, but Colm Donlon (20%) competes with TUTTI QUANTI.  Neither will have optimum ground based on what they have achieved so far on the racecourse, or on breeding. Could there be an upset?

GREEN FLAG: Sam Thomas (19%) saddles CELTIC DINO Dino in the 3:17 Welsh Champion Hurdle, and at first glance, the horse looks to have a strong favourites chance of delivering a win for Wales. However, the trainer’s recent form raises concerns — he hasn’t sent out a winner in over 231 days (last winner was in February), from 17 runners during that period. As we post he has no other entries visible until late March. His Chepstow record is also patchy: 15 wins from 91 runners for 16%, notably -3% below his national strike rate. While he's had 20 seconds and 15 third places, the win-to-place ratio feels lopsided, and the suggestion could be jockey bookings.

No doubt he’ll be keen to land this for owner Dai Walters, but at 5/2, the price seems short given the current drought. Is Celtic Dino worth opposing based on trainer action/form? There’s certainly a case to be made. 

Tutti Quanti (Paul Nicholls) may appear the standout threat at first glance, but there’s a significant question mark over his suitability for quicker ground. Neither he nor his sire have raced on anything fast, and you'd have to trace back to the sire of the dam to find a horse with proven form on firmer going. Moreover, all three previous winners from the dam's progeny have scored on heavy ground, adding to the uncertainty around conditions.

This opens the door for WILFUL, trained by Jonjo O’Neill, who brings form on faster surfaces and is currently priced around 7/1 to 8/1. He looks a solid each-way play, given the doubts surrounding the top two in the market. TRH will be at Chepstow tomorrow, and if Celtic Dino looks positive in the paddock, we’ll wager a stake saver on him. So, the advice is for WILFUL at a good each way price, and maybe a stake saver on the probable favourite.

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Mick Fitzgerald talks about Chepstow Racecourse

Record times for Chepstow are very quick, which shows how slick it can be when the ground is fast, but horses can finish strung out like washing when it gets soft. Punters really must take note of conditions then, if they’re having a bet, because horses with stamina limitations can get home when the going is right for them, while it can be a real slog when it’s heavy. The other things to consider seriously are the undulations and the downhill run from the last. If you walk round the course, for example, you’ll be aware that, from several places out in the country, you can’t see the stands. The run-in, on the other hand, is quite steeply downhill, very quick on fast ground, and that’s why you often see horses make a mistake at the final jump - Mick Fitzgerald

CHEPSTOW RACECOURSE - WHAT'S ON