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Racecourse Guides›National Hunt›Newbury
Racecourse Guide

Newbury
National Hunt

Berkshire · home of the Coral Gold Cup and the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle

⬤ National Hunt
Turf
Left-Handed
Galloping, Fair
Shape
Left-Handed Oval shared w/ Flat
Track Type
Galloping, Fair
Fences
11 per circuit
Hurdles
7 per circuit
Home Straight
4 fences
Run-in
250yd chase
Direction
Left-handed
Course Highlight
Challow Novices’ Hurdle Grade 1
Also at Newbury

Newbury also stages Flat turf racing. Read the Flat racecourse guide →

Course Overview

What is Newbury like as a jumps track?

Newbury’s jumps course shares the same left-handed oval footprint as its Flat track, at roughly 1m5f per circuit. Each chase circuit brings 11 fences — 9 plain fences and 2 open ditches, one of which incorporates the water jump — with 4 fences in the home straight, the second of which is an open ditch. The chase run-in is around 250 yards. A genuine quirk: the water jump is bypassed on the final circuit of longer races, jumped only on earlier circuits.

The fences are considered stiff by national standards, but this isn’t a high faller-rate track — it’s regarded as an honest, fair galloping test rather than a trappy one, which is exactly why trainers like introducing promising novice chasers here: there’s nothing tricky to catch a horse out, just a proper jumping examination. Hurdle races run over 7 flights per circuit on the same oval.

The Chase Course

  • Circuit Left-handed, shares the Flat oval’s footprint, roughly 1m5f
  • Fences 11 per circuit — 9 plain + 2 open ditches (one incorporating the water jump); 4 fences in the home straight, the second an open ditch
  • Water jump quirk Bypassed on the final circuit of longer races — jumped only on earlier circuits
  • Run-in Around 250 yards

The Hurdles Course

  • Circuit Same left-handed oval as the chase course
  • Hurdles 7 flights per circuit
  • Character Stiff fences overall, but not a high faller-rate course — an honest test rather than a trappy one
Notable Races

When does Newbury race?

Grade 3 Handicap Chase · Late November
Coral Gold Cup
3m2f, 21 fences. Newbury’s marquee jumps race, formerly the Hennessy Gold Cup (1960-2016) then Ladbrokes Trophy (2016-2021). Arkle won back-to-back renewals (1964-65); Denman won in 2007 and 2009. Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s final commentary (1997) was on this race.
Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle · February
William Hill Hurdle
About 2 miles. One of Britain’s richest handicap hurdles, formerly the Schweppes/Tote Gold Trophy/Betfair Hurdle. Nicky Henderson has won it a record 5 times; Persian War (1968) and Make A Stand (1997) both won this race and the following month’s Champion Hurdle.
Grade 1 · Late December
Challow Novices’ Hurdle
2m4½f, 10 hurdles. Newbury’s only Grade 1 and a leading Cheltenham novice-hurdle trial. Denman won by 21 lengths in 2005.
Grade 2 · February
Denman Chase
About 2m7½f, 18 fences. A key Cheltenham Gold Cup trial, renamed for 2008 winner Denman.
Grade 2 · February
Game Spirit Chase
2m½f. Run on the same “Super Saturday” card as the Denman Chase. Altior won it three times.
Grade 2 · November
Long Distance Hurdle
3 miles. A staying-hurdle feature on the Coral Gold Cup weekend.
Grade 2 · November
John Francome Novices’ Chase
2m4f. Named for the former champion jockey, run on the same November weekend as the Coral Gold Cup.
Pace Bias

A Genuine Split by Discipline

Newbury’s most distinctive NH finding is that its two jumping disciplines favour opposite running styles on the exact same course footprint. In chases, leaders are rarely overhauled on the run-in — especially from the elbow — making prominent racing a real advantage. In hurdle races, the long run-in instead rewards hold-up horses, who have time to get organised and deliver a challenge. Separately, quantified data (non-handicap races, 1 Jan 2015 – 10 Nov 2019) shows clear favourites winning 33% of all jumps races (101 from 307, A/E 0.89), with chase favourites on 42% (13 from 31, A/E 0.84) and hurdle favourites on 46% (37 from 81, A/E 0.95).

Run Style Bias — By Discipline

▲ Chases: Leaders

Favoured — rarely caught from the elbow

▲ Hurdles: Hold-up

Favoured — long run-in rewards patience

Don’t apply one running-style rule across both codes here — the same long run-in that helps a hold-up hurdler is the same stretch a front-running chaser typically holds onto, because chase leaders are established well before the elbow while hurdle races are run at a sharper overall gallop that leaves more for a closer to work with.

Statistics · Since 2010

Which trainers and jockeys win most at Newbury?

TrainerRunsWinsWin%PlacesPlace%A/EP/L
1 Henderson, N J74715520.75%32543.51%0.95-86.60
2 Nicholls, P F64012619.69%26741.72%0.90-51.53
3 Hobbs, P J / White, J4116716.30%14836.01%1.01+104.12
4 King, A5255310.10%19837.71%0.71-224.06
5 Pipe, D E2814014.23%8931.67%1.10+9.74
6 Skelton, Daniel3113812.22%10132.48%0.82-56.55
7 Moore, Gary and Josh370369.73%8623.24%0.93-16.16
8 Williams, Miss Venetia2313515.15%8637.23%1.02-15.76
9 Twiston-Davies, N A3203210.00%9429.38%0.81-82.85
10 O’Neill, Jonjo and AJ2892910.03%6522.49%0.86-61.01
11 Pauling, Ben1982814.14%6130.81%1.02-65.10
12 O’Brien, Fergal1852815.14%5027.03%0.95+6.59
13 Greatrex, W J1892312.17%5428.57%1.07-51.86
14 Fry, Harry1212218.18%4537.19%0.85-32.36
15 Lavelle, Miss E C201209.95%6733.33%0.72-82.13
16 George, T R1831910.38%5328.96%0.78-78.91
17 Gordon, C177158.47%5329.94%0.76-95.74
18 Curtis, Miss Rebecca1401510.71%4129.29%0.79-41.09
19 Honeyball, A J1041413.46%2826.92%0.96-39.92
20 Longsdon, C E155127.74%3522.58%0.77-78.12

Newbury NH, since 2010. Philip Hobbs is the standout and the only yard of real volume in meaningful profit — 67 winners from 411 at 16.30%, A/E 1.01 and +£104.12, the biggest trainer profit on the page. David Pipe is the other name above fair value at A/E 1.10. Nicky Henderson leads on winners (155 from 747) at A/E 0.95, close to fair, and Paul Nicholls is A/E 0.90. Alan King is the clearest to oppose: 525 runners, a 10.10% strike rate, A/E 0.71 and £224.06 of losses. Below the table, Harry Whittington has returned +£33.25 from 54 runners at A/E 1.16.
newbury NH · Current trainers, since 2010
JockeyRunsWinsWin%PlacesPlace%A/EP/L
1 Cobden, Harry3467321.10%14642.20%1.01-24.32
2 Boinville, Nico3036521.45%12641.58%0.93+1.59
3 Twiston-Davies, Sam390348.72%10827.69%0.67-172.71
4 Skelton, Harry2433413.99%8836.21%0.77-47.30
5 Sheehan, Gavin2202410.91%6529.55%0.94-33.12
6 Bowen, Sean P1461711.64%3926.71%0.86-25.22
7 Deutsch, Charlie981717.35%4444.90%1.11+13.38
8 Powell, Brendan193168.29%4422.80%0.81-63.42
9 O’Neill, Jonjo (Jr)1271612.60%3829.92%0.94+3.98
10 Jones, Ben R1011615.84%3433.66%1.02-27.51
11 Bowen, James C1431510.49%5236.36%0.74-65.24
12 Cannon, Tom J238145.88%6828.57%0.54-170.82
13 Burke, Jonathan1321410.61%3022.73%0.94-19.21
14 Bass, David1051211.43%2725.71%1.02-39.53
15 Bellamy, Tom12497.26%4435.48%0.62-62.50
16 Gethings, Ciaran72912.50%1622.22%1.17-19.37
17 Dingle, Rex71912.68%1926.76%1.11-37.90
18 Quinlan, Jack71912.68%1723.94%1.35-10.29
19 Bannister, Harry A A8389.64%2024.10%1.02-25.00
20 Tudor, Jack68811.76%1217.65%1.22-17.87

Newbury NH, since 2010. Harry Cobden is the pick — 73 winners from 346 at 21.10%, A/E 1.01 and near break-even — with Nico de Boinville the only rider on the page in level-stakes profit at +£1.59. Sam Twiston-Davies is the clearest to oppose and it is emphatic: 390 rides, an 8.72% strike rate, A/E 0.67 and £172.71 down, the weakest rider figure here. Harry Skelton (A/E 0.77) also loses meaningfully. Below the table, Stan Sheppard has returned +£34.00 from 46 rides at A/E 1.38 and Jack Quinlan A/E 1.35 from 71.
newbury NH · Current riders, since 2010
Sire Statistics · Since 2010

Which sires do best at Newbury?

SireRunsWinsWin%PlacesPlace%A/EP/L
1 Kayf Tara3003913.00%9531.67%0.89-104.77
2 Oscar (IRE)2263113.72%6026.55%1.10+44.19
3 Flemensfirth (USA)2702910.74%8130.00%0.73-79.27
4 King’s Theatre (IRE)2332912.45%7331.33%0.84-92.13
5 Presenting262259.54%6524.81%0.83-85.71
6 Beneficial1752514.29%6134.86%1.11-26.89
7 Kapgarde (FR)1161916.38%4437.93%1.01-13.27
8 Milan224188.04%6629.46%0.57-107.76
9 Walk In The Park (IRE)1131815.93%4338.05%0.93-31.80
10 Midnight Legend205178.29%6029.27%0.70-84.54
11 Getaway (GER)1701710.00%3922.94%0.81-52.87
12 Westerner1471711.56%4228.57%0.93-64.41
13 Mahler1191613.45%3025.21%1.20-0.15
14 Yeats (IRE)1351410.37%3928.89%0.75-62.41
15 Shirocco (GER)1161412.07%3731.90%0.94-18.10
16 Martaline1041413.46%3634.62%0.96-10.40
17 Doyen (IRE)941313.83%3436.17%0.91-42.86
18 Fame And Glory821315.85%3036.59%0.97+45.29
19 Malinas (GER)721318.06%2737.50%1.07-6.93
20 Sir Harry Lewis (USA)471327.66%2348.94%1.49+14.05

Newbury NH, since 2010. Oscar is the pick of the volume sires — 31 winners from 226 at 13.72%, A/E 1.10 and +£44.19, the biggest sire profit on the page — with Beneficial fair at A/E 1.11. Flemensfirth is the clearest to oppose here at A/E 0.73, an inversion of his Ascot and Sandown records and a reminder to read the course column rather than the reputation. Kayf Tara is £104.77 down at A/E 0.89. Below the table, Arcadio has returned +£21.50 from 56 runners at A/E 1.68 and Sir Harry Lewis A/E 1.49 from 47.
newbury NH · Since 2010
How to read these tables. The figures are a first-party pull for this course and code covering runs since 1 January 2010, taken as a snapshot rather than updated live. A/E compares actual wins with the wins implied by starting price, so a figure above 1.00 means the group has won more often than its SP suggested. P/L is profit or loss to £1 win stakes at starting price.
Insider Knowledge

Betting Angles

🏆

Nicky Henderson Owns This Track

5x William Hill Hurdle (formerly the Tote Gold Trophy), and 3x Coral/Hennessy Gold Cup wins at Newbury.

🐴

Chases and Hurdles Favour Opposite Styles

Front-runners rule the chase course; hold-up horses rule the hurdles course — on the exact same footprint.

📈

The Trainer Value Sits Below Henderson

N J Henderson leads the trainers’ table on volume (A/E 0.95); Philip Hobbs (A/E 1.01, +£104.12) is the real value signal, with David Pipe (A/E 1.10) behind him, while A King (A/E 0.71), Miss E C Lavelle (A/E 0.72) and C Gordon (A/E 0.76) are the ones to oppose.

🎓

A Fair Course for Introducing Novice Chasers

Stiff fences but no high faller rate — a genuinely honest jumping test.

🏆

Deutsch and de Boinville Are the Rider Value

Harry Cobden leads the jockeys’ table on volume (73 from 346, A/E 1.01), but the market prices that in. Charlie Deutsch returns the best figure of any rider with a real book here — A/E 1.11 and +£13.38 from 98 rides — and Nico de Boinville is the only rider on the page in level-stakes profit. Sam Twiston-Davies (A/E 0.67) and Tom Cannon (A/E 0.54) are the ones to oppose.

📅

One Grade 1, Real Depth Elsewhere

The Challow is the only Grade 1, but Newbury packs 6 Grade 2/3 jumps races into just two marquee weekends.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Assuming a single pace bias applies across all NH races here. Chases favour leaders; hurdles favour hold-up — on the exact same course footprint.
  • Backing N J Henderson here on winner count alone. He leads the page on volume (155 wins from 747, A/E 0.95) but the market already prices it in — Philip Hobbs (A/E 1.01, +£104.12) is the real value signal, with David Pipe (A/E 1.10) next, and A King (A/E 0.71), Miss E C Lavelle (A/E 0.72) and C Gordon (A/E 0.76) the ones to oppose.
  • Reading a tidy novice-chase debut at Newbury as proof a horse jumps anywhere. The fences are stiff but honest, with nothing trappy to catch a horse out — exactly why trainers introduce novice chasers here — so a clean round is a fair test, not evidence the horse handles a trickier track.
Common Questions

Newbury Racecourse FAQs

Is there a pace bias at Newbury over jumps?
Yes, and it genuinely splits by discipline: chases favour leaders (rarely caught from the elbow), while hurdles favour hold-up horses, thanks to the long run-in.
What is Newbury’s only Grade 1 National Hunt race?
The Challow Novices’ Hurdle, run over 2m4½f each late December.
Why isn’t the water jump always jumped in longer chases?
It’s bypassed on the final circuit — horses only jump it on earlier circuits of the race.
Who owns Newbury Racecourse?
Newbury Racecourse Plc, an independently-owned company listed on the Aquis Stock Exchange — not Arena Racing Company or Jockey Club Racecourses.
Explore

Other Jumps Tracks

Cheltenham

Old Course and New Course — the home of jump racing.

Aintree

Home of the Grand National — Mildmay and National courses.

Kempton Park

Sharp, flat right-hander — home of the King George.

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