In theory at least, the 2024-25 National Hunt season got under way in early May, but for most punters and fans, the Showcase meeting at Cheltenham, jumping’s spiritual home, on Friday and Saturday this week will be the first significant step on a road that eventually leads back to the Cotswolds in March and then on to Liverpool in April.
Cheltenham features so sparingly on the calendar, with just nine days scheduled before the Festival meeting opens on 11 March, that every afternoon at the track feels precious for the winter code’s devotees.
