Cheltenham’s November Meeting is the first big weekend of the jumps season, and its results have a habit of ignoring the market. For anyone weighing up horse betting across the three days, the meeting’s history shows how wide open its handicaps can be. Every winner below won a handicap, and the longest price of the lot was 40/1.
Home Run, 40/1, 2013
On 17 November 2013, Home Run led home a one-two for David Pipe in a conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle over two miles and five furlongs. Kieron Edgar rode him to a three-length win over his stablemate Western Warhorse, a 14/1 chance, in a field of 19. Lieutenant Miller, the 7/2 favourite, finished fourth.
Senor El Betrutti, 33/1, 1997
The meeting’s feature handicap chase, now the Paddy Power Gold Cup, ran under a different sponsor when Senor El Betrutti lined up on 15 November 1997. Jamie Osborne rode him for Susan Nock and beat Challenger Du Luc, the 100/30 runner-up for Martin Pipe and AP McCoy, in a field of nine. The 15/8 favourite Sparky Gayle was fourth.
It was no fluke. Four weeks later he came back to Cheltenham and won the Tripleprint Gold Cup at 9/1 on 13 December, beating Challenger Du Luc again, this time by two and a half lengths. According to Cheltenham, only one other winner of the November Gold Cup has returned as big a price, Chatham at 33/1 in 1970.
Splash Of Ginge, 25/1, 2017
No winner of the race has returned a higher price since. Splash Of Ginge came nearest on 18 November 2017, when Tom Bellamy drove him home by a neck from Starchitect, a 10/1 shot, in a field of 17. The 4/1 favourite Kylemore Lough was pulled up. It was Nigel Twiston-Davies’ fourth win in the race, which left him second only to Martin Pipe on the trainers’ list.
Rigmarole, 33/1, 2003
The Greatwood Hurdle is the meeting’s other major handicap, and Rigmarole is its longest-priced winner since 2000. Ruby Walsh rode him for Paul Nicholls on 16 November 2003 and beat Caracciola, a 5/1 chance, by a length and a quarter in a field of 10. Hasty Prince, sent off the 11/10 favourite, could only finish third.
Red Hot Chilly, 33/1, 2018
Fergal O’Brien’s runner had already run eight times since late May when he lined up for a novices’ handicap hurdle on 16 November 2018. He still went off at 33/1 against 19 rivals. Paddy Brennan brought him home a length and a quarter clear of My Brother, a 7/1 chance, while the 5/2 favourite Dostal Phil trailed in 10th. A 50/1 shot, Guido Reni, finished fourth.
Lively Citizen and Mc Alpine, 33/1, 2020 and 2021
The Friday novices’ handicap hurdle went to a 33/1 winner in back-to-back years. On 13 November 2020, Lively Citizen got up by a head under Charlie Deutsch to beat One True King, a 3/1 joint-favourite, in a field of 17. It was only the second Cheltenham winner for trainer Dan Jeffreys.
A year later, the Irish-trained Mc Alpine repeated the feat for Pat Rothwell. Ridden by the claimer JP O’Sullivan, he won by two and a quarter lengths from Castel Gandolfo, a 50/1 chance, so the first two home in a field of 18 were both priced at 33/1 or bigger. The 11/2 favourite Brorson finished seventh.
Lavender Hill Mob, 33/1, 2025
The most recent shock came on 15 November 2025 in the Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle. Lavender Hill Mob had doubts to answer over the soft ground and a first try at two miles and five furlongs. He answered both under Sam Twiston-Davies, coming home four and three-quarter lengths clear of Give Him A Chance, a 25/1 outsider himself, in a field of 10. James Owen’s runner had been a talented performer on the Flat, and his owner, Tim Gredley, had been talked out of sending him to the sales.
