All you need to know about the Berkshire Winter Million at Windsor and Ascot: the races, star runners and trainers to follow
The inaugural three-day Berkshire Winter Million meeting begins on Friday, with big names, valuable prize-money on offer and top-class racing expected. Here we explain what to expect . . .
What is the meeting?
The Berkshire Winter Million serves up top-class jumps action across three days from Windsor and Ascot racecourses. More than £1.2 million in prize-money will be on offer throughout the fixture and each race is expected to be highly competitive. The Friday and Sunday elements of the Winter Million were first staged at Lingfield in 2022 but the meeting was cancelled the following year because of a frozen track. Only the Sunday went ahead at Lingfield last year, but the meeting has been moved to fellow Arena Racing Company-owned track Windsor, where jump racing returned in December for the first time since 2005.
When is the meeting?
The three-day fixture kicks off at Windsor racecourse on Friday, before heading to Ascot on Saturday and returning to Windsor on Sunday. All 22 races can be viewed on Sky Sports Racing, while four races each day can also be accessed on ITV1 (Saturday only) and ITV4. The full schedule can be viewed below.
Friday
12.40 Windsor: Fitzdares Berkshire Winter Million Novices' Hurdle (3m)
1.15 Windsor: Fitzdares Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (3m)
1.50 Windsor: Fitzdares Lightning Novices' Chase (Grade 2, 2m)
2.25 Windsor: Lets Bet Personal With Fitzdares Mares' Handicap Chase (2m4f)
3.00 Windsor: Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle (2m4f)
3.35 Windsor: Fitzdares Sovereign Handicap Hurdle (2m)
4.08 Windsor: Berkshire Winter Million Supports Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap Chase (2m6f)
Saturday
12.30 Ascot: BetMGM Juvenile Hurdle (1m7½f)
1.05 Ascot: BetMGM Handicap Chase (3m)
1.40 Ascot: BetMGM Mares' Hurdle (Grade 2, 1m7½f)
2.15 Ascot: bet365 Handicap Chase (2m5f)
2.50 Ascot: BetMGM Holloway's Handicap Hurdle (2m3½f)
3.32 Ascot: BetMGM Clarence House Chase (Grade 1, 2m1f)
4.02 Ascot: BetMGM EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle (2m5½f)
Sunday
12.10 Windsor: Fitzdares Mares' Novices' Hurdle (2m)
12.45 Windsor: Winter Million Novices' Handicap Hurdle (2m4f)
1.20 Windsor: Hampton Novices' Chase (Grade 2, 3m)
1.55 Windsor: Fitzdares Great Park Handicap Chase (2m)
2.30 Windsor: Weatherbys Racing Bank Handicap Hurdle (3m)
3.05 Windsor: Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase (2m6f)
3.40 Windsor: Fitzdares Windsor Stayers Handicap Chase (3m4½f)
4.10 Windsor: Fitzdares Berkshire Winter Million Open National Hunt Flat Race (2m)
Which top-class names are we likely to see?
Dual Coral Cup hero Langer Dan and fellow Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear It Well, €740,000 purchase Caldwell Potter and Grade 2 winners Blueking D'Oroux, Nemean Lion and Salver will feature on the appetiser at Windsor on Friday.
The main event of the meeting comes at Ascot on Saturday, when Jonbon and Energumene will clash in the Grade 1 BetMGM Clarence House Chase (3.32). Triumph Hurdle favourite Lulamba could make his debut for Nicky Henderson in the opening juvenile hurdle (12.30).
Kargese, runner-up in last year's Triumph, could make her first appearance since winning a Grade 1 at the Punchestown festival in the BetMGM Mares' Hurdle (1.40), while Goshen, absent since last March, has a handicap hurdle (2.50) entry.
Back at Windsor on Sunday, Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat is likely to bid to reverse the form of his Peterborough Chase second to Djelo in the Fitzdares Fleur de Lys Chase (3.05). The 2m6f event is the most valuable Windsor race of the meeting. Pic D'Orhy is also set to go for the £165,000 prize. Pic D'Orhy's trainer Paul Nicholls could also run Pertemps Final winner Monmiral in the 3m handicap hurdle (2.30).
Who normally does well at the meeting?
No trainer saddled more winners at the Lingfield incarnation of the Winter Million meeting than Venetia Williams, and one of her three victories came courtesy of L'Homme Presse in the Fleur de Lys Chase. Djelo, her potential runner in the same feature chase, has to be respected.
The Tizzard stable also enjoyed three winners at the Lingfield version, so Ilovethenightlife in the 2m4f mares' handicap chase (2.25) on Friday and Hartington on his potential handicap debut on Sunday (12.45) could be worth a look.
Harry Fry saddled a double on the opening day of this fixture in 2022, and he bids to emulate Love Envoi's victory in the 2m mares' novice hurdle (12.45) on Sunday with Cheltenham winner Anno Power. Fry will also be represented by Gidleigh Park, who suffered an irregular heartbeat on his first start over fences at Kempton in November, in Friday's Grade 2 Fitzdares Lightning Novices' Chase (1.50).
Idaho Sun, who made a successful debut for Fry at Newton Abbot in October, bids to confirm the form with runner-up and subsequent Listed winner Supreme Malinas in Sunday's bumper (4.10).
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