The five leading trainers at Cheltenham's Showcase meeting in the last ten years - including a local stable in red-hot form

Cheltenham's two-day Showcase meeting begins on Friday and we have delved into the stats from the last ten years to find out the top trainers at the fixture . . .

Paul Nicholls

Paul Nicholls has led the way at the Showcase meeting, training 14 winners from 57 runners since 2014 at a 25 per cent strike-rate.

Nicholls warned at Chepstow's season opener that some of his string will need their first run and the 14-time champion trainer only has two runners on Friday.

There will be no fitness concerns with the Harry Cobden-ridden Brave Knight, who is 3-3 in maiden/novice hurdles this summer and is tried in Grade 2 company in the Sky Bet Novices' Hurdle (3.00).

Inca De Lafayette has his first start since February in the concluding conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle (4.45), with Freddie Gingell partnering the progressive six-year-old for the first time.

Nigel Twiston-Davies

Nigel Twiston-Davies operated at a 29 per cent strike-rate (6-21) last month and boasted a 30 per cent strike-rate (12-40) so far this month before Thursday's racing.

Twiston-Davies has saddled ten winners from 78 runners at this meeting in the past decade and is the only other trainer besides Nicholls to be in double figures for the fixture in that timeframe.

The Naunton trainer has eight runners across the two days and only three of his runners are double-figure prices. The betting suggests Potters Charm, an impressive maiden hurdle winner at Worcester last month, is the trainer's best chance on Friday in the novice hurdle named after the newly christened Alastair Down Press Room (4.10).

Broadway Boy: has a good record at CheltenhamCredit: Andrew Parker

Broadway Boy has solid claims in the 3m1f handicap chase (2.20) on Saturday. He has impressive form figures of 1211 at this course and the Racing Post Ratings he recorded at this track last season suggest there is still mileage in his official mark.

Gordon Elliott

Gordon Elliott is a regular at the majority of Cheltenham's fixtures and has celebrated eight winners from 60 runners at this meeting in the last ten years.

Elliott has five runners this year and Minella Sixo looks a chief threat to Potters Charm in the novice hurdle (4.10) on Friday.

The Wallpark has been a revelation for the trainer in recent months and bids for a four-timer in the Pertemps qualifier (2.55) on Saturday.

Fergal O’Brien

Fergal O'Brien has five runners at a meeting where he has trained eight winners since 2014.

O'Brien has won Friday's amateur riders' handicap chase (3.35) twice since 2016 and runs Lincolnshire National winner Landen Calling, while he has three runners in the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle (4.45) on the same card in Castel Gandolfo, Fils De Roi and Oslo. He has won two of the last five runnings.

Jager Time, a new recruit to the yard from the Irish point-to-point sphere, is O'Brien's sole runner on Saturday in the bumper (4.40).

Nicky Henderson

Nicky Henderson does not tend to have masses of runners at this meeting but he has saddled seven winners at a 18 per cent strike-rate in the past decade.

Nicky Henderson: has the favourite in the opener on FridayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The Seven Barrows trainer has five runners across the two days and has the favourite in the opening 2m4f handicap hurdle (1.15) with In The Air, who has been successful at Southwell and Exeter this month on his first two starts for the stable.

Henderson has three runners on Saturday, including course winner Hyland, who is right in the mix on ratings in the 3m½f novice chase (4.05).

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