Setting the Scene: Why the bet365 Summer Cup Matters

Summer jumping doesn't always get the respect it deserves, but the Towcester bet365 Summer Cup has quietly built a reputation as one of the most compelling staying handicap chases outside the Festival calendar. With £75,000 in prize money on the table and 14 geldings declared over three miles of Towcester's notoriously undulating terrain, this is no Sunday stroll. The track's brutal climb to the finish — one of the stiffest in Britain — means stamina and jumping accuracy are non-negotiable. Horses that win here earn it.

We've got a field packed with experience, rated from 120 to 146, and the Good to Good to Firm ground is going to separate the stayers from the pretenders. At soil moisture of 52, this is proper summer jumping ground — quick enough to flatter speed, but Towcester's hills will find out anyone who doesn't truly get the trip. Let's get into it.

Top Contender Analysis

1. Hang In There (12yo, 146, 12-0) — Emma Lavelle / Harry Cobden

Twelve years old, rated 146, and carrying top weight of 12-0. On paper, you'd cross him off. In practice, you'd be making a mistake. Hang In There is a course and distance winner, and Emma Lavelle clearly has him primed for this — she doesn't pitch her veterans into £75k handicaps without intent. The visor goes on, which tells you Lavelle wants him switched on and focused from the off. Harry Cobden is the classiest jockey in the field and knows how to nurse a horse up that Towcester hill. The weight is a genuine concern, but if he's anywhere near his best, he's the standard. The one to beat.

2. Riskintheground (9yo, 144, 11-12) — Dan Skelton / Harry Skelton

The Skelton operation is relentless, and Riskintheground is a course and distance winner arriving here off a rating of 144 in the tongue tie. Nine years old, so firmly in his prime for this sort of test, and the 2lb pull on Hang In There is meaningful at these weights. Harry Skelton rides him with the kind of cold efficiency that wins big handicaps — he won't panic, won't overcommit, and will have this horse jumping on the bridle if the ground suits. Dan Skelton's summer strike rate is consistently underrated. I'd be surprised if this one runs without a serious chance.

3. Twig (11yo, 144, 11-12) — Ben Pauling / Beau Morgan

Twig is one of those horses that divides opinion, and I've always liked him more than the market does. Course and distance winner, rated joint-second on 144, and Ben Pauling has him in without headgear — a sign of confidence that he'll switch off and travel. Beau Morgan is a quietly excellent jockey who doesn't get the column inches he deserves. At 11, Twig isn't getting younger, but Towcester seems to bring out the best in him, and the Good ground should suit. Interesting that Pauling also runs Samuel Spade (runner 11) — worth noting which one gets the yard's main hope on the day.

4. Alien Storm (8yo, 132, 11-0) — Charlie Longsdon / David Bass

At 8 years old and rated 132, Alien Storm represents the most interesting profile in the race. He's got 14lb in hand on the top weight on official ratings, he's at a prime age for a staying chaser, and Charlie Longsdon is one of the shrewdest handicap trainers in the game. No headgear, no form flags for this course or trip — that's the question mark. Can he truly stay three miles up Towcester's climb? David Bass will know. If Longsdon has done his homework on the trip, this horse could be seriously dangerous at a price.

5. Ki Woo (6yo, 130, 10-12) — Greenall & Guerriero / Jack Tudor

The youngest horse in the field at six, and that youth cuts both ways. Ki Woo is lightly weighted at 10-12 and Jack Tudor is one of the most exciting young jockeys in the sport right now — he doesn't take rides without confidence. The tongue tie is on, suggesting they're working to get the best out of him. Six-year-olds can be raw over three miles of this nature, but if he's a horse on the way up, that low weight could be lethal. One for the each-way column.

6. Grand Clermont (10yo, 124, 10-6) — David Pipe / Mr Lucas Murphy

Course and distance winner, handled by David Pipe — a trainer who knows how to place a horse. The amateur rider Mr Lucas Murphy takes the mount, which in a £75k handicap chase raises eyebrows, but Pipe wouldn't run him without belief. Grand Clermont at 124 is well treated if he reproduces his best form here, and the course form is a genuine asset. Don't dismiss him.

Going and Conditions Verdict

Good to Good to Firm in places, soil moisture at 52 — this is quick summer ground, and it matters enormously over three miles of Towcester. The track's undulations mean horses expend significantly more energy than the distance alone suggests. Horses who've won here before have already demonstrated they handle the unique demands of this course, which is why the course-and-distance flags carry extra weight in this race specifically.

Hang In There, Riskintheground, Twig, Grand Clermont, and Imperial Alex all hold course and distance form — that's your shortlist on conditions alone. The quicker ground will suit a horse with a clean jumping technique; any scramblers or slow-jumping types will find the hill unforgiving. I'd also note that Regarde and Stratagem both carry blinkers and a tongue tie — horses arriving in combination headgear often need things to go right from the front, and that's a risky strategy over this trip.

Stratagem is a non-runner, so we race with 13.

Value Picks and Dangers

The main danger to the market leaders is Alien Storm. If Charlie Longsdon has quietly schooled this horse over a staying trip and the market hasn't caught on, 8yo on 132 with David Bass in the saddle is a serious combination. He's the one I'd want to know the morning price on before committing.

  • Each-way value: Ki Woo — low weight, in-form jockey, trainer on the up
  • Danger: Alien Storm — unexposed over trip, prime age, shrewd handler
  • Sentimental pick: Grand Clermont — course form and Pipe's placement record
  • Watch for: Imperial Alex (Stan Sheppard, Tom Lacey) — course and distance winner at 122, very well treated if firing

My Selection: The bet365 Summer Cup 2026

I'm going with Riskintheground as my headline selection. Here's my thinking: he's a course and distance winner, he's 9 years old and in the prime window for a staying chaser, he carries 2lb less than Hang In There, and he has Harry Skelton in the saddle. The Skelton yard doesn't travel to summer handicaps for the fun of it — when they declare with confidence, they mean business. The tongue tie is already a known quantity on this horse, and the Good ground shouldn't be a problem.

Hang In There is the class horse and I won't dismiss him, but 12-0 up Towcester's hill on fast summer ground is a stern ask for a 12-year-old, however talented. The visor suggests Lavelle is doing everything she can — and Cobden will give him every chance — but the weight tips me toward the Skelton horse.

Each-way selection: Ki Woo at whatever price Jack Tudor's booking commands. Six-year-olds with low weights and talented jockeys win big summer handicaps more often than the market allows.

Check the full Towcester racecard for latest market moves and any morning scratchings before you commit.

Who is the favourite for the bet365 Summer Cup Handicap Chase 2026?

At the time of writing, Hang In There is likely to be sent off as market leader given his rating of 146, course and distance form, and the booking of Harry Cobden. However, Riskintheground and Twig — both rated 144 — will be closely matched in the market, and this is a race where the handicapper has done his job well. Expect a tight top of the market with genuine each-way value further down the weights.

Is Towcester a good track for staying chasers?

Towcester is one of the most demanding staying chase tracks in Britain. The long climb to the finish tests stamina brutally, and horses who win here tend to be genuine stayers with clean jumping technique. It's not a track that flatters horses on the way down in form — Towcester finds them out. Course form is highly relevant, which is why so many of today's leading contenders hold previous winning form at the track.

Does the going make a big difference in the bet365 Summer Cup?

Significantly. Good to Good to Firm ground over three miles at Towcester rewards horses who travel fluently and jump accurately — it's not a day for scramblers. The quicker the ground, the more the hill punishes any horse who's been asked to race too keenly early. Trainers who know Towcester well will have their horses settled and jumping rhythmically from the outset. Any horse in the field with a history of jumping errors or pulling hard should be treated with caution in these conditions.