A Friday to Savour at Towcester

There are days when Towcester reminds you exactly why summer National Hunt racing is one of sport's great underrated pleasures. Friday, 24 July was one of those days. Good ground, a competitive seven-race card, and enough talking horses to keep the notebook full until Christmas. If you weren't there — or didn't have the Towcester racecard open on your phone — you missed a treat.

The undulating Northamptonshire track was in fine shape on Good going (Stickiness Measure: 51), which meant horses could bowl along at a proper clip. That suits the bold-jumping, front-running types that summer chasing tends to throw up, and the card didn't disappoint on that front. Seven races, over £53,000 in prize money, and a roster of jockeys that reads like a who's who of the jumping game right now. Let's get into it.

The Feature Race: The Eleven Eleven Handicap Chase

If you had to pick one race to frame the whole afternoon around, it was the 17:00 Eleven Eleven Handicap Steeple Chase — a Class 4 ARC Summer Chase Series Qualifier over 1m 7f 214y, with GBB Race status adding a little extra glitter to the pot.

This was a race absolutely loaded at the top of the weights. Duke of Luckley (Freddie Keighley, rated 122) and Schmilsson (Sean Bowen, rated 120) came into the contest as the two most experienced and highest-rated runners, and both carry course-and-distance form. That D flag next to Duke of Luckley's name tells its own story — this horse knows Towcester, knows the finish, and knows how to win here. When a horse has that kind of track affinity, you take notice.

Bowen on Schmilsson was always going to generate plenty of interest. Sean Bowen is the kind of jockey who makes a race — he's aggressive, he's tactically sharp, and he gets horses jumping. Schmilsson also carries course-and-distance form, so this was a genuine clash of two horses who know exactly what's being asked of them.

Seeyouinmydreams (Jack Andrews, rated 119) was another with the D flag flying and a rating that screamed danger, while Ice Jet (Harry Skelton, rated 117) gave Skelton yet another live chance on what was already a busy afternoon for the champion jockey's son. Keep an eye on Ice Jet going forward — a horse with that rating dropping into a Class 4 is always worth monitoring.

Ones to Follow — Stick These in the Notebook

Every good card throws up a few horses that make you think that one's going places. Friday at Towcester was no different.

  • Dream Diamond (Jonathan Burke, 16:25) — Top weight in the Louise Hall Hen Party Handicap Hurdle at 116, but Burke is a jockey who thrives when given a quality horse to get his teeth into. Dream Diamond faces a competitive field including Golden Maverick and Dream's Ka (Harry Skelton, C&D form), but if this one wins off a mark of 116 in a Class 4, connections will be looking at better company very quickly. One for the shortlist.
  • Trouville (Sean Bowen, 13:40) — Rated 117 and carrying the D flag in the opening novice hurdle, Trouville looks a class apart from most of this field. Bowen doesn't take rides like this lightly. If he wins tidily, expect to see this horse stepped up in grade before the season is out. A potential Graded performer in the making.
  • Kom Tu Voudras (Harry Cobden, 15:50) — Top weight in the Eaton Hall Shooting Ground Handicap Hurdle at 110, with Cobden in the saddle. Cobden was busy all afternoon at Towcester and this looked one of his more fancied rides. A horse that travels well and jumps fluently is exactly what you want over this sort of trip on good ground.
  • Likewhatyousee (Jonjo O'Neill Jr., 13:40) — Rated 110 in the opening novice, this is a horse with a bit of a profile. O'Neill Jr. doesn't turn up at a Friday card without believing he's got a chance, and a rating of 110 in novice company suggests there's already something to work with here. Watch for where this one goes next.
  • Eagles Promise (Jonathan Burke, 17:35) — In the closing mares' bumper, Burke had another interesting booking. Bumpers are always a lottery, but when a jockey of Burke's calibre takes a ride in a Category 1 Elimination GBB Race, it's worth noting. These mares' bumpers can throw up future stars, and this card had plenty of unexposed talent on show.

Notable Jockey Performances and Trainer Angles

Harry Cobden had one of those afternoons where you barely had time to catch your breath between his rides. Appearing in the 13:40 (Whermyrosemarygoes), the 15:15 (Jongleur d'Etoiles), the 15:50 (Kom Tu Voudras), and the closing bumper — Cobden was Towcester's busiest jockey on the day. When a jockey of his calibre takes four rides at a single card, it tells you the booking agencies are paying attention to this track.

Harry Skelton was another jockey who made his presence felt across the card — saddling up in the 14:40 (Ashdown Forest), the 15:50 (Colegram), the 16:25 (Dream's Ka, with C&D form), and the 17:00 (Ice Jet). Skelton is metronomic in his consistency and his presence across multiple races is always worth tracking. His trainer brother Dan Skelton clearly had a productive afternoon's work planned.

Jonathan Burke also enjoyed a strong book of rides — three appearances across the card including top weight Dream Diamond and the closing bumper. Burke is a jockey on the rise and his association with some well-handicapped types here could bear fruit as the season progresses.

In the 15:15 Craig Reid Retirement Handicap Chase, the amateur rider angle was fascinating. Normofthenorth (Mr James King) and Jack's A Legend (Miss Imogen Mathias) both carried amateur silks, and in a competitive ARC Summer Chase Series Qualifier, that adds a lovely human element to proceedings. Summer chasing at its very best.

Looking Ahead — Where Do These Horses Go Next?

The ARC Summer Chase Series Qualifiers in the 15:15 and 17:00 give the card a real sense of purpose beyond just a Friday afternoon punt. Horses that perform well in these qualifiers are building towards the series final, and that gives connections something to aim at. Keep an eye on the declarations in the coming weeks — you may well see Duke of Luckley, Schmilsson, and Betty's Tiara popping up in similar contests as they accumulate qualifying runs.

The opening novice hurdle is always a race that can shape a season. Trouville, if winning impressively, could well be aimed at something like a Listed novice hurdle later in the campaign. And in the mares' bumper — a GBB Category 1 Elimination — the winner will have earned connections some serious prizemoney and potentially a route into better black-type company. These races matter.

Summer National Hunt is often dismissed as the poor relation of the jumping calendar, but afternoons like this one at Towcester prove exactly why that's nonsense. Good ground, competitive fields, top jockeys, and horses with real futures ahead of them. What more do you want?

Final Word: Towcester Delivers Again

Seven races. Over fifty grand in prize money. Sean Bowen, Harry Cobden, Harry Skelton, Jonathan Burke, and Jonjo O'Neill Jr. all in action. If you had the Towcester racecard in your hand this afternoon, you were in the right place.

The ones to watch going forward? Trouville, Dream Diamond, and Ice Jet are the three that have lodged themselves firmly in this notebook. Summer jumping at its finest — roll on the next one.