Fontwell Course Guide

Located in West Sussex, Fontwell Park stages National Hunt racing all year round but the highlight of its calendar is the Grade2 National Spirit Handicap Hurdle in late February. The contest is named after National Spirit, a dual winner of the Champion Hurdle in the 1940s, who won five times at Fontwell Park during his illustrious career.

The race was initially run over two miles and two furlongs as a Champion Hurdle Trial, with dual Champion Hurdle hero Comedy of Errors amongst previous winners. It is now run over two miles and four furlongs as a handicap and the David Pipe-trained Lough Derg won the race in both 2008 and 2009. The National Spirit is seen as a World Hurdle Trial and in 2006 My Way De Solzen became the first winner of the National Spirit to go onto win the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Star stayer Baracouda also won both races, albeit in different campaigns.

Jumps Racing

Left handed, sharp; the chase course is a figure of eight circuit, whilst the hurdles track is oval. The stiff finish is testing on heavy ground, races often developing from far out. The fences are easy but, given the nature of the track, course specialists abound. On the chase course, the lead rarely changes hands on the run in but often looks as though it might. The paddock exit is situated halfway up the run-in on the hurdles course and can lead to horses idling/ducking out on seeing it. On soft/heavy going the hurdles course favours those who race wide.

Having a figure-of-eight configuration on the chase track, Fontwell can suit quirky horses. I don’t know if that’s because it disorientates them, or simply keeps them interested, but it does seem to help a few ‘thinkers’. It puts a premium on jumping, too, and, if you’re on a novice that’s slick over the fences, you can get away from the others thanks to wasting little time in the air. If you are behind, though, but still within shouting distance of a faster one, the stiff finish gives you a chance to get back up.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Fontwell Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 1f 96y	Purple 'n Gold (Good to Firm)	15 Jun 2017	4m 19.6s
2m 3f 104y	Cervaro Mix (Good)	26 May 2019	4m 51.65s
2m 5f 135y	Sizing Tennessee (Good)	05 Oct 2018	5m 17.3s
3m 1f 106y	Southfield Vic (Good)	21 Apr 2017	6m 28.2s
3m 3f 149y	Wonderful Charm (Good)	17 May 2018	7m 14.72s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 1f 162y	Musical Stardust (Good to Firm)	29 Aug 2019	4m 11.9s
2m 3f 49y	Le Ligerien (Good)	29 Mar 2019	4m 15.3s
2m 5f 164y	Snazz Man (Good)	09 May 2018	5m 16.9s
3m 1f 142y	Sir Mangan (Good)	02 Oct 2015	6m 16.2s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 5f 159y	Kalinihta (Good)	20 Apr 2018	3m 9.4s
2m 1f 145y	King Uther (Good to Soft)	28 Feb 2016	4m 4.6s

Fontwell Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G L Moore	48	12	20	£52,772	25%	-£15.80
P F Nicholls	23	12	7	£58,908	52.17%	£0.50
C L Tizzard	39	10	16	£52,128	25.64%	-£1.28
N P Mulholland	38	6	20	£22,159	15.79%	£12.00
J W Mullins	29	5	10	£16,570	17.24%	£10.25
Mrs Lawney Hill	15	5	8	£27,325	33.33%	£2.93
P J Hobbs	13	5	6	£27,181	38.46%	£0.12
C Gordon	28	4	15	£24,563	14.29%	-£4.50
C J Mann	18	4	9	£17,156	22.22%	£1.50
D G Bridgwater	20	4	7	£12,476	20%	-£0.90

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G L Moore	141	26	62	£106,342	18.44%	£11.20
C Gordon	93	12	40	£49,275	12.9%	-£27.66
O Sherwood	37	11	14	£40,873	29.73%	£39.00
A J Honeyball	22	11	6	£44,393	50%	£9.85
N P Mulholland	71	10	29	£38,339	14.08%	-£7.25
P F Nicholls	23	8	11	£72,333	34.78%	£8.78
Jamie Snowden	30	8	10	£38,584	26.67%	-£4.59
A King	21	7	8	£32,559	33.33%	£7.89
C L Tizzard	38	6	13	£68,467	15.79%	-£14.42
N J Henderson	11	6	2	£72,569	54.55%	£9.88

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
A J Honeyball	7	4	3	£8,382	57.14%	£3.50
C Gordon	13	3	6	£6,822	23.08%	£17.00
N P Mulholland	12	3	6	£6,822	25%	-£5.43
Olly Murphy	4	2	2	£4,548	50%	-£0.83
G L Moore	17	1	6	£2,274	5.88%	-£14.38
Jamie Snowden	8	1	6	£2,274	12.5%	-£6.50
H Whittington	6	1	4	£1,560	16.67%	-£0.50
P F Nicholls	4	1	3	£2,339	25%	-£0.75
D Skelton	5	1	2	£2,274	20%	-£4.75
C E Longsdon	4	1	2	£2,274	25%	£6.00

Fontwell Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
J E Moore	44	11	18	£57,366	25%	-£2.08
R Johnson	21	8	8	£36,006	38.1%	£9.19
H Cobden	23	7	10	£31,399	30.43%	£1.10
L P Aspell	23	7	9	£42,677	30.43%	£10.76
Bryony Frost	25	6	11	£26,969	24%	£3.07
Aidan Coleman	21	6	10	£41,199	28.57%	£4.35
Sam Twiston-Davies	18	6	7	£40,667	33.33%	£13.04
N D Fehily	16	6	5	£24,889	37.5%	£14.00
Nick Scholfield	21	5	13	£21,445	23.81%	-£3.75
Page Fuller	19	5	5	£17,545	26.32%	£11.37

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Tom Cannon	93	16	42	£70,137	17.2%	£8.09
J E Moore	89	16	28	£66,866	17.98%	£29.74
L P Aspell	58	10	24	£36,259	17.24%	-£8.00
R Johnson	49	10	20	£42,238	20.41%	£8.27
Joshua Moore	63	9	30	£36,065	14.29%	£6.96
H Cobden	31	8	13	£75,680	25.81%	-£4.64
G Sheehan	34	8	6	£38,194	23.53%	-£12.09
James Bowen	25	7	8	£23,783	28%	£16.48
Rex Dingle	26	7	7	£27,391	26.92%	£1.91
N D Fehily	21	6	11	£28,924	28.57%	-£0.25

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Aidan Coleman	11	5	6	£11,370	45.45%	£5.75
R Johnson	9	3	3	£6,822	33.33%	£1.63
Tom Cannon	14	2	5	£4,548	14.29%	£0.00
L P Aspell	10	2	5	£4,548	20%	£11.50
J E Moore	14	2	3	£4,548	14.29%	£1.63
N D Fehily	4	2	1	£4,548	50%	£0.20
Sam Twiston-Davies	4	1	3	£2,274	25%	-£1.50
Nico de Boinville	4	1	3	£2,274	25%	-£0.50
Page Fuller	4	1	2	£2,274	25%	£5.00
Harry Bannister	4	1	2	£1,560	25%	£1.50