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 165y	Black Gerry (Good)	29 May 2022	4m 21.03s
2m 3f 104y	Farouk De Cheneau (Good)	18 May 2023	4m 46.13s
2m 5f 135y	Legends Ryde (Good)	08 Apr 2022	5m 26s
3m 1f 210y	Toad Of Toad Hall (Good to Firm)	28 May 2023	6m 35.4s
3m 3f 149y	Unanswered Prayers (Good)	17 Nov 2024	7m 21.06s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 1f 162y	Thahab Ifraj (Good)	18 Aug 2022	4m 12.29s
2m 3f 49y	Dom Of Mary (Good)	29 Mar 2022	4m 37.5s
2m 5f 164y	Dynamic Kate (Good)	18 Aug 2022	5m 13.46s
3m 1f 166y	Astroman (Good to Firm)	28 May 2023	6m 24.5s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 5f 159y	Rambo T (Good)	29 Mar 2022	3m 12.2s
2m 1f 162y	Teddington Lock (Good)	07 Sep 2025	4m 11.4s

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 & J Moore	56	14	21	£58,435	25%	£17.95
N P Mulholland	41	9	18	£50,038	21.95%	-£3.57
R Walford	27	6	15	£22,999	22.22%	£13.08
A J Honeyball	24	6	12	£24,161	25%	-£5.13
J Tizzard	27	5	13	£17,692	18.52%	-£12.25
C Gordon	22	5	9	£43,151	22.73%	£14.07
Alexandra Dunn	9	5	1	£18,273	55.56%	£35.88
W Greatrex	14	4	7	£15,896	28.57%	£8.75
Karen Jewell	23	4	5	£14,444	17.39%	£52.00
P F Nicholls	11	4	4	£28,068	36.36%	£3.85

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
N P Mulholland	135	20	60	£79,832	14.81%	-£48.09
G & J Moore	132	19	66	£77,642	14.39%	-£68.79
C Gordon	87	12	34	£45,676	13.79%	-£47.22
James Owen	29	11	13	£42,956	37.93%	-£3.31
Jonjo & A J O'Neill	36	10	13	£36,904	27.78%	-£1.46
A J Honeyball	43	9	24	£38,226	20.93%	-£18.70
Jamie Snowden	25	9	12	£38,736	36%	£7.79
Miss H C Knight	40	8	24	£31,613	20%	-£5.63
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	11	8	1	£81,749	72.73%	£11.57
J Tizzard	34	7	10	£25,317	20.59%	£113.45

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G & J Moore	11	3	4	£7,278	27.27%	-£3.67
Jamie Snowden	8	2	5	£4,827	25%	-£0.42
B Pauling	3	2	0	£4,986	66.67%	£9.38
R Hobson	3	2	0	£4,902	66.67%	£11.50
A J Honeyball	7	1	4	£2,451	14.29%	-£5.25
N J Gifford	4	1	1	£2,614	25%	-£0.25
D Pipe	3	1	1	£2,451	33.33%	-£1.50
W Greatrex	3	1	1	£2,451	33.33%	£0.50
Mrs L Richards	2	1	1	£2,451	50%	£11.00
Miss H C Knight	2	1	1	£2,451	50%	£9.00

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
Caoilin Quinn	39	7	13	£26,406	17.95%	-£7.15
Harry Kimber	31	5	16	£18,299	16.13%	£3.58
Rex Dingle	26	5	11	£35,415	19.23%	£6.00
Ben Jones	13	5	3	£17,692	38.46%	£3.17
Freddie Gingell	10	5	3	£21,177	50%	£5.75
Harry Bannister	26	4	12	£16,055	15.38%	-£7.92
G Sheehan	20	4	8	£13,441	20%	-£5.75
Tom Cannon	19	4	8	£35,493	21.05%	£4.38
M Goldstein	19	4	3	£14,444	21.05%	£51.00
Brendan Powell	32	3	17	£9,744	9.38%	-£6.75

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Sam Twiston-Davies	46	14	16	£107,523	30.43%	-£9.60
Brendan Powell	61	12	24	£47,313	19.67%	£102.03
G Sheehan	45	12	16	£49,425	26.67%	-£2.23
S Bowen	40	12	14	£48,475	30%	£0.02
Caoilin Quinn	87	11	44	£44,735	12.64%	-£58.53
R P McLernon	47	9	12	£37,310	19.15%	-£11.82
Freddie Gordon	40	8	17	£31,290	20%	-£17.84
Harry Kimber	49	8	11	£29,812	16.33%	£21.50
Ben Jones	46	6	27	£24,140	13.04%	-£24.42
Rex Dingle	52	6	25	£23,749	11.54%	-£28.71

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Sheehan	9	2	5	£4,827	22.22%	-£1.42
Paul O'Brien	3	2	1	£4,902	66.67%	£14.50
Sam Twiston-Davies	6	1	5	£2,451	16.67%	-£3.25
Tom Cannon	6	1	2	£2,376	16.67%	-£3.50
Harry Cobden	5	1	2	£2,451	20%	-£1.50
M Goldstein	4	1	1	£2,451	25%	£9.00
Jack Tudor	4	1	1	£2,451	25%	-£2.50
James Davies	4	1	1	£2,614	25%	-£0.25
Freddie Mitchell	3	1	1	£2,451	33.33%	£3.00
Ben Jones	3	1	0	£2,535	33.33%	£7.00