Stratford Course Guide

Racing has taken place Stratford since 1769 and it hosts action over jumps throughout the summer months. Two of the highlights of Strafford’s calendar are the Stratford Foxhunters’ Champion Chase and the Stratford Summer Cup.

Run over three and a half miles during an evening meeting in May, the Stratford Foxhunters’ Champion Chase is, after the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters, traditionally seen as the third jewel in the Hunter Chase crown and run towards the end of the Hunter Chase season, having been first staged in 1958. The Stratford Summer Cup ran over an extended two miles and one furlong, takes place in July.

Jumps Racing

Left handed, sharp; the high number of falls/unseats in recent years is due to the size of the fences and the fact that so many races are well run. A water jump was introduced near the winning post in March 2008, although this is not jumped on the final circuit. The hurdles track also has more than the normal number of well-run races, jockeys often opting to strike for home sooner than normal because of the relatively short straight.

Stratford is a speed track, so you need a horse that jumps quickly and accurately. The fences are not difficult in themselves, but they can catch one out, purely because of the pace element. They really do whiz round there and, because of that, you often see ex-Flat horses winning. That type, with plenty of racing experience, can be ideal, just as long as it jumps. It feels as if you’re turning for most of the hurdles track and, with that long, sweeping bend into the straight, it can be hard to make up ground.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Stratford Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 213y	Elios D'or (Good)	03 Jun 2023	3m 59.7s
2m 3f 98y	Geromino (Good)	03 Sep 2022	4m 32.49s
2m 4f 205y	Begin The Luck (Good)	03 Jun 2023	5m 4.8s
2m 6f 125y	Glynn (Good to Firm)	27 Aug 2024	5m 27.19s
3m 3f 119y	Tommie Beau (Good)	03 Jun 2023	6m 47.8s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 70y	Genealogy (Good to Firm)	12 Jul 2026	3m 43.57s
2m 2f 148y	Getmetothemoon (Good to Firm)	12 Jul 2026	4m 16.32s
2m 6f 7y	French Diablo (Good to Firm)	12 Jul 2026	5m 12.82s
3m 2f 83y	Porter In The Park (Good)	01 Jun 2024	6m 28.5s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 70y	Babs (Good)	06 Oct 2025	3m 40.21s

Stratford 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
B Pauling	15	7	5	£32,161	46.67%	£13.98
Dan Skelton	22	6	11	£33,458	27.27%	£1.53
G Hanmer	17	4	5	£35,742	23.53%	-£0.88
Miss E C Lavelle	12	4	5	£26,369	33.33%	£2.82
W Greatrex	12	4	5	£17,216	33.33%	-£2.50
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	15	3	7	£18,827	20%	£5.88
Evan Williams	12	3	6	£12,912	25%	£13.50
A King	8	3	4	£16,530	37.5%	£2.25
A Ralph	8	3	4	£18,378	37.5%	£14.50
P F Nicholls	8	3	3	£25,560	37.5%	-£0.02

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Dan Skelton	65	14	24	£66,596	21.54%	-£35.91
O Murphy	37	10	10	£43,121	27.03%	-£11.45
Jamie Snowden	37	9	15	£51,615	24.32%	-£3.20
James Owen	33	9	14	£33,790	27.27%	-£4.88
A King	19	8	7	£39,545	42.11%	£27.23
F O'Brien	38	7	17	£35,264	18.42%	£4.24
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	31	6	13	£24,090	19.35%	-£9.82
G Hanmer	31	5	11	£18,933	16.13%	£28.29
Henry Oliver	18	5	5	£23,025	27.78%	£26.45
A J Honeyball	14	5	3	£24,214	35.71%	£15.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Dan Skelton	8	3	2	£8,170	37.5%	-£3.06
Jamie Snowden	5	2	2	£4,629	40%	£11.00
A J Honeyball	3	2	1	£7,216	66.67%	£11.00
Mickey Bowen	2	2	0	£4,902	100%	£2.79
D Killahena & G McPherson	5	1	3	£3,812	20%	£1.00
G Hanmer	4	1	2	£3,268	25%	-£1.00
B Pauling	4	1	2	£2,451	25%	-£0.50
A King	3	1	2	£2,451	33.33%	£7.00
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	4	1	1	£2,451	25%	-£0.50
R Stephens	2	1	1	£2,722	50%	£0.38

Stratford 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
Ben Jones	19	10	5	£52,721	52.63%	£12.19
S Bowen	33	7	19	£41,631	21.21%	-£4.01
James Bowen	21	7	12	£39,105	33.33%	£10.33
Sam Twiston-Davies	20	5	10	£31,844	25%	£5.79
Harry Skelton	13	5	6	£30,378	38.46%	£0.53
R T Dunne	22	4	9	£25,920	18.18%	-£2.63
Mr Huw Edwards	6	4	2	£27,361	66.67%	£6.71
Tom Broughton	10	3	6	£14,496	30%	£15.00
Tom Cannon	14	3	5	£16,530	21.43%	-£3.75
Kielan Woods	11	3	5	£13,440	27.27%	£8.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
S Bowen	60	18	17	£79,415	30%	-£11.80
Harry Skelton	49	15	18	£72,587	30.61%	-£15.38
G Sheehan	52	12	20	£65,730	23.08%	£14.43
Sam Twiston-Davies	36	7	18	£26,519	19.44%	£31.56
Tom Cannon	15	6	4	£28,442	40%	£19.73
Kielan Woods	34	5	11	£20,966	14.71%	-£10.22
Alex Chadwick	9	5	3	£16,435	55.56%	£7.77
J J Burke	33	4	15	£21,527	12.12%	-£19.58
H Cobden	12	4	3	£21,929	33.33%	-£0.83
Joe Anderson	10	4	3	£19,064	40%	£15.96

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Sam Twiston-Davies	6	3	1	£9,667	50%	£12.50
Ben Sutton	3	3	0	£8,170	100%	£2.94
G Sheehan	8	2	4	£4,629	25%	£7.00
S Bowen	7	2	3	£5,719	28.57%	-£5.71
Kielan Woods	6	2	3	£6,535	33.33%	£20.50
Nick Slatter	3	1	2	£3,812	33.33%	£3.00
Thomas Bellamy	3	1	2	£2,451	33.33%	£7.00
C Gethings	3	1	1	£2,722	33.33%	-£0.63
B S Hughes	2	1	1	£2,451	50%	-£0.38
Adam Wedge	3	1	0	£2,451	33.33%	-£0.75