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Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase
Cheltenham 14:00 Grade 2, £125,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 4f 127y, Class 1
Tweet Thursday 12th March 2026

1 Meetmebythesea 9/1
2 Gold Dancer 25/1
3 Regent's Stroll 5/1J
4 King Alexander 20/1
18 ran NR: Old Cowboy, Sixmilebridge
Distances: 4¾l, 2¼l, 6l Time: 5m 10.84s (fast by 0.16s)

Meetmebythesea takes the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase 🏆

A mighty ride by Ben Jones for Ben Pauling in the colours of J P McManus 👊 pic.twitter.com/OVhzSHrnGV

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 12, 2026

Meetmebythesea provided Ben Pauling and Ben Jones with a timely boost ahead of Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup when producing a decisive performance.

Pauling and Jones will bid for the Festival’s ultimate prize with The Jukebox Man, but Meetmebythesea had long been identified as one of the yard’s leading hopes this week and justified that confidence in emphatic fashion at odds of 9-1.

Always travelling strongly near the pace, the six-year-old moved through the race with purpose before turning for home locked in combat with Gold Dancer. A superb leap at the final fence proved decisive, allowing Meetmebythesea to surge clear on the climb to the line and score by four and three-quarter lengths.

Pauling said: “He was very good. He was quick and nimble when he needed to be and he was bold when he needed to be.

“I don’t think I wanted him to be that far forward, but he was enjoying himself and I’m delighted for JP (McManus, owner), who is a huge supporter of the industry. I’ve been training for 13 years and to have the support of someone like that helps a lot.

“This was one of the darts we hoped would run really well this week and it’s nice to see it come off.”

Looking ahead to the Gold Cup, he added: “I’m pleased we’ve had a winner before that! It was always going to be a nervous week if we were going into Friday without a winner.

“This doesn’t change anything, but it changes the mood and the feel, which is important for everyone.

“Hopefully now we can go and do the business tomorrow.”

Jack Richards Novices' Chase
(Grade 2 Handicap)
£125,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m4f127y, Class 1
18 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places