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Horseracing Betting Briefing November 17 - 23: National Hunt is the new 'It's a Knock-Out'

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The BBC may be considering a drastic reduction in the quantity of racing they cover, but they're making a big mistake, says Andrew Hughes as he rubs his hands together at the prospect of the next seven days' action.

Racing, it appears, is doing its best to make itself suitable for the twenty-first century where sports need to be all about entertainment first and athletic endeavour second.

The first day of the Cheltenham Open meeting gave us a perfect demonstration of the potential Saturday-evening prime time appeal of the sport. From Jason McKeown's resourcefulness in borrowing another jockey's whip mid-race to the inventive short-cuts taken in the Cross Country Chase, National Hunt racing is clearly positioning itself as the new It's a Knock-Out, complete with comedy stewards in clown costumes, desperately making the rules up as they go along.

Actually, McKeown's nifty handiwork raises the possibility of a spin-off event to feature at the 2012 Olympics: the four by one and a half mile relay, with each horse completing one lap of the Cheltenham cross-country course, before their jockeys have to hand a baton onto the next man. I can see it catching on. We even have our own version of Stuart Hall in the inimitable Derek Thompson.

Sunday 16th November

The final day of the Open Meeting offers a splendid feast of Sunday racing. Pick of the bunch is probably the November Novices' Chase, a key early season novices event with a fine pedigree. This year's renewal looks particularly intriguing with Straw Bear taking the next step in a burgeoning career over fences. The veteran hurdler will have a lot on his plate though as he takes on current antepost Arkle favourite, Tatenen. The Hyde Novices' Hurdle is another Graded contest worth checking out, with the two miles and five furlongs providing a searching examination of stamina for these young hurdlers. There is also the Greatwood Hurdle, a big field hurdle over two miles full of well-handicapped hurdlers likely to be a hotly contested heat. And the Bumper event that closes the meeting is worth watching with notebook in hand as this has an impressive roll call of previous winners, including Best Mate and Rhinestone Cowboy.

At the same time there is some fine Irish jumps action at Punchestown, headed by the Maplewood Developments Hurdle, a mouth-watering Grade One in which veterans Hardy Eustace and Hardy Eustace take on young pretenders Sizing Europe and Jered. The small field, steady pace and heavy going may not produce a contest that will stand the test of time form wise but it is a fascinating clash of the generations. And don't miss the Grade Two Novice Chase earlier on the card as it features some promising animals from top Irish stables.

Saturday 22nd November

A quiet week comes to an end with a bumper Saturday of racing action. No doubt about today's highlight though, with the reappearance of Kauto Star in the ever popular Betfair Chase at Haydock. The early declarations include a host of familiar faces, including perennial challenger Exotic Dancer and Gold Cup winners Kicking King and War of Attrition and this promises to be another cracking renewal of a great race. There are a handful of solid looking handicaps on the card, including the Betfair 'Fixed Brush' Handicap Hurdle, a valuable event with a large field taking on the three mile course. And don't miss the opening Betfair Newton Novices' Hurdle, a highly competitive two mile Listed event well worth investigating.

Not to be outdone, Ascot hosts a decent card, with a couple of high class Graded races. The Amlin 1965 Chase is a keenly-contested two mile three furlong event, with the uphill gradients of the Berkshire course always likely to suit those who stay a little further. And the Ascot Hurdle, over a similar distance is likely to attract some of the very best hurdlers around. Of the lesser races, the Carey Group Handicap Chase is worth looking at, a two mile one furlong event won last year by Hoo La Baloo.