Exeter’s Super Sunday delivers top-class racing on the road to Cheltenham
Exeter Racecourse hosts one of the highlights of its jump racing season with Super Sunday on Sunday 8 February, a meeting that has firmly earned its reputation as a key stepping stone towards the Cheltenham Festival.
The seven-race card regularly attracts high-calibre runners and a strong Irish challenge, reinforcing Exeter’s standing as a serious proving ground at this crucial stage of the season. For racing fans across Devon, Super Sunday offers the chance to witness Festival-quality action on their doorstep.
A centrepiece of the afternoon is the second running of the £40,000 Listed Agatha Christie Mares’ Novices’ Chase, a race that brings national racing interest together with deep local significance. The contest honours one of Devon’s most celebrated figures, with the winner receiving The Mousetrap Cup, a historic trophy with longstanding ties to Exeter Racecourse.
The inaugural running of the race in 2025 was won by Only By Night (IRE), trained by Gavin Cromwell and ridden by Keith Donoghue, as Ireland made a strong impression on Super Sunday. A similarly competitive renewal is expected this year, once again drawing attention from both sides of the Irish Sea.
Super Sunday has proved a reliable guide to future success at the major spring festivals. Last year’s Listed EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle was won by Fingle Bridge, while the Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race went to Kripticjim, who went on to land the Grade 2 novices’ hurdle on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day earlier this month.
The depth of the meeting is reflected across the rest of the card, which includes the Veterans’ Handicap Chase, the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, a competitive Handicap Chase, and the Grade 2 AIS Novices’ Hurdle, registered as the Classic Novices’ Hurdle. Together, they promise a full afternoon of meaningful, fiercely competitive racing as the season builds towards its spring climax.
Exeter Racecourse General Manager Jack Parkinson said: “Exeter is extremely proud of the role Super Sunday plays in the National Hunt calendar. It is a meeting that consistently produces high-quality racing and often provides clues for Cheltenham. The Agatha Christie Mares’ Novices’ Chase has added something special to the programme, and we are delighted to be staging it for the second year as part of an outstanding card.”
The first race is due off at 1.30pm, with gates opening at 11.30am. Under 18s go free, and free bus services will operate from Exeter St Davids, departing at 12.10pm and returning at 5.15pm.
Racing to School will also be on course, offering racegoers the chance to try the Equicizer, learn more about the sport, and enjoy jockey signings throughout the afternoon.
Tickets are available online via the Jockey Club website, with advance booking recommended for the best prices.
Photos copyright Francheska Altoft.
