The National Hunt Chase is the oldest race at the Cheltenham Festival, with its history dating back to the 19th Century. A gruelling test of stamina over 3m6f is the longest trip on one of the two traditional courses and our experts have picked out the warriors they fancy most in this year’s race below.
Andrew Mount’s National Hunt Chase Tips
Andrew is confident in last year’s winning connections in the National Hunt Chase. Newton Tornado‘s time and form from last time out is impressive, while he also suggests that One Big Bang could offer value now he races over a better, stamina-based distance.
Matty Sutcliffe’s National Hunt Chase Tips
Matty concurs on Newton Tornado, pointing to the strong form of the runner-up and third from his victory last time out. He is reminiscent of Haiti Couleurs, who won the race 12 months previously.
National Hunt Chase Bookmaker Odds – Race 7, Tuesday 10th March 5:20
All About The National Hunt Chase Trophy in 2027
We’re all set for another fantastic renewal of the National Hunt Chase, with some big names entered and looking to be targeting the race this year.
The 2026 field is not yet set in stone, so we will wait to see who is entered and declared to give more of an overview.
Qualifications/Trends
With only novices allowed and 23 fences to be jumped, experience can often be a key factor. Galvin put that to excellent use in 2021 as a second season novice and there have also been two ten-year-old winners in recent renewals.
As such, there is a 1lb allowance for five-year-olds in the race, but that has made no difference to their success rate: only one horse of that age has won since 1903 and, almost concerningly, two horses simply described as “aged” have won the race since then.
From recent runnings, it is clear that one of three things is necessary. The aforementioned experience is one thing: Galvin’s extra chasing season would have helped, while the older, sturdier legs of Rathvinden and Ravenhill carried them to victory in 2018 and 2020 respectively.
The second thing is a touch of class. Minella Rocco won a sensational renewal in 2016, beating Native River, with the pair going on to be second and third in the following year’s Gold Cup. Also beaten that day were Vicente, Vieux Lion Rouge and Pleasant Company, while Definitly Red and Shantou Flyer were fallers.
Tiger Roll also fits the bill in terms of quality, winning this in 2017 before his Grand National escapades. He also, of course, fits the third criteria: stamina, proven prior or subsequently.
All of Teaforthree, Cause Of Causes and Rathvinden were placed in the following year’s Grand National while Tiger Roll won the next two. It is not all about experience with the stamina-laden horses though. Before Rathvinden, no ten-year-old had won since 2002.
National Hunt Chase History
The race had somewhat of a nomadic existence in its earliest form. First run in 1860 at Market Harborough, the only time it was held at Cheltenham in the 19th Century was in its second running in 1861.
From then on it passed through such archaic tracks as Rugby, Burton Lazars, Crewkerde and Little Dalby, as well as the continually functioning Wetherby and Sandown Park, before it eventually settled permanently at Cheltenham in 1911, predating the modern Festival. It has now become incorporated as an integral part of the four days in March as one of only three contests reserved for amateur riders.
With its rich, early establishment, this used to be a race more heralded than the Gold Cup and boasts Lords, Majors, Captains and Lieutenant Colonels in its trainer and jockey winners’ lists. There was also an early sign of its propensity to lead to Grand National heroes when Quare Times, trained by Vincent O’Brien, won this race in 1954 before the National the following year.
Speaking of famous trainers, there are a number who have won this before…as jockeys. Ian Balding, Michael Dickinson, Robert Alner, Mouse Morris and Willie Mullins have all won this since the 1960s, the last-named doing so twice for his father Paddy in 1982 and 1984.
There have been some sensational rides in this race in the past, but probably none more so than in 2002. J T McNamara deserves to be remembered for his astonishing effort to get the recalcitrant Ruth Dubh to win, despite almost always seeming to hate being in front. While professionals had not been allowed up until last year, that has not stopped there being memorable moments in the saddle.
There have also been some notably classy renewals of the race, even when it was run over 4m: in 2016, Minella Rocco, who would go on to be second in the following year’s Gold Cup, beat Native River, the Gold Cup hero of 2018.
Winners since 2000
| Year | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Relaxation | J:Mark Bradburne T:Henry Daly | 8/1 |
| 2001 | VOID | J:N/A T:N/A | VOID |
| 2002 | Rith Dubh | J:J T McNamara T:Jonjo O’Neill | 10/1 |
| 2003 | Sudden Shock | J:Denis Culen T:Jonjo O’Neill | 25/1 |
| 2004 | Native Emperor | J:Robert Widger T:Jonjo O’Neill | 5/1J |
| 2005 | Another Rum | J:Mark O’Hare T:Ian Duncan | 40/1 |
| 2006 | Hot Weld | J:Richard Harding T:Ferdy Murphy | 33/1 |
| 2007 | Butler’s Cabin | J:Alan Berry T:Jonjo O’Neill | 33/1 |
| 2008 | Old Benny | J:Charlie Huxley T:Alan King | 9/1 |
| 2009 | Tricky Trickster | J:Sam Waley-Cohen T:Nigel Twiston-Davies | 11/1 |
| 2010 | Poker De Sivola | J:Katie Walsh T:Ferdy Murphy | 14/1 |
| 2011 | Chicago Grey | J:Derek O’Connor T:Gordon Elliott | 5/1F |
| 2012 | Teaforthree | J:J T McNamara T:Rebecca Curtis | 5/1F |
| 2013 | Back In Focus | J:Patrick Mullins T:Willie Mullins | 9/4F |
| 2014 | Midnight Prayer | J:Joshua Newman T:Alan King | 8/1 |
| 2015 | Cause Of Causes | J:Jamie Codd T:Gordon Elliott | 8/1 |
| 2016 | Minella Rocco | J:Derek O’Connor T:Jonjo O’Neill | 8/1 |
| 2017 | Tiger Roll | J:Lisa O’Neill T:Gordon Elliott | 16/1 |
| 2018 | Rathvinden | J:Patrick Mullins T:Willie Mullins | 9/2 |
| 2019 | Le Breuil | J:Jamie Codd T:Ben Pauling | 14/1 |
| 2020 | Ravenhill | J:Jamie Codd T:Gordon Elliott | 12/1 |
| 2021 | Galvin | J:Jack Kennedy T:Ian Ferguson | 7/2 |
| 2022 | Stattler | J:Patrick Mullins T:Willie Mullins | 2/1 |
| 2023 | Gaillard Du Mesnil | J:Patrick Mullins T:Willie Mullins | 10/11F |
| 2024 | Corbetts Cross | J:Derek O’Connor T:Emmet Mullins | 15/8 |
| 2025 | Haiti Couleurs | J:Ben Jones T:Rebecca Curtis | 7/2JF |
| 2026 | Holloway Queen | J:James Bowen T:Nicky Henderson | 12/1 |
Cheltenham Festival Racing Schedule
| Time | Race | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1:20 | Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | 2m 87y |
| 2:00 | Arkle Challenge Trophy | 1m 7f 199y |
| 2.40 | Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | 2m 87y |
| 3:20 | Ultima Handicap Chase | 3m 1f |
| 4:00 | Champion Hurdle | 2m 87y |
| 4.40 | TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase | 2m 4f 127y |
| 5:20 | National Hunt Chase | 3m 5f 201y |