National Hunt Chase Odds 2023

The final race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival is the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup. It’s a Grade 2 race restricted to novice chasers and amateur riders at the Cheltenham Festival and is now run over 3m6f instead of 4 miles after a controversy in 2019 when just four horses finished the race.

The 2017 National Hunt Chase was won by Tiger Roll, who then went on to win the Grand National at Aintree in 2018 and 2019. Stattler won last year’s race for Willie Mullins, and Mullins himself twice rode to victory in the National Hunt Chase in 1982 and 1984.

Jockey bookings can be key in this race, with only amateurs allowed to ride. Patrick Mullins has ridden the winner of the race on three occasions, and he partners this year’s short-priced favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil for his father, Willie Mullins.

It can be an attritional race, especially if the ground comes up soft, which looks highly likely for Tuesday.

Latest National Hunt Chase Betting Odds *

*Best prices correct at time of writing

Gaillard Du Mesnil 10/11

Minella Crooner 7/1

Mahler Mission 7/1

Chemical Energy 8/1

Mister Coffey 10/1

Tenzing 14/1

Coolvalla 25/1

Fakiera 80/1

Bellatrixsa 100/1

Malinello 100/1

National Hunt Chase Odds and Entries 2023

The National Hunt Chase is all about stamina, and it typically sees horses who were Grade 1 quality over hurdles lining up alongside potential future Grade 1 novice chasers. However, this year’s race presents a unique situation where Gaillard Du Mesnil, a horse who has already won a Grade 1 over fences, has been declared to run without carrying a penalty.

He looks like the standout horse in the field with some excellent form in the book, including carrying a big weight when placing 3rd in the Irish Grand National last season.  It’s a race that, in recent years, has been targeted by Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, and they are responsible for five of the 10 runners in 2023.

Elliott’s best chance of upsetting the odds is Chemical Energy, who has only raced over staying trips once – he’s unexposed and is bound to be a popular each-way selection against Gaillard Du Mesnil.

Latest National Hunt Chase Betting Odds *

*Best prices correct at time of writing

Stattler 11-4

Run Wild Fred 3-1

Vanillier 6-1

Farouk D’Alene 8-1

Does He Know 12-1

Jungle Boogie 12-1

Ontheropes 12-1

Pats Fancy 12-1

Threeunderthrufive 12-1

Braeside 20-1

Brinkley 33-1

Diol Ker 33-1

Lord Accord 40-1

Fantastikas 50-1

Frontal Assault 50-1

Hold That Taught 50-1

Betting on the National Hunt Chase

The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup for amateur riders brings down the curtain on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. The recent reduction in distance means this is not the gruelling contest it once was and it is already attracting a higher class of horse. Whereas it was formerly seen as a race for future Grand National horses, the last two winners have both gone on to be live Cheltenham Gold Cup contenders.

Galvin (2021) went on to win the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown where he defeated subsequent Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard. The runner-up gained his revenge in the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup with an emphatic victory with Galvin well beaten in fourth. Stattler (2022) races in the same colours and is on course for the Gold Cup after finishing runner-up in the Irish Gold Cup.

Irish-trained horses have accounted for eight of the last twelve renewals, Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins being responsible for four and three respectively. The last favourite to win the Cheltenham National Hunt Chase was Back In Focus in 2013. Rathvinden (2018), Galvin (2021) and Stattler (2022) were all well-backed second favourites but there have been a few surprises. Tiger Roll (2017) started at 16-1, Le Breuil (2019) won at 14-1 and Ravenhill (2020) was a 12-1 chance.

We’ll be offering Cheltenham betting offers for the Netional Hunt Chase and the rest of the races too.

National Hunt Chase News

This year’s National Hunt Chase revolves around Gaillard Du Mesnil, with many punters seeing the horse as the banker of the week. He has always been held in high regard but connections, and he opened his account over fences in fine style when landing a Grade 1 Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas.

With the trip, track and ground all set to be ideal, it will take a big performance from one of his rivals or a below-par run to stop him from landing the finale on the Festival’s first day.

Mullins also saddles Tenzing, who has been well-backed in the betting markets over the last week as the rain has arrived. At the same time, the best chance of a UK winner appears to be Mister Coffey for trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Derek O’Connor.