National Hunt Chase Tips
- 14/03/2023
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Our horse racing experts look at National Hunt Chase tips in this preview for the latest edition of the race at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
The National Hunt Chase tips will be released closer to the time of the race as we wait to see who is being entered into the contest.
There’s still a lot to examine, however, as we look through some of the previous trends to have played out for National Hunt Chase betting, as well as the ante-post racing market.
Stattler won this Grade 2 contest last year, with Patrick Mullins in the saddle for trainer Willie Mullins. So who will be getting their nose in front at this year’s National Hunt Chase?
National Hunt Chase Tips – Overlooked Outsiders
When we get closer to the start of the Cheltenham Festival 2023, our team of racing betting experts will be putting out tips for all of the races across the four days of action.
Outsiders are a thrilling part of horse racing betting, and we’ll make our recommendations of the best of those in this year’s National Hunt Chase odds.
Taking the line first twelve months ago was a shorter-priced 2/1 winner in the form of Stattler, who cruised to an eight-length victory.
But longer-priced winners have been trending in the National Hunt Chase, with the likes of Cheltenham favourite Tiger Roll getting his nose in front at a 16/1 SP in 2017.
Le Breuil came in strongly at 14/1 to take a win in the 2019 renewal and 12/1 shot Ravenhill won it the following year in 2020. So, it is well worth looking at some of those outsiders for horse racing betting, and our tipsters will be diving into those.
A look at this year’s underdogs will be available closer to the race.
National Hunt Chase Runners – Tuesday 14th March 5:30
| Horse/Form | Silks | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
| Gaillard Du Mesnil
33-213 |
 |
J: P W Mullins T: Willie Mullins |
11/10 |
| Mahler Mission
1-2312 |
 |
J: J C Barry T: John C McConnell |
11/2 |
| Chemical Energy
85-114 |
 |
J: J J Codd T: Gordon Elliott |
6/1 |
| Minella Crooner
-P2132 |
 |
J: B O’Neill T: Gordon Elliott |
15/2 |
| Mister Coffey
220-22 |
 |
J: Derek O’Connor T: Nicky Henderson |
8/1 |
| Tenzing
31-322 |
 |
J: N McParlan T: Willie Mullins |
20/1 |
| Fakiera
652420 |
 |
J: D G Lavery T: Gordon Elliott |
25/1 |
| Coolvalla
5-1111 |
 |
J: Joshua Newman T: Chris Gordon |
80/1 |
| Bellatrixsa
142-43 |
 |
J: Lucy Turner T: Venetia Williams |
100/1 |
| Malinello
12/136 |
 |
J: Gina Andrews T: Ben Pauling |
200/1 |
Gaillard Du Mesnil is expected to go in the fixture, and the Willie Mullins-trained seven year old has been on the up this season. His last run saw him win the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown over the festive period.
That was actually his first win over fences but he’s run well in defeat in his other races, including a close third in the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at the Festival last year.
Gordon Elliott’s Chemical Energy may well go in the National Hunt Chase having won two of his three races over fences, including a victory at Cheltenham back in October.
While the final list of runners is still to be fully known, watch out for our National hunt chase tips, covering all angles of the race from favourites to outsiders.
How to pick a National Hunt Chase winner
There are plenty of key trends to look through for picking a National Hunt Chase winner at the Cheltenham Festival 2023.
Among those are trends like how often a favourite strikes gold in the fixture. There have been just one of those in the last ten renewals of the National Hunt Chase, with no winning favourite in the most recent nine runnings of the race.
There has been a leaning towards some handy prices in National Hunt Chase odds, as six of the last nine winners have been at least 8/1 in the market.
Last 10 National Hunt Chase Winner Odds
- 2022 Stattler 2/1
- 2021 Galvin 7/2
- 2020 Ravenhill 12/1
- 2019 Le Breuil 14/1
- 2018 Rathvinden 9/2
- 2017 Tiger Roll 16/1
- 2016 Minella Rocco 8/1
- 2015 Cause of Causes 8/1
- 2014 Midnight Prayer 8/1
- 2013 Back In Focus 9/4F
Trainer Jonjo O’Neill has been one to watch in the National Hunt Chase as he is the most successful trainer in the last 20 editions. O’Neill has won it five times, although he’s only won it once in the last ten years. The second on the list is Gordon Elliott, who has a fantastic strike rate with four winners from eleven previous runners he has sent into this one. He went close in last year’s renewal with Run Wild Fred, who finished second.
The hot ticket in terms of winning jockey has been Mr J J Codd, who has ridden three winners, including Le Breuil in 2019 and Ravenhill in 2020.
There have been 17 female horses that have taken on this particular challenge, and there has never before been a female winner of the National Hunt Chase.
As for other trends that punters will want to consider, all but two of the last 20 winners had at least four runs during the season (last year’s winner Stattler has only had two runs that season), and their previous win didn’t happen in a Beginners’ contest. Also, going back to the importance of odds, 8 of the last 10 winners were no bigger than 12/1 last time out.
There is a lot more than our betting experts look through, so make sure that you check out our National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup tips.
All About The National Hunt Chase: Past and Present
We have a Grade 2 fixture at the Cheltenham Festival in the form of The National Hunt Chase. This is one of the many races at the Festival, a gruelling test of endurance as the National Hunt Chase stands at a whopping 3m 6f with a massive 23 fences for the runners to get over.
It was a longer race before it had a furlong and a half shaved off, starting in the 2020 edition as the 2019 renewal saw only four of eighteen starters get home. As a result, it’s now the second-longest race at the Festival behind the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.
This race has been held on more occasions than any other Cheltenham Festival race. It was already in existence before it moved permanently to Cheltenham in 1911. It has also been held on the New Course and the Old Course, the latter being where it is currently at.
How Do Horses Qualify For the National Hunt Chase Race?
The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup is open to horses at least five-year-old runners. The weight for five-year-olds is 11st 5lb, while any runners six or older will be at 11st 6lb. There is a 7lb allowance for mares. The National Hunt Chase is also only for amateur jockeys, although 2021 saw the pro’s ride in it because the entire Festival was restricted to professional riders only.
What is the National Hunt Chase Prize Money in 2023?
There was a total prize purse of £118,887.50 in the 2022 renewal. The winner, Stattler, took home £60,762.50. The rest of the payouts for the race were 2nd £30,562.50, 3rd £15,487.50, 4th £7,925, 5th £4,150. We are waiting for the details of the 2023 purse.
National Hunt Chase Past Winners
This is one of those races which makes the Cheltenham Festival so unique. Amateur jockeys on novices’ taking on a huge distance. There have been a few special winners of this, including Festival favourite Tiger Roll in 2017.
Other famous winners of this one include Native Emperor in 2005 and Minella Rocco a couple of years later, both for leading trainer Jonjo O’Neill.
| Year | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2022 | Stattler | 2/1 | Mr P W Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 2021 | Galvin | 7/2 | Jack Kennedy | I R Ferguson |
| 2020 | Ravenhill | 12/1 | Mr J J Codd | Gordon Elliott |
| 2019 | Le Breuil | 14/1 | Mr J J Codd | Ben Pauling |
| 2018 | Rathvinden | 9/2 | Mr P W Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 2017 | Tiger Roll | 16/1 | Ms L O’Neill | Gordon Elliott |
| 2016 | Minella Rocco | 8/1 | Mr Derek O’Connor | Jonjo O’Neill |
| 2015 | Cause Of Causes | 8/1 | Mr J J Codd | Gordon Elliott |
| 2014 | Midnight Prayer | 8/1 | Mr Joshua Newman | Alan King |
| 2013 | Back In Focus | 9/4F | Mr P W Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 2012 | Teaforthree | 5/1F | Mr J T McNamara | Rebecca Curtis |
| 2011 | Poker De Sivola | 14/1 | Ms K Walsh | Fredy Murphy |
Other Races on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival
The National Hunt Challenges Cup is the final race of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival. Here’s the list of all of the races from Day 1 of the 2022 Festival.
13:30 The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
14:10 The Arkle Challenge Trophy
14:50 The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase
15:30 The Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
16:10 The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
16:50 The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race
17:30 The National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Steeple Chase