Ultima handicap chase Tips

12/03/2024
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The best Ultima Handicap Chase tips for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival can be found right here as our expert tipsters look in-depth at the Day 1 fixture. This Grade 3 contest was won by Corach Rambler last year, who went on to win the 2023 Grand National just a month later.

The 9YO pulled out the win, having been well supported and sent off as 6/1 joint-favourite.

The list of participants for this year’s renewal is not out yet, but come closer to the start of the Cheltenham Festival 2024, watch for our racing tips for the Ultima handicap chase betting.

Ultima Handicap Chase Bettting Tips – Overlooked Outsiders

There are few sights better in horse racing when an unexpected outsider is battling to win, especially in such a big race as the Ultima Handicap.

Our betting experts will consider the longer-priced options as part of our Ultima handicap chase betting tips preview.

That’s because no horse in the field can be ignored. History proves that, as overlooked outsiders have stormed the field at the Cheltenham Festival time and time again.

Looking back at the 2023 Ultima Handicap Chase, the winner, Corach Rambler, became the fifth horse in the last ten years to win the race at single-figure odds.

Lucinda Russell’s nine-year-old became just the fourth horse in the history of the race to win the race two times, having been triumphant in the 2022 renewal too.

That was an impressive result in the Grade 3 contest, and our tipsters will dig through this year’s declarations to see if any dark horses catch the eye in Ultima handicap chase odds.

A look at this year’s underdogs will be available closer to the race.

2024 Ultima handicap chase Runners + Odds – Tuesday 12th March 2:50

Horse/Form	Silks	Jockey/Trainer	Odds
Corach Rambler 4U1-54		J: Derek Fox T: Lucinda Russell	6/1
Into Overdrive 11-121		J: Jamie Hamilton T: Mark Walford	7/1
Nassalam 21-563		J: Jamie Moore T: Gary Moore	7/1
Fastorslow 02-255		J: J J Slevin T: Martin Brassil	10/1
Oscar Elite P-50P1		J: Harry Cobden T: Joe Tizzard	10/1
The Big Breakaway 23P-22		J: Brendan Powell T: Joe Tizzard	12/1
Happygolucky 121/30		J: David Bass T: Kim Bailey	12/1
The Goffer -41231		J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott	12/1
Monbeg Genius 1-4111		J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Jonjo O’Neill	12/1
Threeunderthrufive 16-3U6		J: A P Heskin T: Paul Nicholls	14/1
Remastered 9-121P		J: David Noonan T: David Pipe	16/1
Tea Clipper 44-234		J: Stan Sheppard T: Tom Lacey	16/1
Cloudy Glen /1P9-3		J: Charlie Deutsch T: Venetia Williams	20/1
Harpers Brook 21-215		J: Tom Cannon T: Ben Pauling	25/1
Top Ville Ben 2P-353		J: Thomas Dowson T: Philip Kirby	28/1
Fanion D’Estruval 34-734		J: Lucy Turner (5) T: Venetia Williams	33/1
Good Boy Bobby 7P-74P		J: Daryl Jacob T: Nigel Twiston-Davies	33/1
Fantastikas P-60P3		J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Nigel Twiston-Davies	33/1
Karl Philippe 12-127		J: Jack Hogan (5) T: Fergal O’Brien	33/1
Iceo Madrik -366UF		J: Jack Tudor T: David Pipe	33/1
The Wolf -20864		J: Paddy Brennan T: Olly Murphy	40/1
Laskalin 5-1328		J: Shane Quinlan (3) T: Venetia Williams	50/1
Glamorgan Duke 43932U		J: Danny Gilligan (7) T: Paul John Gilligan	66/1

Ante-post racing odds for the fixture can be taken currently, and while we can’t fully assess the market until the final declarations, that doesn’t mean that the Ultima handicap chase betting odds can’t give us clues.

Horses are geared up for the fixture ahead of time, and it is worth looking early at the likes of Monbeg Genius, who has shaped up well in the ante-post. The 7-year-old finished third in the race last year and looks a good option for Jonjo O’Neill to send here and he looks sure to be prominent in the betting if so.

Chianti Classico is another to watch, having only tasted defeat once over jumps to date, when pulling up in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. If he lines up in this, he’s sure to be well supported.

Heading the chances of the Irish raiders could be Desertmore House, who has made a strong start to his chase career. He’s yet to travel outside of Ireland, so it will be interesting to see how the handicapper rates his chances.

Ultimately for the Ultima handicap chase betting picture to unfold further, we have to wait until we are a little bit closer to the Festival. But stay tuned for the best Ultima handicap chase tips coming up for Tuesday, 12th March 2024.

How to pick an Ultima handicap chase winner

While we wait for the final list of runners heading into action at this year’s Ultima Handicap, we can look back at some past trends. One of the immediate trends is that there has been a preference for the stronger contenders at the head of the market.

It may not necessarily be the favourite that gets all the attention because there has only been two of those winning in the last 10 editions. The largest winning SP of the last ten renewals of the Ultima have all been no bigger than 28/1.

Last 10 Ultima Winner Odds

2023 Corach Rambler 6/1JF
2022 Corach Rambler 10/1
2021 Vintage Clouds 28/1
2020 The Conditional 15/2
2019 Beware The Bear 10/1
2018 Coo Star Sivola 5/1F
2018 Un Temps Pour Tout 9/1
2016 Un Temps Pour Tout 11/1
2015 The Druids Nephew 8/1
2014 Holywell 10/1
2013 Golden Chieftain 28/1

This excellent test of stamina has some interesting stats to look through to try and decide the best way to go with horse racing betting. For example, the last 20 winners of the Ultima had all previously won at a distance of at least 21.5 furlongs.

Asides from 2022 winner Corach Rambler, any horse that had had a run at Ascot or Newbury last time out has failed to win in the Ultima. The previous twenty winners arrived at Cheltenham on the back of a busy campaign, with each of them having had between 2 and 7 runs for the season.

Only one of the last twenty winners of the Ultima had won more than five times over the fences before landing the Ultima. As for the leading trainers in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival, that’s a tie between Jonjo O’Neill and David Pipe, who have trained three winners, with Alan King just behind on two.

Our tipsters will be releasing our Ultima handicap chase tips, so keep an eye out for those.

All About The Ultima Handicap Chase: Past and Present

The Ultima Handicap Chase is a Grade 3 Chase and occupies a slot on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival. The race, formerly known as the National Hunt Handicap Chase, is a contest over a distance of 3m 1f.

It’s formally the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase but gets a sponsor’s name included, currently the Ultima Group. There are 20 fences to be negotiated in the contest, which is open to five-year-olds and above.

While a top fixture in its own right in the National Hunt calendar, the Ultima is seen as a primer to the Grand National.

This handicap contest is run on the Old Course turf, and previous winners include the likes of Seagram and Rough Quest.

How Do Horses Qualify For the Ultimate Handicap Chase Race?

Only horses at least five years old can qualify for the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The handicap controls the weights and allowances.

What is the Ultima handicap chase Prize Money in 2024?

The total purse for the 2023 Ultima handicap was £122,962.50. Out of that pot, the winner Corach Rambler walked away with £70,337.50. The prize money was paid out to eight on the following scale: 2nd £26,500, 3rd £13,262.50, 4th £6,625, 5th £3,325, 6th £1,662.50, 7th £825 and 8th £425. We await the prize monies for the 2024 Ultima.

Ultima handicap chase Past Winners

Six runners throughout the Festival Trophy Handicap chase have won this and the Grand National during their careers. Along with Seagram and Rough Quest, Royal Tan, Team Spirit and West Tip also completed the double, whilst most recently last year’s winner Corach Rambler followed up at Aintree the following month.

Un Temps Pour Tout pulled off a rare title defence in the Ultima with a second success in 2018. He became the first since Scot Lane in the early 1980s to achieve that feat. Last year saw Corach Rambler add his name to the list, having won the 2022 renewal the previous year.

Among other notable winners of the Ultima, 2018 champion Coo Star Sivola and 2009 winner Wichita Lineman – who produced one of the most noteworthy runs in the race, coming from 15 lengths back to land a fantastic win by a neck.

Year	Horse	Odds	Jockey	Trainer
2023	Corach Rambler	6/1JF	Derek Fox	Lucinda Russell
2022	Corach Rambler	10/1	Derek Fox	Lucinda Russell
2021	Vintage Clouds	28/1	Ryan Mania	Sue Smith
2020	The Conditional	15/2	Brendan Powell	David Bridgewater
2019	Beware The Bear	10/1	Jeremiah McGrath	Nicky Henderson
2018	Coo Star Sivola	5/1F	Lizzie Kelly	Nick Williams
2017	Un Temps Pour Tout	9/1	Tom Scudamore	David Pipe
2016	Un Temps Pour Tour	11/1	Tom Scudmore	David Pipe
2015	The Druids Nephew	8/1	Barry Geraghty	Neil Mulholland
2014	Holywell	10/1	Richie McLernon	Jonjo O’Neill
2013	Golden Chieftain	28/1	Brendan Powell	Colin Tizzard
2012	Alfie Sherrin	14/1	Richie McLernon	Jonjo O’Neill
2011	Bensalem	5/1	Robert Thornton	Alan King
2010	Chief Dan Geroge	33/1	Paddy Aspell	James Moffatt