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2026 John Francome Novices' Chase Preview
Registered as the John Francome Novices' Chase, this Grade 2 chase is run at Newbury in November of each year. It has also been previously known as the Hopeful Chase and, more recently, the Berkshire Novices' Chase. It is contested over just shy of two miles and four furlongs, during which a total of sixteen fences will be faced.
The race has been won by some runners who went on to have successful chasing careers with the likes of Denman, Bobs Worth, Dynaste, Coneygree & Clan des Obeaux all winning this race early in their chasing careers.
John Francome Novices' Chase Information:
- John Francome Novices' Chase Past Winners
- John Francome Novices' Chase Trainer Statistics
- John Francome Novices' Chase Jockey Statistics
Our dedicated Newbury tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the John Francome Novices' Chase, but will also have predictions for each meeting at Newbury throughout the season, so be sure to head over there. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Newbury Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the John Francome Novices' Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2020 when the race had an over-round of 106%. The race in 2015 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 115%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the John Francome Novices' Chase, the over-round has been 110%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ110 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 John Francome Novices' Chase Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the John Francome Novices' Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run John Francome Novices' Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Caribean Boy (4:50.60) in 2020
- Clan Des Obeaux (4:51.20) in 2016
- Wendigo (4:56.32) in 2025
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the John Francome Novices' Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 7 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +1.49. Ahead of the 2026 John Francome Novices' Chase, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2006 renewal when Denman from Paul Nicholls under the guidance of Sam Thomas, won in a time of 5:19.30, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Caribean Boy, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Daryl Jacob set the quickest time of 4:50.60 in the 2020 renewal.
John Francome Novices' Chase Past Winners
Here are the John Francome Novices' Chase past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the John Francome Novices' Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:56.32 | Wendigo (FR) 6yo 11-4 5/2 | Gavin Sheehan Jamie Snowden (GB) |
| 2024 5:02.10 | The Jukebox Man (IRE) 6yo 11-4 9/4F | Ben Jones Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2023 4:58.41 | Hermes Allen (FR) 6yo 11-4 13/8F | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2022 4:58.20 | Sebastopol (IRE) 8yo 11-9 22/1 | Stan Sheppard Tom Lacey (GB) |
| 2021 4:59.50 | Nassalam (FR) 4yo 10-7 2/1F | Jamie Moore Gary Moore (GB) |
| 2020 4:50.60 | Caribean Boy (FR) 6yo 11-1 100/30 | Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2019 4:57.40 | Champ (IRE) 7yo 11-1 4/5F | Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2018 4:57.60 | La Bague Au Roi (FR) 7yo 10-8 5/4F | Richard Johnson Warren Greatrex (GB) |
| 2017 4:57.90 | Willoughby Court (IRE) 6yo 11-1 15/8 | Nico de Boinville Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2016 4:51.20 | Clan Des Obeaux (FR) 4yo 10-7 5/2 | Sean Bowen Paul Nicholls (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the John Francome Novices' Chase have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 10 placings from 96 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
2025 John Francome Novices' Chase Replay
John Francome Novices' Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the John Francome Novices' Chase over the last 20 renewals is Nicky Henderson, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from The Market Man (2008), Punchestowns (2009), Bobs Worth (2011), Champ (2019) and Caribean Boy (2020). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the John Francome Novices' Chase are Paul Nicholls (4 wins) and Ben Pauling (2 wins).
Here are some of the top John Francome Novices' Chase trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Henderson | 10-5-5 | +2.60 | -3.50 |
| Paul Nicholls | 17-4-5 | -7.96 | -5.70 |
| Ben Pauling | 3-2-3 | +3.13 | +2.72 |
| Dan Skelton | 4-1-2 | +0.50 | +1.57 |
| David Pipe | 4-1-2 | -2.56 | -0.72 |
| Gary Moore | 3-1-1 | +0.00 | -2.00 |
| Tom Lacey | 2-1-1 | +21.00 | +0.00 |
| Warren Greatrex | 2-1-1 | +0.25 | -1.00 |
| Paul Webber | 1-1-1 | +10.00 | +6.25 |
| Jamie Snowden | 1-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.56 |
John Francome Novices' Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the John Francome Novices' Chase over the last 20 renewals is Nico de Boinville, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Coneygree (2014) and Willoughby Court (2017).
Here are some of the top John Francome Novices' Chase jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nico de Boinville | 2-2-2 | +3.88 | +2.43 |
| Harry Cobden | 8-1-1 | -5.37 | -2.98 |
| Harry Skelton | 4-1-2 | +0.50 | +1.57 |
| Sean Bowen | 3-1-1 | +0.50 | -0.44 |
| Stan Sheppard | 2-1-1 | +21.00 | +0.00 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 2-1-1 | +1.50 | +0.56 |
| Ben Jones | 2-1-2 | +1.25 | +1.54 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -3.00 |
| Tom Cannon | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -0.75 |
| James Bowen | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -1.00 |
2026 John Francome Novices' Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 2, 2, 1, F, 1, 1, 1, UR, 2, 5, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, (1, 4), 3
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Within the first 4 of the market
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not on HY/GF/STD-SLW/STD (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - In a field of 4 - 18 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran over 2m3f - 3m½f (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Highest Run is not G3/Cl2-4
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Held an OR of 132+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl4 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran over 1m4f - 2m6f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Highest Placed is not Cl2/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Won within last 4 starts
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 22/1
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Beaten no more -17½l (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 7/1 (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - Carried 152 - 164lbs (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - Placed within last 2 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Newbury racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the John Francome Novices' Chase. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over ÂŁ6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the John Francome Novices' Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
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John Francome Novices' Chase Trend Analysis
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had recorded 2 career non-finishes, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-13.
The course which has produced the most winners of the John Francome Novices' Chase is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 95 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 4 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the John Francome Novices' Chase:
- Karinga Bay (2 Wins)
- Poliglote (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Sebastopol in 2022, winning for Tom Lacey at odds of 22/1 under the guidance of Stan Sheppard. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 10 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 John Francome Novices' Chase, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the John Francome Novices' Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the John Francome Novices' Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Wendigo Worcester - 2nd of 5 (5/4) | Richard Davis Memorial Beginners Chase |
| 2024 - The Jukebox Man Aintree - 2nd of 8 (313/100) | Sefton Novices' Hurdle |
| 2023 - Hermes Allen Aintree - 3rd of 14 (3/1) | Mersey Novices' Hurdle |
| 2022 - Sebastopol Wincanton - PU of 5 (7/2) | Boodles Rising Stars Novices Chase |
| 2021 - Nassalam Ascot - 1st of 7 (3/1) | Ascot Underwriting Chase |
| 2020 - Caribean Boy Haydock - 1st of 6 (7/1) | 3 Uniboosts Per Day At Unibet Chase |
| 2019 - Champ Newbury - 1st of 6 (8/13) | KKA-Highpoint Beginners Chase |
| 2018 - La Bague Au Roi Newbury - 1st of 6 (15/8) | KKA-Highpoint Beginners Chase |
| 2017 - Willoughby Court Huntingdon - 1st of 5 (2/5) | Premier League Betting At 188Bet Novices Chase |
| 2016 - Clan Des Obeaux Chepstow - 4th of 6 (7/4) | totequadpot Novices Chase |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this John Francome Novices' Chase Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
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