You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Champion Hunters Chase Preview
One of the highlights of the season at Stratford, which is scheduled to take place in May of each year, is the Champion Hunters Chase.
It's a race which attracts some of the more recognised old boys. This class 2 race is open to runners aged five or older and is run over a trip of three miles and four furlongs.
Being a hunter chase, you will get runners entered who compete on the P2P scene; the trends below only include starts under rules.
Champion Hunters Chase Information:
- Champion Hunters Chase Past Winners
- Champion Hunters Chase Trainer Statistics
- Champion Hunters Chase Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Stratford tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners?
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Champion Hunters Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2021, when the race had an over-round of 114%. The race in 2010 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 132%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Champion Hunters Chase, the over-round has been 119%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £119 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Champion Hunters 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 Champion Hunters Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Champion Hunters Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Mossey Joe (6:38.30) in 2013
- Secret Investor (6:50.30) in 2023
- Paint The Clouds (6:50.60) in 2016
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 Champion Hunters Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -10.34. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Champion Hunters Chase, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 6:38.30 was set by Mossey Joe in 2013, trained by D McNamara and ridden by Mr Damien Skehan, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2006 when Knife Edge won in a time of 7:50.50 for trainer Jonjo O'Neill, who booked Mr A J Berry in the saddle.
Champion Hunters Chase Past Winners
Here are the Champion Hunters Chase past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Champion Hunters Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 7:10.32 | Gracchus De Balme (FR) 9yo 12-0 15/8F | Mr Huw Edwards J J O'Shea (GB) |
| 2024 7:01.17 | What A Glance (GB) 9yo 12-0 12/1 | Mr Murray Dodd Tom Britten (GB) |
| 2023 6:50.30 | Secret Investor (GB) 11yo 12-0 5/1 | Miss Natalie Parker Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2022 7:08.50 | Vaucelet (FR) 7yo 12-0 4/9F | Mr B O'Neill D M Christie (IRE) |
| 2021 7:06.60 | Law Of Gold (IRE) 8yo 12-0 5/1 | Mr Dale Peters David Kemp (GB) |
| 2019 7:02.20 | Wonderful Charm (FR) 11yo 12-0 7/2 | Mr Sam Waley-Cohen Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2018 7:15.90 | Chosen Dream (IRE) 10yo 12-0 66/1 | Mr M J O'Hare Graham John McKeever (IRE) |
| 2017 7:07.95 | Young Hurricane (IRE) 11yo 12-0 16/1 | Mr John Dawson G C Brewer (GB) |
| 2016 6:50.60 | Paint The Clouds (GB) 11yo 12-0 2/1 | Mr B O'Neill Warren Greatrex (GB) |
| 2015 7:08.20 | Moroman (IRE) 8yo 12-0 16/1 | Miss Gina Andrews David Kemp (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Champion Hunters Chase have been based:
- GB: 15 winners with an additional 34 placings from 198 runners
- IRE: 5 winners with an additional 4 placings from 22 runners
Champion Hunters Chase Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Champion Hunters Chase over the last 20 renewals, with Paul Nicholls, David Kemp, and Warren Greatrex having all won the race twice. Paul Nicholls winners have been with Wonderful Charm (2019) and Secret Investor (2023). David Kemp's winners have been with Moroman (2015) and Law of Gold (2021). Warren Greatrex winners have been with Paint The Clouds (2014 & 2016).
Here are some of the top Champion Hunters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 11-2-6 | -0.50 | -0.95 |
| David Kemp | 9-2-5 | +14.00 | +10.19 |
| Warren Greatrex | 3-2-3 | +2.50 | +1.73 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 5-1-1 | +3.00 | +0.20 |
| D M Christie | 4-1-2 | -2.56 | -2.15 |
| Jeremy Scott | 3-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.80 |
| Grant Cann | 3-1-1 | +2.00 | +0.40 |
| G C Brewer | 2-1-1 | +15.00 | +8.60 |
| Rodger Sweeney | 2-1-2 | +0.50 | +0.52 |
| Tom Britten | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.20 |
Champion Hunters Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Champion Hunters Chase over the last 20 renewals is Mr B O'Neill, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Paint The Clouds (2016) and Vaucelet (2022).
Here are some of the top Champion Hunters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr B O'Neill | 3-2-3 | +1.44 | +1.10 |
| Mr Dale Peters | 6-1-3 | +0.00 | -0.11 |
| Miss Gina Andrews | 5-1-3 | +12.00 | +7.62 |
| Mr Derek O'Connor | 5-1-2 | -0.50 | -1.15 |
| Mr John Dawson | 3-1-1 | +14.00 | +7.60 |
| Mr M J O'Hare | 2-1-1 | +65.00 | +38.60 |
| Mr Huw Edwards | 2-1-1 | +0.88 | +0.13 |
| Mr Murray Dodd | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.20 |
| Miss Natalie Parker | 1-1-1 | +5.00 | +3.00 |
| Mr Damien Skehan | 1-1-1 | +4.00 | +2.40 |
2026 Champion Hunters Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 4, 8, 5, 2, 1, 9, 1, 3, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion 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 (86%) - Furthest Won 2m5f - 3m6f
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Won within last 6 starts
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Beaten no more -21l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not in AUS/DEU/NZL/SCO/WAL (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Placed is not LST/Cl5-6
- 19 / 20 (59%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 19 / 20 (84%) - No more than 2 falls (Career)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - Won by at least 1l (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 50/1 (Debut)
- 18 / 20 (49%) - Within the first 5 of the market
- 18 / 20 (82%) - Placed within last 2 starts
- 17 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 14/1 (Career Win)
- 17 / 20 (84%) - No older than a 11yo
- 17 / 20 (85%) - Achieved a TS of 83+ (Going)
- 16 / 20 (65%) - Achieved an RPR of 128+ (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Stratford racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Champion Hunters 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 £6,000 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 Champion Hunters Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
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Champion Hunters Chase Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +54.50, is when runners ran in England on debut.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 place in the past year, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-49.
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Champion Hunters Chase are Cheltenham and Punchestown; there have been a total of 4 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 213 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 7 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Champion Hunters Chase:
- Muhtarram (2 Wins)
- Roselier (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Champion Hunters Chase; that stallion is Presenting, who has failed to produce a winner from 8 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Chosen Dream in 2018, winning for Graham John McKeever at odds of 66/1 under the guidance of Mr M J O'Hare. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 6 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters. If you are interested in other races at the Stratford racecourse, then why not read our blog for the Champion Novices Hunters Chase?
Route to the Champion Hunters Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Champion Hunters Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Gracchus De Balme Cheltenham - 2nd of 5 (9/4) | Jonathan Neesom Memorial Open Hunters Chase |
| 2024 - What A Glance Cheltenham - 1st of 9 (11/1) | Junior Jumpers Open Hunters Chase |
| 2023 - Secret Investor Ludlow - 1st of 6 (8/13) | Magnus-Allcroft Memorial Open Hunters Chase |
| 2022 - Vaucelet Punchestown - 2nd of 5 (1/1) | Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Chase |
| 2021 - Law Of Gold Fontwell - 1st of 5 (9/4) | Peter Mendoza Memorial "Placepot Pete" Open Hunters Chase |
| 2019 - Wonderful Charm Aintree - PU of 27 (16/1) | Foxhunters Chase |
| 2018 - Chosen Dream Down Royal - 3rd of 7 (5/1) | Peggy Hagan Memorial Hunters Chase |
| 2017 - Young Hurricane Kelso - 1st of 10 (11/4) | Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Challenge Cup Open Hunters Chase |
| 2016 - Paint The Clouds Punchestown - 5th of 10 (9/2) | Racing Post Champion Hunters Chase |
| 2015 - Moroman Cheltenham - 2nd of 10 (11/4) | Bonhams Mens Open Point-To-Point Championship Final Hunters 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 Champion Hunters Chase Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
