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2026 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Preview
Scheduled to take place in December of each year at the Cheltenham racecourse during The two-day Christmas Meeting is this Handicap Chase, which holds Grade 3 status and is now a Premier Handicap under the new BHA format.
Contested over three miles and two furlongs, the race is run on the new course, and the runners will face a total of twenty-two fences in what can be a gruelling race.
Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Information:
- Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Past Winners
- Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Trainer Statistics
- Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Jockey Statistics
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Cheltenham tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Cheltenham Racecourse section for links to these.
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How competitive is the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2011 when the race had an over-round of 110%. The race in 2010 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 128%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase, the over-round has been 116%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ116 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap 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 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Midnight Chase (6:28.30) in 2010
- Shakalakaboomboom (6:29.18) in 2011
- Over The Creek (6:32.22) in 2007
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 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 0 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -19.00. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Midnight Chase, trained by Neil Mulholland and ridden by Dougie Costello, who set the fastest winning time in the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase. That runner won the race in a time of 6:28.30 in 2010. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer David Pipe and jockey Tom Scudamore with Master Overseer who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 7:10.08 in the 2012 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Past Winners
Here are the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap 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 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 6:48.37 | Blaze The Way (IRE) 7yo 10-4 15/2 | Danny Mullins Ms Margaret Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 6:48.93 | King Turgeon (FR) 6yo 10-4 9/4 | Jack Tudor David Pipe (GB) |
| 2023 6:49.09 | Broadway Boy (IRE) 5yo 10-9 11/8F | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2022 6:49.52 | Evas Oskar (IRE) 8yo 11-12 8/1 | Alan Johns Tim Vaughan (GB) |
| 2021 6:44.60 | Commodore (FR) 9yo 10-0 7/1 | Charlie Deutsch Venetia Williams (GB) |
| 2020 7:08.30 | Storm Control (IRE) 7yo 10-3 5/1 | Richard Patrick Kerry Lee (GB) |
| 2019 6:56.62 | Cogry (GB) 10yo 11-1 5/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2018 6:35.80 | Cogry (GB) 9yo 10-12 9/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2017 7:05.00 | Robinsfirth (IRE) 8yo 11-6 7/4 | Robbie Power Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2016 6:40.80 | Theatre Guide (IRE) 9yo 11-4 15/2 | Paddy Brennan Colin Tizzard (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 36 placings from 183 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 2 placings from 13 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase over the last 20 renewals is David Pipe, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Over The Creek (2007), The Package (2009), Master Overseer (2012) and King Turgeon (2024). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase are Nigel Twiston-Davies (3 wins) and Venetia Williams (3 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase. Paul Nicholls has sent a total of 20 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst Philip Hobbs has sent out 15 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Pipe | 15-4-4 | +14.25 | +4.45 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 19-3-5 | -0.62 | -4.22 |
| Venetia Williams | 13-3-5 | +14.50 | +6.64 |
| Nicky Henderson | 7-1-1 | -1.50 | -3.19 |
| Alan King | 4-1-1 | +7.00 | +3.25 |
| Neil Mulholland | 4-1-1 | -0.25 | -1.28 |
| Martin Keighley | 2-1-2 | +15.00 | +9.60 |
| Tim Vaughan | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +3.80 |
| Michael Scudamore | 2-1-2 | +5.00 | +4.30 |
| Ms Margaret Mullins | 1-1-1 | +7.50 | +4.50 |
Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase over the last 20 renewals is Sam Twiston-Davies, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Cogry (2018 & 2019) and Broadway Boy (2023). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase is Charlie Deutsch (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 13-3-7 | +5.38 | +3.98 |
| Charlie Deutsch | 6-2-3 | +15.00 | +8.40 |
| Richard Patrick | 3-1-2 | +3.00 | +2.83 |
| Dougie Costello | 3-1-1 | +0.75 | -0.28 |
| Conor Shoemark | 2-1-2 | +15.00 | +11.35 |
| Danny Mullins | 2-1-2 | +6.50 | +4.50 |
| Jack Tudor | 2-1-1 | +1.25 | +0.35 |
| Alan Johns | 1-1-1 | +8.00 | +4.80 |
| Harry Cobden | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -4.75 |
| Harry Skelton | 4-0-2 | -4.00 | -0.85 |
2026 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (2, 3), 1, 4, 2, 1, 3, 5, 2, 2, UR, (4, F), 4, 4, 5, 3, PU, 4, 1, 3, (3, 4)
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 (72%) - Beaten no more -17l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Highest Placed is not G1/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 20 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Furthest Placed 3m½f - 4m1½f
- 20 / 20 (82%) - In a field of 6 - 24 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Fewer than 9 races (Higher Class)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved an RPR of 132+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 112+ (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 106+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 22/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Fewer than 2 wins (Higher Class)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 1 - 13 races (Going)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Had 5 - 16 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Won is not G1/Cl4-5
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap 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 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
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Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +26.75, is when runners had 1 season place.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a highest class placed of Class 1 (G1), when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-45.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Wincanton and Haydock; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 195 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 6 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase; that stallion, Kings Theatre, has produced 3 winners (2019,2018,2016).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase despite multiple attempts:
- Accordion (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Milan (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Leading Counsel (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Presenting (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Benbane Head in 2014, winning for Martin Keighley at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Conor Shoemark. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 3 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase.
Route to the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Blaze The Way Punchestown - 4th of 6 (6/1) | BetVictor Novice Chase |
| 2024 - King Turgeon Aintree - 1st of 13 (9/2) | Grand Sefton |
| 2023 - Broadway Boy Cheltenham - 1st of 6 (9/4) | From The Horses Mouth Podcast Novices Chase |
| 2022 - Evas Oskar Cheltenham - 2nd of 11 (8/1) | November Meeting Handicap Chase |
| 2021 - Commodore Wincanton - PU of 14 (23/1) | Dick Hunt Handicap Chase |
| 2020 - Storm Control Cheltenham - 1st of 11 (5/1) | South West Syndicate Handicap Chase |
| 2019 - Cogry Cheltenham - 3rd of 15 (6/1) | Showcase Trophy |
| 2018 - Cogry Cheltenham - 6th of 15 (13/2) | November Meeting Handicap Chase |
| 2017 - Robinsfirth Haydock - 2nd of 8 (10/3) | Best Odds Guaranteed With Betfair Handicap Chase |
| 2016 - Theatre Guide Newbury - 8th of 19 (14/1) | Coral Gold Cup |
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 Cheltenham Christmas Meeting Handicap 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
Expert Guide
