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2027 Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Preview
Scheduled to take place in January of each year at the Cheltenham Racecourse during Festival Trials Day is this Novices Handicap Chase, a Class Two that is open to runners who are aged five or older and is contested over a distance of two miles, four and a half furlongs.
Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Information:
- Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Past Winners
- Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Trainer Statistics
- Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Cheltenham tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Schedule for the Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham section for links to these.
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How competitive is the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2005 when the race had an over-round of 108%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 121%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Timeform Novices 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 2027 Timeform Novices 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 Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Timeform Novices Handicap Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Stage Star (5:15.10) in 2023
- Imperial Alcazar (5:16.55) in 2022
- Kildisart (5:17.30) in 2019
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 Timeform Novices Handicap Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 6 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +10.33. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 5:15.10 was set by Stage Star in 2023, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Harry Cobden, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2009 when Ping Pong Sivola won in a time of 5:46.34 for trainer Venetia Williams, who booked Aidan Coleman in the saddle.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Past Winners
Here are the Timeform Novices 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 Timeform Novices Handicap Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 5:22.09 | Jordans Cross (IRE) 6yo 11-11 7/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies Anthony Honeyball (GB) |
| 2025 5:27.75 | Jagwar (FR) 6yo 11-3 4/1 | Jonjo O'Neill Jr Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero (GB) |
| 2024 5:20.34 | Ginnys Destiny (IRE) 8yo 12-0 4/1F | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2023 5:15.10 | Stage Star (IRE) 7yo 12-0 11/4F | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2022 5:16.55 | Imperial Alcazar (IRE) 8yo 11-12 9/1 | Paddy Brennan Fergal O'Brien (GB) |
| 2020 5:35.20 | Simply The Betts (IRE) 7yo 11-5 11/2 | Gavin Sheehan Harry Whittington (GB) |
| 2019 5:17.30 | Kildisart (IRE) 7yo 11-7 9/2 | Daryl Jacob Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2018 5:28.60 | Mister Whitaker (IRE) 6yo 10-8 6/1 | A P Heskin Mick Channon (GB) |
| 2017 5:28.30 | Royal Vacation (IRE) 7yo 11-9 12/1 | Paddy Brennan Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2016 5:39.10 | Kings Odyssey (IRE) 7yo 10-13 8/1 | Leighton Aspell Evan Williams (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 37 placings from 198 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 4 runners
Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase over the last 20 renewals is Paul Nicholls, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Arturio (2008), Stage Star (2023) and Ginnys Destiny (2024). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase is Venetia Williams (2 wins). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase; Nigel Twiston-Davies has sent a total of 13 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Timeform Novices 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 14-3-6 | +0.75 | +0.40 |
| Venetia Williams | 15-2-8 | -7.00 | +0.27 |
| Philip Hobbs | 6-1-1 | -1.00 | -2.50 |
| Alan King | 5-1-2 | +2.50 | +1.31 |
| Ben Pauling | 5-1-1 | +0.50 | -1.30 |
| Donald McCain | 4-1-2 | +11.00 | +7.40 |
| Fergal O'Brien | 4-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.40 |
| Anthony Honeyball | 4-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.20 |
| Gary Moore | 2-1-2 | +24.00 | +15.83 |
| Evan Williams | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.00 |
Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase over the last 20 renewals is Harry Cobden, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Stage Star (2023) and Ginnys Destiny (2024).
Here are some of the top Timeform Novices 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Cobden | 5-2-3 | +3.75 | +2.65 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 8-1-1 | +0.00 | -2.80 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 6-1-3 | +0.50 | +1.39 |
| Jonjo O'Neill Jr | 2-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.50 |
| Richie McLernon | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Nick Scholfield | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Charlie Deutsch | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Harry Skelton | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | -0.60 |
| Jonathan Burke | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.80 |
| Sean Bowen | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
2027 Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 3, 5, 1, 5, 7, F, 6, PU, 7, 4, (6, BD), (3, PU), 3, 2, (5, PU), 1, 1, 2, 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 (82%) - No more than +2yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not on HY/GF (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Beaten no more -16l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in a G2-3/LST/Cl5 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Had 4 - 13 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not in a G2-3/LST/Cl3 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Break of 14 - 108 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not in AUS/IRL/SCO (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran over 1m - 2m2f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not BB/BL/BR in colour
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Fewer than 6 placings (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Within the first 10 of the market
- 19 / 20 (77%) - Won within last 4 starts
- 19 / 20 (84%) - Placed within last 2 starts
- 19 / 20 (87%) - No more than 1 fall (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Timeform Novices 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 Timeform Novices Handicap Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
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Timeform Novices Handicap Chase Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +56.50, is when runners finished in 2nd on debut.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 career place with the jockey, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-35.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase is Kempton; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Kempton last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 3 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 198 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 9 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase; that stallion, Kings Theatre, has produced 2 winners (2017,2016).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase despite multiple attempts:
- Presenting (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Milan (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Flemensfirth (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Vino Griego in 2013, winning for Gary Moore at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Jamie Moore. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 3 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2027 Timeform Novices Handicap Chase, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Jordans Cross Doncaster - 1st of 5 (11/4) | bet365 Novices Limited Handicap Chase |
| 2025 - Jagwar Uttoxeter - 3rd of 5 (11/8) | 2025 Uttoxeter Annual Membership Now Available Novices Limited Handicap Chase |
| 2024 - Ginnys Destiny Cheltenham - 1st of 6 (5/2) | Cheltenham & South-West Racing Club Novices Chase |
| 2023 - Stage Star Plumpton - 1st of 2 (1/9) | Phone Betting At Goodwin Racing 08000 421 321 Novices Chase |
| 2022 - Imperial Alcazar Chepstow - 2nd of 7 (3/1) | Coral "Fail To Finish" Free Bets Novices Limited Handicap Chase |
| 2020 - Simply The Betts Kempton - 2nd of 11 (5/1) | Ladbrokes "Where The Nation Plays" Chase |
| 2019 - Kildisart Ascot - 1st of 5 (5/4) | Sebastians Action Trust Graduation Chase |
| 2018 - Mister Whitaker Kempton - 2nd of 8 (5/1) | 32Red.com Chase |
| 2017 - Royal Vacation Kempton - 1st of 10 (33/1) | Kauto Star Novices' Chase |
| 2016 - Kings Odyssey Wincanton - 1st of 4 (10/3) | Armishaws Removals Harry Dufosee Novices Chase |
Schedule for the Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham
Here is the schedule for the Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham, each race will be linked to the race blog and detail last year's winner in the table below.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase | Donnacha (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Nigel Hawke James Davies |
| Classic Novices Hurdle | Kripticjim (FR) 6yo - 14/1 | Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell |
| Cleeve Hurdle | Ma Shantou (IRE) 7yo - 5/2 | Emma Lavelle Ben Jones |
| Cotswold Chase | Spillanes Tower (IRE) 8yo - 11/4 | James Joseph Mangan Jack Kennedy |
| International Hurdle | The New Lion (GB) 7yo - 9/4 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial | Maestro Conti (FR) 4yo - 5/2 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| Timeform Novices Handicap Chase | Jordans Cross (IRE) 6yo - 7/1 | Anthony Honeyball Sam Twiston-Davies |
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 Timeform Novices Handicap 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
