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 youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2027 Cross Country Chase Preview
The marmite race of the festival is the Cross Country Chase, which was introduced in 2005. The race is run over a trip slightly further than three miles and six furlongs with thirty-two various obstacles to be negotiated. In 2016, it became a conditions event as opposed to its initial handicap status from inception in 2005, but in 2025, the race was switched to a Limited Handicap.
This race isn't just about jumping; itâs about agility and knowing the way. The course is a maze of twists and turns. Horses must navigate the "Cheese Wedge," the "Taxodium," and the daunting "Live Bank". Dual Aintree Grand National winner Tiger Roll won this race in 2018 & 2019 before his Grand National double, and also returned to win it in 2021 and was runner-up in 2022 on his last visit to a racecourse before being retired.
This is very much a specialist race with old favourites running here on multiple occasions. A New Story ran in the race on six consecutive occasions, and other frequent runners included Garde Champetre, Sizing Australia and Any Currency. Spotthedifference won the inaugural cross country chase, then finished runner-up in 2006 and fourth in 2007. Upon his retirement, he had won on seven occasions over the cross-country fences at Cheltenham!
Master the Cross Country Chase with our expert analysis of past race data and trainer records, and enhance your betting strategy with our selection of Cheltenham free bets.
Cross Country Chase Information:
- Cross Country Chase Past Winners
- Cross Country Chase Trainer Statistics
- Cross Country 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? We cover every race at the Cheltenham Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Cross Country Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2017, when the race had an over-round of 120%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 137%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Cross Country Chase, the over-round has been 125%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ125 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Cross Country 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 Cross Country Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Cross Country Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Balthazar King (7:51.70) in 2012
- Final Orders (7:53.39) in 2026
- Sizing Australia (8:06.22) in 2011
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 Cross Country Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 5 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +16.25. Ahead of the 2027 Cross Country Chase, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Balthazar King, trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson, who set the fastest winning time in the Cross Country Chase. That runner won the race in a time of 7:51.70 in 2012. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer D Cottin and jockey Jonathan Plouganou with Easysland who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 9:09.60 in the 2020 renewal.
Cross Country Chase Past Winners
Here are the Cross Country Chase past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Cross Country Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The race was abandoned in 2024 due to the cross-country course being waterlogged.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 7:53.39 | Final Orders (GB) 10yo 10-6 7/1 | Conor Stone-Walsh (3lbs) Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
| 2025 8:25.54 | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo 11-10 5/2F | Keith Donoghue Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
| 2023 8:39.40 | Delta Work (FR) 10yo 11-7 11/10F | Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2022 9:08.68 | Delta Work (FR) 9yo 11-4 5/2F | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2021 8:42.65 | Tiger Roll (IRE) 11yo 11-4 9/2 | Keith Donoghue Mrs Denise Foster (IRE) |
| 2020 9:09.60 | Easysland (FR) 6yo 11-4 3/1 | Jonathan Plouganou D Cottin (FR) |
| 2019 8:27.28 | Tiger Roll (IRE) 9yo 11-4 5/4F | Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2018 8:51.60 | Tiger Roll (IRE) 8yo 11-4 7/1 | Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2017 8:12.30 | Cause Of Causes (USA) 9yo 11-4 4/1 | Mr J J Codd Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2016 8:11.00 | Josies Orders (IRE) 8yo 11-4 15/8F | Ms N Carberry E Bolger (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Cross Country Chase have been based:
- IRE: 17 winners with an additional 39 placings from 171 runners
- GB: 2 winners with an additional 8 placings from 118 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 3 placings from 22 runners
2026 Cross Country Chase Replay
Cross Country Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Cross Country Chase over the last 20 renewals is Gordon Elliott, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Cause Of Causes (2017), Tiger Roll (2018 & 2019) and Delta Work (2022 & 2023). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Cross Country Chase are E Bolger (4 wins), Philip Hobbs (2 wins) and Gavin Cromwell (2 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Cross Country Chase. W P Mullins has sent a total of 15 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst Paul Nicholls has sent out 12 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Cross Country 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Elliott | 30-5-14 | -9.15 | -6.33 |
| E Bolger | 47-4-15 | -31.12 | -21.20 |
| Philip Hobbs | 11-2-4 | +0.50 | +4.57 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 5-2-4 | +6.50 | +5.69 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 11-1-3 | -3.50 | -4.31 |
| Michael Hourigan | 7-1-5 | +19.00 | +19.88 |
| A J Martin | 5-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.00 |
| Peter Maher | 4-1-2 | +11.00 | +6.62 |
| P J Rothwell | 4-1-2 | +0.50 | +4.69 |
| D Cottin | 4-1-2 | +0.00 | -0.60 |
Cross Country Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Cross Country Chase over the last 20 renewals is Keith Donoghue, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Tiger Roll (2018, 2019 & 2021), Delta Work (2023) and Stumptown (2025).
Here are some of the top Cross Country 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Donoghue | 8-5-6 | +13.35 | +6.63 |
| Jonathan Plouganou | 4-1-1 | +0.00 | -1.20 |
| Jack Kennedy | 2-1-2 | +1.50 | +1.00 |
| Conor Stone-Walsh | 1-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.38 |
| Mr P W Mullins | 8-0-2 | -8.00 | -4.50 |
| Mark Walsh | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -5.25 |
| Darragh O'Keeffe | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -4.50 |
| Sean Flanagan | 4-0-2 | -4.00 | -1.25 |
| Felix De Giles | 4-0-3 | -4.00 | -1.55 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
2027 Cross Country Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (1, 6), 1, 6, 2, 5, 4, PU, 7, 3, RO, 1, 3, 3, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2
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 (61%) - Within the first 9 of the market
- 20 / 20 (65%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Not BB/CH/GR in colour
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Ran over 1m2f - 2m2f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - No more than +4yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved an RPR of 122+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - No bigger than 25/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran over 2m5f - 4m2½f (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Furthest Won 2m6f - 4m2½f
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved an RPR of 134+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran in 3 - 11 races (1 Year)
- 19 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Career Place)
- 19 / 20 (78%) - No more than 2 falls (Career)
- 19 / 20 (78%) - No bigger than 66/1 (Career)
- 17 / 20 (62%) - No older than a 10yo
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Cross Country 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 Cross Country Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Cross Country Chase Trend Analysis
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners wore p, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-55.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Cross Country Chase is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Navan; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Navan last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 304 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 7 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Cross Country Chase:
- Authorized (3 Wins)
- Be My Native (2 Wins)
- Garde Royale (2 Wins)
- Kings Theatre (2 Wins)
- Milan (2 Wins)
- Network (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Cross Country Chase despite multiple attempts:
- Saddlers Hall (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Winged Love (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Anshan (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Presenting (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Gold Well (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was A New Story in 2010, winning for Michael Hourigan at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of A P Heskin. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 7 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Cross Country Chase, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Cross Country Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Cross Country Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Final Orders Cheltenham - 5th of 16 (15/2) | Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase |
| 2025 - Stumptown Cheltenham - 1st of 15 (4/1) | Crystal Cup Cross Country Chase |
| 2023 - Delta Work Navan - 6th of 8 (9/1) | William Hill Boyne Hurdle |
| 2022 - Delta Work Leopardstown - 6th of 8 (12/1) | Irish Gold Cup |
| 2021 - Tiger Roll Navan - 6th of 6 (11/1) | Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle |
| 2020 - Easysland Pau - 1st of 12 (7/5) | Grand Cross De Pau Reverdy |
| 2019 - Tiger Roll Navan - 1st of 6 (25/1) | Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle |
| 2018 - Tiger Roll Cheltenham - 5th of 9 (7/1) | Crystal Cup Cross Country Chase |
| 2017 - Cause Of Causes Cheltenham - 5th of 10 (6/1) | Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase |
| 2016 - Josies Orders Navan - 9th of 12 (10/1) | Davis Civil Engineering Handicap Hurdle |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day, when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle. The feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Old Park Star (IRE) 6yo - 15/8 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Kargese (FR) 6yo - 7/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Saratoga (IRE) 4yo - 10/1 | Padraig Roche Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Johnnywho (IRE) 9yo - 18/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Richie McLernon |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 7yo - 7/5 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Madara (FR) 7yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Holloway Queen (IRE) 6yo - 12/1 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it, and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Turners Novices Hurdle | King Rasko Grey (FR) 6yo - 11/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Kitzbuhel (FR) 6yo - 11/1 | W P Mullins Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham BetMGM Cup | Jingko Blue (FR) 7yo - 9/2 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Final Orders (GB) 10yo - 7/1 | Gavin Cromwell Conor Stone-Walsh |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Il Etait Temps (FR) 8yo - 5/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Martator (FR) 9yo - 66/1 | Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | The Mourne Rambler (IRE) 5yo - 15/2 | Noel Meade Colin Keane |
Schedule for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival
Halfway through the festival and onto day three, where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | White Noise (IRE) 6yo - 40/1 | Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls Tom Bellamy |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Meetmebythesea (IRE) 6yo - 9/1 | Ben Pauling Ben Jones |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 6yo - 5/6 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Home By The Lee (IRE) 11yo - 33/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien J J Slevin |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Heart Wood (FR) 8yo - 9/2 | Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Supremely West (IRE) 8yo - 100/30 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Ask Brewster (IRE) 7yo - 22/1 | Mrs C Williams Mr S Cotter |
Schedule for Friday at the Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the festival and the feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Apolon De Charnie (FR) 4yo - 50/1 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Wilful (IRE) 7yo - 14/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 9yo - 11/8 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Johnnys Jury (IRE) 6yo - 20/1 | Jamie Snowden Gavin Sheehan |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 8yo - 11/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Barton Snow (IRE) 9yo - 9/2 | J J O'Shea Mr Henry Crow |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 7yo - 10/1 | Henry De Bromhead Patrick M O'Brien |
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 Cross Country 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
Other Principal Races at the Cheltenham Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Cheltenham racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January
Races in January (Festival Trials Day)
- Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase
- Classic Novices' Hurdle
- Cleeve Hurdle
- Cotswold Chase
- International Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial
- Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Races in April
Races in October (Showcase Meeting)
Races in November (November Meeting)
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
- Hyde Novices' Hurdle
- Shloer Chase
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
- JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
- Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Greatwood Hurdle
- November Meeting Handicap Chase
