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.
2026 Festival Hunters Chase Preview
First run in 1904, the Festival Hunters Chase is run over the Gold Cup distance of three miles and two and a half furlongs, restricted to amateur riders only, the 'Amateurs Gold Cup' here at Cheltenham. The race is open to runners who have either twice won a Point to Point (PTP) race or those who have finished in the first two of a Hunter Chase at least twice.
Because itâs for amateurs, the race is often filled with incredible human stories, from farmers riding their own horses to Olympic cyclists like Victoria Pendleton, who famously finished fifth in 2016. Many of the older runners will have contested handicap chases under national hunt rules in their early days. Who are our racing tipsters tipping to win the 'Amateurs Gold Cup'?
Gain an edge on the Festival Hunters Chase by examining our detailed insights into previous race trends and trainer statistics, then check out our list of free bets for Cheltenham.
Festival Hunters Chase Information:
- Festival Hunters Chase Past Winners
- Festival Hunters Chase Trainer Statistics
- Festival 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 Cheltenham tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? 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 Festival Hunters Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2024, when the race had an over-round of 120%. The race in 2007 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 136%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Festival Hunters Chase, the over-round has been 130%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ130 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Festival 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 Festival Hunters Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Festival Hunters Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Zemsky (6:37.20) in 2011
- Whyso Mayo (6:42.70) in 2006
- Pacha Du Polder (6:42.80) in 2017
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 Festival Hunters Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 8 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +3.87. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Festival Hunters Chase, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Zemsky, trained by I R Ferguson and ridden by Mr Derek O'Connor, who set the fastest winning time in the Festival Hunters Chase. That runner won the race in a time of 6:37.20 in 2011. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Fiona Needham and jockey Mr John Dawson with Sine Nomine who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 7:17.70 in the 2024 renewal.
| Hunters Chase NRNB 13 Mar @ 16:40 - AntePost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wonderwall | 5.50 | |
| Its On The Line | 6.00 | |
| Cons Roc | 7.00 | |
| The Goffer | 8.00 | |
| Panda Boy | 8.00 | |
Festival Hunters Chase Past Winners
Here are the Festival Hunters 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 Festival Hunters Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 6:51.04 | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo 12-0 28/1 | Mr R James S Curling (IRE) |
| 2024 7:17.70 | Sine Nomine (GB) 8yo 11-7 8/1 | Mr John Dawson Fiona Needham (GB) |
| 2023 7:00.24 | Premier Magic (IRE) 10yo 12-0 66/1 | Mr Bradley Gibbs Bradley Gibbs (GB) |
| 2022 6:55.31 | Billaway (IRE) 10yo 12-0 13/8F | Mr P W Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2021 6:55.68 | Porlock Bay (FR) 10yo 12-0 16/1 | Lorcan Williams Will Biddick (GB) |
| 2020 6:55.51 | It Came To Pass (IRE) 10yo 12-0 66/1 | Miss M O'Sullivan Eugene M O'Sullivan (IRE) |
| 2019 6:50.75 | Hazel Hill (IRE) 11yo 12-0 7/2F | Mr Alex Edwards Philip Rowley (GB) |
| 2018 7:17.30 | Pacha Du Polder (FR) 11yo 12-0 25/1 | Miss Harriet Tucker Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2017 6:42.80 | Pacha Du Polder (FR) 10yo 12-0 16/1 | Bryony Frost Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2016 6:53.70 | On The Fringe (IRE) 11yo 12-0 13/8F | Ms N Carberry E Bolger (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Festival Hunters Chase have been based:
- GB: 10 winners with an additional 21 placings from 325 runners
- IRE: 10 winners with an additional 20 placings from 123 runners
2025 Festival Hunters Chase Replay
Festival Hunters Chase Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Festival Hunters Chase over the last 20 renewals, with Paul Nicholls, E Bolger, and Rodger Sweeney having all won the race two times. Paul Nicholls winners have been with Pacha Du Polder (2017 & 2018). E Bolger winners have been with On The Fringe (2015 & 2016). Rodger Sweeney winners have been with Salsify (2012 & 2013). One trainer has not had the best of times in the Festival Hunters Chase; Alan Hill has sent a total of 10 runners to the race without recording a win.
Here are some of the top Festival 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 | 22-2-3 | +21.00 | +1.00 |
| E Bolger | 10-2-4 | -0.37 | -3.18 |
| Rodger Sweeney | 4-2-2 | +7.00 | +2.50 |
| Eugene M O'Sullivan | 8-1-2 | +59.00 | +26.50 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 7-1-1 | +14.00 | +4.00 |
| W P Mullins | 7-1-3 | -4.37 | -4.18 |
| Philip Rowley | 6-1-3 | -1.50 | -2.25 |
| Mrs C A Coward | 5-1-1 | +29.00 | +12.50 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 4-1-2 | +1.50 | -0.25 |
| Bradley Gibbs | 3-1-1 | +64.00 | +31.00 |
Festival Hunters Chase Jockey Statistics
Two jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Festival Hunters Chase. Mr B O'Neill has ridden 11 runners in the race without recording any wins, whilst Mr William Biddick has ridden 10 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Festival 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 Derek O'Connor | 12-1-4 | +22.00 | +7.14 |
| Mr P W Mullins | 6-1-2 | -3.37 | -3.68 |
| Mr Alex Edwards | 5-1-3 | -0.50 | -1.25 |
| Miss M O'Sullivan | 4-1-1 | +63.00 | +30.00 |
| Mr Bradley Gibbs | 4-1-1 | +63.00 | +30.00 |
| Mr John Dawson | 4-1-1 | +5.00 | +1.80 |
| Bryony Frost | 3-1-1 | +14.00 | +6.00 |
| Mr R James | 2-1-1 | +27.00 | +13.00 |
| Miss Harriet Tucker | 2-1-1 | +24.00 | +11.50 |
| Lorcan Williams | 2-1-1 | +15.00 | +7.00 |
2026 Festival Hunters Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): PU, 2, PU, 12, (1, BD), (4, UR), 2, 1, 5, 3, 1, 4, 8, 1, 2, 2, 1, 7, 2, 9
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 (81%) - No bigger than 66/1
- 20 / 20 (81%) - No older than a 11yo
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Fewer than 33 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No more than 2 falls (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 1 race (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not BB/BL/BR/RG in colour
- 19 / 20 (74%) - Furthest ran 3m½f - 4m
- 19 / 20 (76%) - No more than +4yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 19 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Career Place)
- 19 / 20 (81%) - Not in a Handicap (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (82%) - Off a break of 20 - 364 days
- 19 / 20 (85%) - Highest Run is not Cl3-4/Cl6
- 19 / 20 (85%) - Beaten no more -25l (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - No bigger than 18/1 (Career Win)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - Carried 152 - 174lbs (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Festival 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 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 Festival Hunters Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Festival Hunters Chase Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +59.76, is when runners were trained in Ireland.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 2 career places with the jockey, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-84.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Festival Hunters Chase is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 436 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 12 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Festival Hunters Chase:
- Beneficial (2 Wins)
- Exit To Nowhere (2 Wins)
- Muhtathir (2 Wins)
- Presenting (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Festival Hunters Chase despite multiple attempts:
- Oscar (0 Wins from 12 runners)
- Flemensfirth (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Shantou (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Turgeon (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Premier Magic in 2023, winning for Bradley Gibbs at odds of 66/1 under the guidance of Mr Bradley Gibbs. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 Festival Hunters Chase, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Festival Hunters Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Festival Hunters Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Wonderwall Cartmel - 2nd of 12 (3/1) | William Hill Cumbria Crystal Cup Handicap Hurdle |
| 2024 - Sine Nomine Wetherby - 1st of 6 (6/1) | Join The Vickers Customer Racing Club Open Hunters Chase |
| 2023 - Premier Magic Cheltenham - PU of 19 (25/1) | Festival Hunters Chase |
| 2022 - Billaway Naas - 1st of 6 (2/5) | Congratulations To Naas GAA On An Incredible Year Hunters Chase |
| 2021 - Porlock Bay Wincanton - 2nd of 16 (11/4) | Stewart Tory Memorial Open Hunters Chase |
| 2020 - It Came To Pass Down Royal - 7th of 16 (9/1) | Bluegrass Hunters Chase |
| 2019 - Hazel Hill Warwick - 1st of 12 (5/1) | Overbury Stud Willoughby De Broke Open Hunters Chase |
| 2018 - Pacha Du Polder Doncaster - 3rd of 5 (6/4) | 1st Security Solutions Open Hunters Chase |
| 2017 - Pacha Du Polder Bangor - 1st of 5 (9/4) | John Hewitt Memorial Open Hunters Chase |
| 2016 - On The Fringe Leopardstown - 7th of 11 (1/1) | Leopardstown Inn Hunters Chase |
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 | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo - 7/2 | Rebecca Curtis Ben Jones |
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 | The New Lion (GB) 6yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Lecky Watson (IRE) 7yo - 20/1 | W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Coral Cup | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo - 5/2 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 5/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Jazzy Matty (FR) 6yo - 15/2 | Cian Collins Danny Gilligan |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 4/1 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
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 | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 7/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Daily Present (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Paul Nolan Mr B T Stone |
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 | Poniros (GB) 4yo - 100/1 | W P Mullins Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Kargese (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo - 15/2 | Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo - 28/1 | S Curling Mr R James |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
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 Festival 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
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 (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 January
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
