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2026 Kauto Star Novices' Chase Preview
A Grade 1 race for novice chasers, the Kauto Star Novices' Chase is named after the five-time King George winner Kauto Star, a race which is run on the same day as this race, which is scheduled to take place on Boxing Day of each year at the Kempton racecourse.
The race is open to runners aged four or older and is run over a trip of three miles, where the runners will face a total of eighteen fences, giving these novices a proper test. In 2015, Lizzie Kelly rode Tea For Two to succeed in this race, thus making her the first female jockey to win a G1 race in Britain.
Kauto Star Novices' Chase Information:
- Kauto Star Novices' Chase Past Winners
- Kauto Star Novices' Chase Trainer Statistics
- Kauto Star Novices' Chase Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Kempton 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 Other Principal Races at Kempton Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Kauto Star Novices' 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 106%. The race in 2016 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 119%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase, the over-round has been 113%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Kauto Star Novices' 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 Kauto Star Novices' Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Kauto Star Novices' Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Il Est Francais (5:51.30) in 2023
- Kitzbuhel (5:51.64) in 2025
- Royal Vacation (5:54.20) 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 Kauto Star Novices' Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 7 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +5.73. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Kauto Star Novices' Chase.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2007 renewal when Joe Lively from Colin Tizzard under the guidance of Joe Tizzard, won in a time of 6:27.80, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Il Est Francais, trained by Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm and ridden by James Reveley set the quickest time of 5:51.30 in the 2023 renewal.
Kauto Star Novices' Chase Past Winners
Here are the Kauto Star Novices' 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 Kauto Star Novices' Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:51.64 | Kitzbuhel (FR) 5yo 11-7 13/8F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 6:03.90 | The Jukebox Man (IRE) 6yo 11-7 4/6F | Ben Jones Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2023 5:51.30 | Il Est Francais (FR) 5yo 11-7 13/8 | James Reveley Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm (FR) |
| 2022 6:07.00 | Thyme Hill (GB) 8yo 11-7 11/2 | Tom O'Brien Philip Hobbs (GB) |
| 2021 6:19.22 | Bravemansgame (FR) 6yo 11-7 6/5 | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2020 5:58.85 | Shan Blue (IRE) 6yo 11-7 7/4F | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2019 6:17.15 | Slate House (IRE) 7yo 11-7 3/1 | Robbie Power Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2018 6:01.50 | La Bague Au Roi (FR) 7yo 11-0 8/1 | Richard Johnson Warren Greatrex (GB) |
| 2017 6:09.40 | Black Corton (FR) 6yo 11-7 4/1 | Bryony Frost Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2016 5:54.20 | Royal Vacation (IRE) 6yo 11-7 33/1 | Paddy Brennan Colin Tizzard (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase have been based:
- GB: 18 winners with an additional 20 placings from 121 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
2025 Kauto Star Novices' Chase Replay
Kauto Star Novices' Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase over the last 20 renewals is Paul Nicholls, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Breedsbreeze (2008), Black Corton (2017) and Bravemansgame (2021). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase is David Pipe (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Kauto Star Novices' 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 | 23-3-7 | -12.92 | -12.88 |
| David Pipe | 2-2-2 | +1.82 | +1.14 |
| Nicky Henderson | 11-1-3 | -8.62 | -5.95 |
| Philip Hobbs | 7-1-4 | -0.50 | +1.32 |
| Dan Skelton | 7-1-2 | -4.25 | -3.41 |
| Martin Keighley | 2-1-1 | +11.00 | +6.50 |
| Nick Williams | 2-1-1 | +1.25 | +0.41 |
| W P Mullins | 2-1-1 | +0.63 | +0.02 |
| Warren Greatrex | 1-1-1 | +8.00 | +5.00 |
| Mark Bradstock | 1-1-1 | +3.33 | +2.08 |
Kauto Star Novices' Chase Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top Kauto Star Novices' 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 | 8-1-4 | -5.80 | -4.48 |
| Harry Skelton | 5-1-2 | -2.25 | -1.41 |
| Nico de Boinville | 3-1-2 | +1.33 | +1.27 |
| Bryony Frost | 2-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.50 |
| James Reveley | 2-1-2 | +0.63 | +1.08 |
| Ben Jones | 2-1-2 | -0.33 | +1.42 |
| Paul Townend | 1-1-1 | +1.63 | +1.02 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-0-0 | -7.00 | -7.00 |
| Brendan Powell | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
2026 Kauto Star Novices' Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, (5, PU), 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4, F, 3, PU, F, 3, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1
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 (75%) - Break of 12 - 57 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 140+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Ran in 7 - 20 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Beaten no more -6¾l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Had 5 - 17 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Break of 12 - 57 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Had 1 - 4 wins (90 Days)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Furthest ran 2m5½f - 3m1½f
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Had 1 - 6 wins (Season)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 3 - 12 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not in IRL/ITA/NZL (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 137 - 159lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Won within last 3 starts
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Highest Run is not G3/LST/Cl3
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not in SCO/WAL (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Kempton racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Kauto Star Novices' 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 Kauto Star Novices' Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
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Kauto Star Novices' Chase Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +51.28, is when runners had 2 season places.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 2 career places on the going, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-31.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase is Newbury; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Newbury last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 120 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 6 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase; that stallion, Kayf Tara, has produced 2 winners (2022,2015).
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Royal Vacation in 2016, winning for Colin Tizzard at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Paddy Brennan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 8 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Kauto Star Novices' Chase, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Kauto Star Novices' Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Kauto Star Novices' Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Kitzbuhel Punchestown - 1st of 12 (8/15) | Conway Piling Beginners Chase |
| 2024 - The Jukebox Man Newbury - 1st of 6 (9/4) | John Francome Novices' Chase |
| 2023 - Il Est Francais Auteuil - 1st of 6 (1/5) | Prix Fondeur |
| 2022 - Thyme Hill Newbury - 2nd of 3 (4/7) | Coral John Francome Novices Chase |
| 2021 - Bravemansgame Haydock - 1st of 4 (8/13) | Double Daily Rewards With Betfair Graduation Chase |
| 2020 - Shan Blue Wetherby - 1st of 4 (10/11) | bet365 Novices Chase |
| 2019 - Slate House Huntingdon - 1st of 6 (4/5) | Fitzdares Crosseys Jockey Coaching Novices Chase |
| 2018 - La Bague Au Roi Newbury - 1st of 4 (5/4) | John Francome Novices' Chase |
| 2017 - Black Corton Newbury - 2nd of 5 (9/4) | Ladbrokes John Francome Novices Chase |
| 2016 - Royal Vacation Ascot - 3rd of 4 (8/1) | Mitie Noel Novices 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 Kauto Star Novices' 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
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Andy Powell
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