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 you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2027 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Preview
Founded in 1860 and previously staged over 4 miles with 25 fences to be negotiated, the National Hunt Chase underwent a few tweaks for the 2020 renewal after changes were announced in August 2019 by the British Horse Racing Authority on the grounds of welfare standards. The race distance was reduced to just short of 3 miles and 6 furlongs moving forward, and the number of fences jumped decreased from 25 to 23.
Dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll won this in 2017, Native River was runner-up in 2016 before going on to Gold Cup glory in 2018, and he chased home Minella Rocco, who finished runner-up in the 2017 Gold Cup. So this extreme distance for fairly unexposed fledgling chasers is a race worth keeping in those trackers for possible future Grand National tips and Gold Cup pointers.
Gain an edge on the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup by examining our detailed insights into previous race trends and trainer statistics, then check out our list of free bets for Cheltenham.
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Information:
- National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Past Winners
- National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trainer Statistics
- National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup 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. 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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022, when the race had an over-round of 109%. The race in 2026 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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, the over-round has been 121%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £121 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup 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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Stattler (7:37.80) in 2022
- Holloway Queen (7:47.13) in 2026
- Haiti Couleurs (7:54.62) in 2025
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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +5.50. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2018 renewal when Rathvinden from W P Mullins under the guidance of Mr P W Mullins, won in a time of 8:50.30, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Stattler, trained by W P Mullins and ridden by Mr P W Mullins set the quickest time of 7:37.80 in the 2022 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Past Winners
Here are the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup 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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 7:47.13 | Holloway Queen (IRE) 6yo 11-4 12/1 | James Bowen Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2025 7:54.62 | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo 11-4 7/2F | Ben Jones Rebecca Curtis (GB) |
| 2024 8:25.80 | Corbetts Cross (IRE) 7yo 11-7 15/8 | Mr Derek O'Connor Emmet Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 7:59.62 | Gaillard Du Mesnil (FR) 7yo 11-7 10/11F | Mr P W Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2022 7:37.80 | Stattler (IRE) 7yo 11-6 2/1 | Mr P W Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2021 7:57.84 | Galvin (IRE) 7yo 11-6 7/2 | Jack Kennedy I R Ferguson (IRE) |
| 2020 8:25.16 | Ravenhill (IRE) 10yo 11-6 12/1 | Mr J J Codd Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2019 8:42.32 | Le Breuil (FR) 7yo 11-6 14/1 | Mr J J Codd Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2018 8:50.30 | Rathvinden (IRE) 10yo 11-6 9/2 | Mr P W Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 8:22.50 | Tiger Roll (IRE) 7yo 11-6 16/1 | Ms L O'Neill Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup have been based:
- IRE: 10 winners with an additional 17 placings from 98 runners
- GB: 9 winners with an additional 22 placings from 214 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
2026 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Replay
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup over the last 20 renewals, with both W P Mullins and Gordon Elliott, who have both won the race four times. W P Mullins winners have been with Back In Focus (2013), Rathvinden (2018), Stattler (2022) and Gaillard Du Mesnil (2023). Gordon Elliott winners have been with Chicago Grey (2011), Cause Of Causes (2015), Tiger Roll (2017) and Ravenhill (2020). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup are Jonjo O'Neill (2 wins), Alan King (2 wins) and Rebecca Curtis (2 wins). One trainer has not had the best of times in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup; David Pipe has sent a total of 13 runners to the race without recording a win.
Here are some of the top National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 23-4-8 | -9.34 | -10.70 |
| Gordon Elliott | 20-4-7 | +25.00 | +9.73 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 10-2-2 | +33.00 | +12.50 |
| Alan King | 10-2-3 | +9.00 | +1.80 |
| Rebecca Curtis | 9-2-2 | +1.50 | -2.31 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 10-1-1 | +2.00 | -3.50 |
| Nicky Henderson | 9-1-3 | +4.00 | +1.60 |
| Ben Pauling | 6-1-1 | +9.00 | +2.00 |
| Emmet Mullins | 2-1-1 | +0.88 | +0.18 |
| David Pipe | 13-0-2 | -13.00 | -12.00 |
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup over the last 20 renewals is Mr P W Mullins, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Back In Focus (2013), Rathvinden (2018), Stattler (2022) and Gaillard Du Mesnil (2023). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup is Mr Derek O'Connor (3 wins). Two jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup. Mr B O'Neill has ridden 13 runners in the race without recording any wins, whilst Mr William Biddick has ridden 12 without a winner.
Here are some of the top National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup 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 P W Mullins | 14-4-7 | -0.34 | -2.20 |
| Mr Derek O'Connor | 16-3-8 | +1.88 | -1.37 |
| Mr Joshua Newman | 6-1-1 | +3.00 | -0.20 |
| Ms L O'Neill | 4-1-1 | +13.00 | +5.00 |
| Jack Kennedy | 3-1-2 | +1.50 | +2.10 |
| Ben Jones | 2-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.19 |
| James Bowen | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.50 |
| Mr B O'Neill | 13-0-2 | -13.00 | -12.00 |
| Mr William Biddick | 12-0-4 | -12.00 | -6.70 |
| Mr D G Lavery | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -3.50 |
2027 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): F, 5, 4, 5, 1, 1, 1, 9, 10, 4, 5, UR, F, UR, 3, 2, 1, 2, (1, 5), PU
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 (63%) - Within the first 10 of the market
- 20 / 20 (73%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Held an OR of 127+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Held an OR of 127+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved an RPR of 131+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Beaten no more -19l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Not in a G2/LST/Cl5-6 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran over 2m4f - 3m2f (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl3 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran in 4 - 13 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved a TS of 22+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 125+ (Last 3)
- 19 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 50/1 (Career)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - No bigger than 12/1 (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - Placed within last 3 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup. 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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trend Analysis
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a furthest trip run of 3m, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-63.
The course which has produced the most winners of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Newbury and Cheltenham; 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 19 winners from a total of 300 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 15 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup; that stallion, Oscar, has produced 2 winners (2012,2009).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Presenting (0 Wins from 21 runners)
- Flemensfirth (0 Wins from 16 runners)
- Beneficial (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Shantou (0 Wins from 9 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Butlers Cabin in 2007, winning for Jonjo O'Neill at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Mr A J Berry. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Holloway Queen Newbury - 1st of 10 (11/2) | William Hill Cheltenham Non-Runner Money Back Novices Limited Handicap Chase |
| 2025 - Haiti Couleurs Newbury - 3rd of 12 (4/1) | William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle |
| 2024 - Corbetts Cross Fairyhouse - F of 4 (1/4) | Fairyhouse Easter Festival 30th March To 1st April Rated Chase |
| 2023 - Gaillard Du Mesnil Leopardstown - 3rd of 6 (7/2) | Ladbrokes Novice Chase |
| 2022 - Stattler Naas - 1st of 7 (11/10) | Naas Racecourse Business Club Novice Chase |
| 2021 - Galvin Cheltenham - 1st of 6 (2/1) | Matchbook Better Way To Bet Novices Chase |
| 2020 - Ravenhill Navan - F of 23 (9/1) | Troytown Handicap Chase |
| 2019 - Le Breuil Haydock - 4th of 5 (3/1) | Patrick Coyne Memorial Altcar Novices Chase |
| 2018 - Rathvinden Leopardstown - UR of 11 (12/1) | Ladbrokes Novice Chase |
| 2017 - Tiger Roll Wexford - 3rd of 7 (5/2) | Michael Hickey Memorial 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 | 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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup 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
