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.
2026 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
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 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 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 131%, 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 2026 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. With the field now finalised, we have the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Stattler (7:37.80) in 2022
- Haiti Couleurs (7:54.62) in 2025
- Galvin (7:57.84) in 2021
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 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +4.50. Before placing your bet on the 2026 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 7:37.80 was set by Stattler in 2022, trained by W P Mullins and ridden by Mr P W Mullins, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2018 when Rathvinden won in a time of 8:50.30 for trainer W P Mullins, who booked Mr P W Mullins in the saddle.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 2016 8:14.00 | Minella Rocco (IRE) 6yo 11-6 8/1 | Mr Derek O'Connor Jonjo O'Neill (GB) |
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 18 placings from 100 runners
- GB: 8 winners with an additional 20 placings from 215 runners
- FR: 2 winners with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
2025 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Replay
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup over the last 20 renewals is Gordon Elliott, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Chicago Grey (2011), Cause Of Causes (2015), Tiger Roll (2017) and Ravenhill (2020). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup is Rebecca Curtis (2 wins).
Here are the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 | 18-4-7 | +27.00 | +11.73 |
| Rebecca Curtis | 8-2-2 | +2.50 | -1.31 |
| Ben Pauling | 5-1-1 | +10.00 | +3.00 |
| Emmet Mullins | 1-1-1 | +1.88 | +1.18 |
| Nicky Henderson | 8-0-2 | -8.00 | -5.90 |
| Emma Lavelle | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -1.15 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Joe Tizzard | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +1.50 |
| Olly Murphy | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.75 |
| Paul Nolan | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | -0.50 |
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Jockey Statistics
Here are the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Kennedy (Kurasso Blue) | 2-1-2 | +2.50 | +3.10 |
| Ben Jones (Pic Roc) | 1-1-1 | +3.50 | +2.19 |
| Harry Cobden (Walking On Air) | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -1.20 |
| Brendan Powell (First Confession) | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +1.50 |
| Sean Bowen (Wade Out) | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.75 |
| Keith Donoghue (Union Station) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Sean Flanagan (Newton Tornado) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Danny Gilligan (Will Do) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies (Guard The Moon) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, F, 5, 4, 5, 1, 1, 1, 9, 10, 4, 5, UR, F, UR, 3, 2, 1, 2, (1, 5)
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 (72%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Beaten no more -19l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Within the first 14 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Not in a G2/LST/Cl5-6 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl3 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran over 2m4f - 3m2f (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Held an OR of 117+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Held an OR of 118+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved a TS of 22+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 4 - 13 races (1 Year)
- 19 / 20 (79%) - No bigger than 50/1 (Career)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 12/1 (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (73%) - Achieved an RPR of 132+ (Last 3)
- 18 / 20 (85%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Debut)
- 17 / 20 (81%) - Carried no more than 161lbs
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 Shortlist
Cheltenham will host the 2026 renewal of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, which will be run at 5:20 pm on Tuesday, 10th March 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 First Confession (20/1)
- Joe Tizzard (1-0-1 -1.00 / +1.50)
- Brendan Powell (1-0-1 -1.00 / +1.50)
- 15/15 Holloway Queen (14/1)
- Nicky Henderson (8-0-2 -8.00 / -5.90)
- James Bowen (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
Others: King Of Answers (14/15), Pic Roc (14/15), Backmersackme (14/15), Iceberg Theory (14/15), Newton Tornado (14/15), Kurasso Blue (13/15), Wade Out (13/15), Walking On Air (13/15), Guard The Moon (13/15), Silver Thorn (13/15), Will Do (13/15), Grand Geste (12/15), Holokea (12/15), One Big Bang (11/15) and Union Station (10/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (11:43 am Sunday 8th March 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Grand Geste won the Haydock Grand National Trial last time out, and a total of 0 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -19.00.
Backmersackme won the Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Chase last time out, and a total of 2 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of +0.25.
National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +14.29, is when runners were aged 7.
❌ 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 0-69.
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 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 20 winners from a total of 304 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 16 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 15 runners)
- Beneficial (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Milan (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Hot Weld in 2006, winning for Ferdy Murphy at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Mr R O Harding. 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 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2016 - Minella Rocco Ascot - 2nd of 6 (12/1) | Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices 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 BetMGM 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 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 (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
