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2026 Rehearsal Chase Preview
Scheduled to take place in November of each year at the Newcastle racecourse is the Rehearsal Chase. This Premier Handicap is contested over a distance of two miles, seven and a half furlongs, during which the runners will face a gruelling nineteen fences on what is usually testing ground at this time of the year.
Rehearsal Chase Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Newcastle, then head over to the Newcastle tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Newcastle Racecourse section for links to these.
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How competitive is the Rehearsal Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2003 when the race had an over-round of 110%. The race in 2009 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 126%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Rehearsal Chase, the over-round has been 117%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £117 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Rehearsal 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 Rehearsal Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Rehearsal Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Frero Banbou (5:50.37) in 2024
- Hey Big Spender (5:54.00) in 2013
- Aye Right (5:55.10) 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 Rehearsal Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -3.00. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Rehearsal Chase.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Frero Banbou, trained by Venetia Williams and ridden by Ned Fox, who set the fastest winning time in the Rehearsal Chase. That runner won the race in a time of 5:50.37 in 2024. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Philip Hobbs and jockey Paul W Flynn with One Knight I who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 7:13.20 in the 2004 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Rehearsal Chase Past Winners
Here are the Rehearsal 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 Rehearsal Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The 2023 renewal was abandoned due to frozen ground.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 6:04.70 | Konfusion (GB) 7yo 10-2 3/1 | Callum Bewley Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith (GB) |
| 2024 5:50.37 | Frero Banbou (FR) 9yo 10-4 17/2 | Ned Fox (5lbs) Venetia Williams (GB) |
| 2022 6:00.24 | LHomme Presse (FR) 7yo 12-0 6/4F | Charlie Deutsch Venetia Williams (GB) |
| 2021 5:55.10 | Aye Right (IRE) 8yo 11-5 5/1 | Callum Bewley Harriet Graham (GB) |
| 2020 5:56.30 | Yorkhill (IRE) 10yo 10-10 66/1 | Ryan Mania Sandy Thomson (GB) |
| 2019 6:20.20 | Takingrisks (IRE) 10yo 10-13 20/1 | Sean Quinlan Nicky Richards (GB) |
| 2018 6:06.40 | Lake View Lad (IRE) 8yo 10-13 8/1 | Henry Brooke N W Alexander (GB) |
| 2017 6:15.30 | Beware The Bear (IRE) 7yo 11-7 11/4F | Sean Bowen Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2016 6:02.10 | Otago Trail (IRE) 8yo 11-3 9/1 | Liam Treadwell Venetia Williams (GB) |
| 2015 6:13.70 | Wakanda (IRE) 6yo 11-4 6/1 | Danny Cook Sue Smith (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Rehearsal Chase have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 36 placings from 188 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 8 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 5 runners
Rehearsal Chase Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Rehearsal Chase over the last 20 renewals, with both Nicky Richards and Venetia Williams, who have both won the race three times. Nicky Richards' winners have been with Direct Access (2005), Harmony Brig (2007) and Takingrisks (2019). Venetia Williams' winners have been with Otago Trail (2016), LHomme Presse (2022) and Frero Banbou (2024).
Here are some of the top Rehearsal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Richards | 11-3-4 | +34.00 | +18.81 |
| Venetia Williams | 10-3-5 | +12.00 | +7.44 |
| Sue Smith | 14-1-5 | -7.00 | -4.33 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 9-1-4 | +6.00 | +4.04 |
| Paul Nicholls | 7-1-3 | -2.67 | -1.41 |
| Sandy Thomson | 5-1-2 | +62.00 | +37.04 |
| David Pipe | 5-1-1 | -1.00 | -2.12 |
| Nicky Henderson | 4-1-1 | -0.25 | -1.35 |
| N W Alexander | 3-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.00 |
| Harriet Graham | 1-1-1 | +5.00 | +3.13 |
Rehearsal Chase Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Rehearsal Chase over the last 20 renewals, with both Brendan Powell and Callum Bewley, who have both won the race two times. Brendan Powell winners have been with Hey Big Spender (2013 & 2014). Callum Bewley's winners have been with Aye Right (2021) and Konfusion (2025).
Here are some of the top Rehearsal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brendan Powell | 4-2-3 | +15.00 | +8.98 |
| Callum Bewley | 3-2-2 | +7.00 | +3.93 |
| Danny Cook | 6-1-1 | +1.00 | -1.25 |
| Ryan Mania | 5-1-3 | +62.00 | +37.76 |
| Sean Quinlan | 5-1-1 | +16.00 | +8.00 |
| Conor O'Farrell | 5-1-2 | -1.00 | -0.92 |
| Ned Fox | 2-1-1 | +7.50 | +4.31 |
| Henry Brooke | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.00 |
| Sean Bowen | 2-1-1 | +1.75 | +0.65 |
| Charlie Deutsch | 2-1-2 | +0.50 | +1.78 |
2026 Rehearsal Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): UR, 1, PU, 4, (F, PU), 3, 1, (2, 5), 2, 5, (3, PU), 3, 1, F, 4, 2, 2, 1, 2, 4
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 (78%) - Break of 28 - 633 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Fewer than 3 races (Season)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Fewer than 3 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran over 1m3½f - 2m4½f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Beaten no more -29l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran in 1 - 10 races (Going)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Fewer than 2 placings (Season)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - In a field of 6 - 18 (Debut)
- 19 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 116+ (Career)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - Within the first 9 of the market
- 18 / 20 (67%) - Held an OR of 137+ (Career)
- 18 / 20 (71%) - No bigger than 14/1
- 18 / 20 (80%) - Achieved an RPR of 131+ (Last 3)
- 18 / 20 (85%) - Won by at least ¾ (Last Win)
- 17 / 20 (49%) - Achieved an RPR of 147+ (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Newcastle racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Rehearsal 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 Rehearsal Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
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Rehearsal Chase Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +76.83, is when runners ran on Soft ground on debut.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran over 3m last time out, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-27.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Rehearsal Chase is Aintree; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Aintree last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Ayr; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Ayr last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 198 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 3 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Rehearsal Chase:
- Rudimentary (3 Wins)
- Roselier (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Rehearsal Chase; that stallion is Beneficial, who has failed to produce a winner from 5 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Yorkhill in 2020, winning for Sandy Thomson at odds of 66/1 under the guidance of Ryan Mania. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Rehearsal Chase, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Rehearsal Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Rehearsal Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Konfusion Haydock - UR of 10 (9/4) | Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase |
| 2024 - Frero Banbou Aintree - 6th of 13 (10/1) | Grand Sefton |
| 2022 - LHomme Presse Aintree - 3rd of 4 (7/4) | Mildmay Novices' Chase |
| 2021 - Aye Right Kelso - 5th of 6 (7/2) | NSPCC School Service Simply Ned Handicap Chase |
| 2020 - Yorkhill Aintree - PU of 12 (29/1) | Old Roan Chase |
| 2019 - Takingrisks Ayr - 5th of 6 (4/1) | Guinness Handicap Hurdle |
| 2018 - Lake View Lad Kelso - 3rd of 10 (9/1) | Liz Adam Memorial Handicap Chase |
| 2017 - Beware The Bear Ayr - 4th of 12 (9/2) | Weatherbys Hamilton Novices Handicap Chase |
| 2016 - Otago Trail Ayr - 3rd of 5 (9/1) | Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices Chase |
| 2015 - Wakanda Wetherby - 1st of 8 (11/4) | bet365 Handicap 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 Rehearsal 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
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
