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2026 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Preview
Scheduled to take place in early February of each year at the Sandown racecourse is the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase, a Grade 1 that is open to runners aged five or older who are novices over fences. It is contested over a distance of just over two miles and four furlongs, during which a total of seventeen fences will be faced.
Won by the likes of Best Mate, Oscar Whisky, Bristol De Mai, Defi Du Seuil and Sporting John in the past, this race can throw up a decent future chaser.
Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Information:
- Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Past Winners
- Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Trainer Statistics
- Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Sandown tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Sandown Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2010 when the race had an over-round of 107%. The race in 2011 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 118%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase, the over-round has been 110%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ110 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Scilly Isles 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 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Scilly Isles Novices' Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- For Non Stop (4:50.90) in 2012
- Napolitain (5:08.00) in 2006
- Medermit (5:09.20) in 2011
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 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 5 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -5.25. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was For Non Stop, trained by Nick Williams and ridden by Noel Fehily, who set the fastest winning time in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase. That runner won the race in a time of 4:50.90 in 2012. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Barry Geraghty with Oscar Whisky who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 5:33.74 in the 2014 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Past Winners
Here are the Scilly Isles 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 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:23.01 | Handstands (IRE) 6yo 11-7 100/30 | Ben Jones Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2024 5:11.00 | Nickle Back (IRE) 8yo 11-7 10/1 | James Best Sarah Humphrey (GB) |
| 2023 5:11.30 | Gerri Colombe (FR) 7yo 11-7 10/11F | Jordan Gainford Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2022 5:19.50 | LHomme Presse (FR) 7yo 11-4 8/13F | Charlie Deutsch Venetia Williams (GB) |
| 2021 5:26.40 | Sporting John (IRE) 6yo 11-4 14/1 | Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs (GB) |
| 2020 5:21.85 | Itchy Feet (FR) 6yo 11-4 7/1 | Gavin Sheehan Olly Murphy (GB) |
| 2019 5:12.90 | Defi Du Seuil (FR) 6yo 11-4 7/2 | Barry Geraghty Philip Hobbs (GB) |
| 2018 5:16.90 | Terrefort (FR) 5yo 11-1 15/8F | Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2017 5:19.90 | Top Notch (FR) 6yo 11-3 11/4 | Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2016 5:14.65 | Bristol De Mai (FR) 5yo 11-0 10/11F | Daryl Jacob Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase have been based:
- GB: 18 winners with an additional 15 placings from 100 runners
- IRE: 2 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
2025 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Replay
Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase over the last 20 renewals is Nicky Henderson, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Punchestowns (2010), Captain Conan (2013), Oscar Whisky (2014), Top Notch (2017) and Terrefort (2018). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase are Paul Nicholls (4 wins) and Philip Hobbs (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Scilly Isles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Henderson | 15-5-9 | -4.34 | -0.35 |
| Paul Nicholls | 21-4-7 | -10.43 | -8.96 |
| Philip Hobbs | 6-2-4 | +13.50 | +8.84 |
| Alan King | 7-1-1 | -3.50 | -2.50 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 5-1-1 | -3.09 | -3.00 |
| Nick Williams | 3-1-1 | +1.00 | +0.88 |
| Venetia Williams | 3-1-2 | -1.38 | +0.70 |
| Olly Murphy | 2-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.38 |
| W P Mullins | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.81 |
| Ben Pauling | 2-1-1 | +2.33 | -1.00 |
Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top Scilly Isles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Sheehan | 2-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.38 |
| Charlie Deutsch | 2-1-2 | -0.38 | +0.70 |
| James Best | 1-1-1 | +10.00 | +6.25 |
| Ben Jones | 1-1-1 | +3.33 | +0.00 |
| Jordan Gainford | 1-1-1 | +0.91 | +0.57 |
| Harry Cobden | 6-0-0 | -6.00 | -5.00 |
| Nico de Boinville | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | -1.49 |
| Nick Scholfield | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.00 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.27 |
| Sean Bowen | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -1.22 |
2026 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 4, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4, 1, 1, (2, F), 1, 5, 1, 3, PU, (2, F), 1, 1, F, 2
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 (80%) - Is not GB/GER/NZ/USA bred
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl4-5 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 14/1
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried 136 - 168lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran in 5 - 23 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in 2 - 7 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - No more than +2yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - No more than +7lbs (Vs Min Weight)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - Placed within last 2 starts
- 18 / 20 (59%) - Within the first 3 of the market
- 18 / 20 (84%) - No older than a 7yo
- 17 / 20 (50%) - No bigger than 7/4 (Last Win)
- 17 / 20 (59%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Career)
- 17 / 20 (60%) - Won by at least 3½l (Last Win)
- 17 / 20 (71%) - No bigger than 9/1 (Career Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Sandown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Scilly Isles 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 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 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +14.75, is when runners ran on Soft ground when last winning.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners were 4th in the betting market, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-19.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 5 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 19 winners from a total of 99 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 4 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase:
- Getaway (2 Wins)
- Presenting (2 Wins)
- Saddler Maker (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Sporting John in 2021, winning for Philip Hobbs at odds of 14/1 under the guidance of Richard Johnson. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 11 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 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Handstands Ffos Las - 1st of 6 (1/1) | DragonBet Towton Novices Chase |
| 2024 - Nickle Back Kempton - 2nd of 4 (6/5) | Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices Chase |
| 2023 - Gerri Colombe Limerick - 1st of 5 (4/5) | Faugheen Novice Chase |
| 2022 - LHomme Presse Cheltenham - 1st of 8 (7/4) | Paddy Power Novices Chase |
| 2021 - Sporting John Exeter - 3rd of 6 (10/11) | Racing TV HD On Sky 426 Beginners Chase |
| 2020 - Itchy Feet Leicester - 1st of 3 (1/5) | Great Glen Novices Chase |
| 2019 - Defi Du Seuil Cheltenham - 2nd of 4 (5/2) | Betbright Dipper Novices Chase |
| 2018 - Terrefort Huntingdon - 1st of 7 (6/4) | Smarkets Chase |
| 2017 - Top Notch Ascot - 1st of 5 (4/5) | GL Events Owen Brown Graduation Chase |
| 2016 - Bristol De Mai Haydock - 1st of 5 (7/4) | Start Your RacingUK Free Trial Now 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 Scilly Isles Novices' 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
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