Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase 2021 Trends

Cheltenham's Foxhunter Chase is among the trickiest Festival races, but some strong trends can point out the winner. So we've looked at the most important trends from the last 10 years for you, and used them to find the best horses to follow right now for the 2021 Foxhunter Chase.

1st March 2021 | By: Gavin Beech

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Need some help finding the winner of the 2021 edition of the St James's Place Festival Hunters' Chase? Well, look no further because our team of experts at Bookmakers.co.uk have done the hard work for you by pinpointing the most critical trends and pointers from the last ten renewals in order to help you find the winner of the amateur riders’ Gold Cup.

2021 Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase Trends

The last 10 winners:

Were bred in Ireland or France
Were aged no older than 11
Had won a hunter chase
Last ran in a hunter chase
Had won at least four times over fences, including in point-to-points
Last ran no more than 53 days ago

Nine of the last 10 winners:

Finished in the first three on their last run
Last won no more than three runs ago
Had won on a left-handed track

Key Trials in the last 10 years

With so many hunter chase options, there are not many recognised trials for the Foxhunter Chase.

Traditionally, the Raymond Smith Memorial Hunter Chase at Leopardstown in February was the best guide, but that has been discontinued with the creation of the Dublin Racing Festival.

The best bet for the 2021 Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham is to follow horses that win hunter chases run on left-handed courses, preferably ones described as 'galloping', 'undulating', or 'testing'.

2020 winner It Came To Pass finished down the field in a Down Royal hunter chase when last seen but he turned that form around with Dylrow and Billaway, who finished first and second that day. Billaway was runner-up at the festival but Dylrow was well beaten off in 10th.

Festival runner-up Billaway proves too strong in the Naas Hunters Chase for the second year in a row under Patrick Mullins, landing the finale for Willie Mullins at @NaasRacecourse pic.twitter.com/gtuNOzrRj4
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 31, 2021

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Trainer Trends

If you had bet £1 on all of Paul Nicholls's 13 runners in the last 10 years, you would be £30 in profit! Having won two of the last three runnings, he's a serious trainer to follow .
Irish trainer Enda Bolger has saddled two winners and a placed finisher from eight runners in the last 10 years.
Nigel Twiston-Davies has saddled three runners; one won, one placed.
Irish trainers have won six of the last 10 renewals, but not the last three

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Jockey Trends

Five of the last six runnings have been won by female jockeys.
Seven of the last 10 runnings have been won by jockeys based in Ireland

How did the trends do last year?

It Came To Pass wasn’t an obvious one from a trends perspective and not just because of his huge price. He finished down the field on his last rules start and was pulled up in a point prior to the festival, so he couldn’t have been described as having the ideal prep.

Runner-up Billaway had a stronger chance on paper going into the festival having bolted up in a Naas Hunter Chase on his final start before the festival, so much so that he was sent off favourite at Prestbury Park.

Check out latest Cheltenham ante post odds.

Unbeaten this season, the prolific Hazel Hill is too good in the Foxhunter! #TheFestival #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/6aljdIV1CF
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 15, 2019

Who Fits The Trends Best In 2021?

There have been three dual winners of the Foxhunter Chase in the last decade but It Came To Pass doesn’t look an obvious one to follow suit. His sole run since, at Fairyhouse in November, hardly went according to plan.

Instead, last year’s runner-up Billaway has seriously good prospects of going one better given he has looked a better horse this season. His imperious Naas success in January is very strong form and this 9-year-old looks the one they all have to beat this time around.

Staker Wallace, runner-up to Billaway at Naas, is by no means fully exposed over fences but he’s won just once over the bigger obstacles, which could count against him.

2020 Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase Result

Position	Name	Price	Trainer	Jockey
1st	It Came To Passs	66/1	Eugene M O'Sullivan	Miss M O'Sullivan
2nd	Billaway	11/4f	W P Mullins	Mr P W Mullins
3rd	Shantou Flyer	3/1	Mrs Rose Loxton	Mr David Maxwell