The Ultima Handicap Chase consistently stands out as one of the highlight events of Cheltenham’s first day.
Despite only being the third race on the books, no track enthusiast can deny the buzz that settles around the Ultima Handicap Chase, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find an avid punter who isn’t planning on putting a bet down on their favourite pick.
Still, if you’re new to Cheltenham or yet to place a wager on the Ultima Handicap Chase specifically, then it’s always good to know what trends and stats to watch out for – that way, you can minimise your odds of accidentally picking a dud on your first go-around.
So, to give you a leg up ahead of those race-day figures, here’s a quick breakdown of the most common Ultima Handicap Chase trends over the last decade, all of which you can use to inform and update your betting strategy in the run-up to this fan-favourite event!
Key Ultima Handicap Chase trends to be aware of
Historically, the Ultima Handicap Chase has favoured horses with excellent stamina and endurance, as well as extensive terrain experience. Indeed, those who run often have solid Cheltenham records to back them up, and past winners have demonstrated that good form in prior races is often an essential component in achieving victory here.
The Ultima Handicap Chase is the proving ground for those jockeys who hope to go on to become household names, so you’ll want to be keeping an eye on favourites and dark-horse picks alike when assessing your betting options.
Does the favourite usually win the Ultima Handicap Chase?
Although it’s not unheard of for the favoured horse to win the Ultima Handicap Chase – Myertown’s most recent win in 2025 being a prime example of this – only 3 of the chosen favourite racers in the past decade have actually gone on to secure 1st place:
Myretown – (2025)
Corach Rambler – (2023)
Coo Star Sivola – (2018)
In almost all other cases, it’s actually been the underdogs who have come out on top; such was the case with Corach Ramber’s win in 2022, where they came all the way from the back of the pack in a spectacular display of form!
Perhaps more interestingly, however, is the rarity in which Ultima Handicap Chase favourites are flagged as odds on, with not a single horse in the last ten years flagged as an odds on candidate.
All of this is to say that bettors of this race should avoid relying on favourites and good odds alone to determine their picks and would be wise to account for a variety of other factors before settling on a pick.
What is the average age of an Ultima Handicap Chase-winning horse?
The average age of winning horses in the Ultima Handicap Chase sits between 7 and 8, with 6 out of the last 10 winners falling into this age bracket and none being older than 11 – an honour held by Vintage Clouds for his win in the 2021 race:
Myretown (2025) – 8 years
Chianti Classico (2024) – 7 years
Corach Rambler (2023) – 9 years
Corach Rambler (2022) – 8 years
Vintage Clouds (2021) – 11 years
The Conditional (2020) – 8 years
Beware The Bear (2019) – 9 years
Coo Star Sivola (2018) – 6 years
Un Temps Pour Tout (2017) – 8 years
Un Temps Pour Tout (2016) – 7 years
Needless to say, the odds given to any competing horse that might sit outside of this age range are statistically likely to be long-shot picks at best and shouldn’t necessarily be relied upon to pull through.
How many Ultima Handicap Chase winners won ‘last time out’?
Past form being an all-important indicator of how a rider might do in their next race, those placing bets on the Ultima Handicap Chase might expect prior winners to have also won their last time out as well.
But again, as with favourite picks, the vast majority of former victors did not win the previous race they competed in:
Myretown (2025) – 1st in the Handicap Chase at Kelso
Chianti Classico (2024) – 2nd in the Handicap chase at Kempton Park
Corach Rambler (2023) – 4th in the Handicap Chase at Newbury
Corach Rambler (2022) – DNF after unseating their rider in the Novice Chase at Reynoldstown
Vintage Clouds (2021) – 3rd in the Handicap Chase at Kelso
The Conditional (2020) – 3rd in the Classic Chase at Warwick
Beware The Bear (2019) – 1st in the Handicap Chase at Cheltenham
Coo Star Sivola (2018) – 1st in the Cheltenham Festival Preview March Chase
Un Temps Pour Tout (2017) – 6th in the Cheltenham Cleeve Hurdles
Un Temps Pour Tout (2016) – 4th in the Novices Handicap Chase at Cheltenham
As you can see, only 3 of the past 10 race winners won their last time out, though all but two managed to place in the top 5, which still makes this stat a good indicator of how they’re likely to perform in any upcoming chase.
When did Ultima Handicap Chase winners last compete?
Just as useful to know as their last time out performance, when a competitor last competed can help punters determine the likelihood of a good outing for riders this time around:
Myretown (2025) – 11 days
Chianti Classico (2024) – 59 days
Corach Rambler (2023) – 106 days
Corach Rambler (2022) – 24 days
Vintage Clouds (2021) – 30 days
The Conditional (2020) – 52 days
Beware The Bear (2019) – 45 days
Coo Star Sivola (2018) – 7 days
Un Temps Pour Tout (2017) – 45 days
Un Temps Pour Tout (2016) – 45 days
For the most part, past winners of this event went no more than a month and a half between their last competition and their Ultima Handicap Chase win, with the only exceptions being Corach Rambler’s 106 day gap back in 2023 (lasting running back in November of the prior year).
Are Ultima Handicap Chase winners usually British or Irish-trained?
Despite all of the last 10 winners being Irish-bred horses, the vast majority of Ultima Handicap Chase victors have actually been British-trained, with every single winner of the last decade having a British trainer at the helm.
In fact, there hasn’t been an Irish-trained winner of this competition since 2006, when Dun Doire took first, with most Irish trainers focusing their efforts on dominating other bigger Cheltenham events.
Naturally, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t back an Irish-trained horse if they’re your preferred pick, but it’s definitely worth being aware of the total dominance British-trained riders have displayed in this category since the early 2000s.
Which trainer has had the most success in the Ultima Handicap Chase?
Although the horse and the rider do the legwork on the day, no race can really be won without the help of excellent training, and there are absolutely a few standout individuals in the British horse racing scene with a well-earned reputation for successfully training Ultima Handicap Chase winners:
Myretown (2025) – Lucinda Russell
Chianti Classico (2024) – Kim Bailey
Corach Rambler (2023) – Lucinda Russell
Corach Rambler (2022) – Lucinda Russell
Vintage Clouds (2021) – Sue Smith
The Conditional (2020) – David Bridgewater
Beware The Bear (2019) – Nicky Henderson
Coo Star Sivola (2018) – Nick Williams
Un Temps Pour Tout (2017) – David Pipe
Un Temps Pour Tout (2016) – David Pipe
Lucinda Russell, in particular, has been responsible for training 3 of the last 10 winners of this event, all within the last 5 years, while David Pipe led Un Temps Pour Tout to two consecutive victories back in 2016 and 2017.
Why is it important to consider Ultima Handicap Chase trends?
Having discussed the primary trends and stats often considered for this race, it’s worth touching on why it’s so important to bear them in mind when you’re laying out your betting strategy ahead of Cheltenham’s four days.
Much like other sports, past performances and reputation can absolutely be key indicators as to how a rider might handle their next race, but they’re not the be-all and end-all of everything. A failure to win the last time out in no way guarantees a loss on the next race, after all!
Like we said right at the start, Ultima Handicap Chase winners almost always have previous Cheltenham experience, with younger horses and British trainers increasing the likelihood of a standout performance. But you’ll also want to take every area of form and history into account ahead of putting your bet down if you hope to give yourself the best odds.
And, of course, if you want more tips on how to prepare for any of the other Cheltenham races, then you can head over to our Cheltenham blog for more guides like this one!
