Run at Cheltenham racecourse – normally in the third week of January at their Trials Meeting – the Cotswold Chase is run over a trip of 3m 1 ½ furlongs. The race is deemed as another Cheltenham Gold Cup trial, but maybe only in name as the last horse to land both races in the same season was Looks Like Trouble in 2000, while Master Oats also landed both races back in 1995.
Twelve months ago, in 2021 we saw the Colin Tizzard-trained Native River win the race under jockey Richard Johnson – and went onto run fourth in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The now retired Native River was Colin Tizzard’s second Cotswold Chase winner, after Joe Lively won the race in 2009.
Here at RACING AHEAD, we take a look back at past winners of the Cotswold Chase and give you all the stats that mater ahead of the 2022 renewal – this year run on Saturday 29th January 2022.
Cotswold Chase Past Winners
2021 – Native River (13/2)
2020 – Santini (13/8 fav)
2019 – Frodon (9/4)
2018 – Definitly Red (7/1)
2017 – Many Clouds (8/1)
2016 – Smad Place (9/2)
2015 – Many Clouds (4/1)
2014 – The Giant Bolster (6/1)
2013 – Cape Tribulation (7/1)
2012 – Midnight Chase (11/2)
2011 – Neptune Collonges (11/2)
2010 – Taranis (16/1)
2009 – Joe Lively (11/1)
2008 – Knowhere (16/1)
2007 – Exotic Dancer (6/1)
2006 – See You Sometime (18/1)
2005 – Grey Abbey (10/3)
2004 – Jair Du Cochet (11/4)
Cotswold Chase Betting Trends
18/18 – Officially rated 151 or higher
17/18 – Ran at Cheltenham over fences before (9 had won)
16/18 – Won over at least 3m before (fences)
16/18 – Raced in the last 8 weeks
14/18 – Won between 2-6 times over fences
13/18 – Priced 7/1 or less
13/18 – Went onto race in that season’s Gold Cup (no winners, all placed 8th or better)
12/18 – Placed favourites
11/18 – Aged 9 or 10 years-old
11/18 – Ran at either Wetherby (3), Cheltenham (4) or Kempton (4) last time
10/18 – Winning distance – 6 lengths or more
8/18 – Won last time out
8/18 – Unplaced last time out
8/18 – Won by an Irish-bred horse
7/18 – Winners from outside the top 3 in the market
6/18 – Won by a French-bred horse
3/18 – Won by the Paul Nicholls yard (5 wins in total)
2/18 – Won by the Oliver Sherwood yard
2/18 – Won by the Colin Tizzard yard
1/18 – Went onto win the Grand National (Many Clouds, 2015)
1/18 – Went onto win the Ryanair Chase (Frodon, 2019)
1/18 – Favourites
10 of the last 14 winners were aged 9 or 10 years-old
The average winning SP in the last 18 runnings is 7/1
Looks Like Trouble (2000) was the last winner to go onto win the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Note: The 2021 running was staged at Sandown
RACING AHEAD VERDICT: Probably not the best renewal of this Grade 2 but will some familiar faces on show. Aye Right is the only last time out winner in the field after getting home by a head in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle last time out in November. He’s been freshened up with a few months off since and heads here as the second top-rated in the field so must have a say. Former Gold Cup runner-up and winner of this race in 2020 – Santini, who is now with Polly Gundry, is another to note, but he’s rather lost his way in recent seasons and actually hasn’t won a race (6 runs) since taking this in 2020. However, the two to probably focus on here are CHANTRY HOUSE and SIMPLY THE BETTS. The former is the main pick and the top-rated in the field at 160. He was last seen being pulled up in the King George at Kempton as the favourite that day but was never really going during the race – Kempton isn’t a track for all horses. Henderson has given him a month to get over that race and he’s back at Cheltenham here – a track he’s 2-from-4 at, including winning the Marsh Novices’ Chase at the Festival here in March. Taking that last disappointment out, he’s still a horse that’s won 71% of his seven runs over fences (5-from-7) and he’s taken to get back to winning ways here. Simply The Betts, who won on this card in 2020, can give him most to think about having returned to form here on New Year’s Day with a close second. Yes, he’s got a bit to prove up in trip again, but he’s worth another crack at this distance, in my opinion – especially a track he seems to love. His form at Prestbury Park over fences reads 1-1-6-6-2. Harry Cobden rides this Paul Nicholls runner and the fact they also get a handy 4lbs from Ayr Right, Coole Cody and Chantry House is a further plus for this 157-rated chaser.
