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 took both prizes back in 1995.
Being Staged at Sandown Park in 2021 – Note, the 2021 running of the Cotswold Chase will now be run at Sandown Park on Saturday 6th Feb 2021, after the original race day at Cheltenham (30th Jan) was called off.
Twelve months ago in 2020 we saw the Nicky Henderson-trained Santini win the race under jockey Nico de Boinville – that was the first winning favourite in the last 17 runnings, while Santini went onto finish a close second in the 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Here at RACING AHEAD we take a look back at past winners of the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase and give you all the stats that mater ahead of the 2021 renewal – this year run on Saturday 6th February 2021.
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Cotswold Chase Past Winners
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
17/17 – Officially rated 151 or higher
16/17 – Ran at Cheltenham over fences before (8 had won)
15/17 – Won over at least 3m before (fences)
15/17 – Raced in the last 8 weeks
14/17 – Won between 2-6 times over fences
12/17 – Priced 7/1 or less
12/17 – Went onto race in that season’s Gold Cup (no winners, all placed 8th or better)
11/17 – Aged 9 or 10 years-old
11/17 – Ran at either Wetherby (3), Cheltenham (4) or Kempton (4) last time
11/17 – Placed favourites
9/17 – Winning distance – 6 lengths or more
8/17 – Won last time out
7/17 – Unplaced last time out
7/17 – Won by an Irish-bred horse
6/17 – Winners from outside the top 3 in the market
6/17 – Won by a French-bred horse
3/17 – Won by the Paul Nicholls yard (5 wins in total)
2/17 – Won by the Oliver Sherwood yard
1/17 – Went onto win the Grand National (Many Clouds, 2015)
1/17 – Went onto win the Ryanair Chase (Frodon, 2019)
1/17 – Favourites
10 of the last 13 winners were aged 9 or 10 years-old
The average winning SP in the last 17 runnings is 15/2
Looks Like Trouble (2000) was the last winner to go onto win the Cheltenham Gold Cup
RACING AHEAD VERDICT: Rerouted from the cancelled Cheltenham ‘Trials Day’ meeting last weekend and the good news is we’ve still got a cracking line-up! Yes, some big names are on show here, including former Gold Cup winner – Native River – last year’s Gold Cup second and winner of this race 12 months ago – Santini – and the popular grey Bristol De Mai. A case can be made for all three. Starting with Bristol De Mai, I think the jury was still out about his form at Cheltenham, but the change of venue to Sandown might be in his favour – his two runs over fences read 2-1 after landing today’s Scilly Isles Chase back in 2016, while, as we know, he returned better than ever to beat Clan Des Obeaux in the Betfair Chase at his beloved Haydock back in November. He goes well fresh and acts well on heavy ground – it’s hard to crab his chance. Native River isn’t getting any younger at 11, but will love the stamina test this race will provide in the ground and ran well on his return at Aintree last month (3rd) in the Many Clouds Chase. This will, however, be his first ever run here at Sandown. There is no reason to think it won’t suit and he’ll love the stiff finish, but you just wonder if the quick Railway Fences will be up his street. Lake View Lad was the shock winner of that Aintree race already mentioned (Native River 3rd), with Santini in second, so the trio are closely matched, but I think SANTINI might just like conditions the best. He’ll be looking to become the first ever back-to-back winner of this race, although See More Business did win the prize twice (not in consecutive seasons). He had Bristol De Mai 3 ½ lengths back 12 months ago and followed that up with a neck second in the Gold Cup. This season he’s not fired as yet but has had excuses the last twice. He probably just needed the run at Aintree, while the Kempton track on quicker ground in the King George probably wasn’t ideal – he was still only 10 lengths off the winner. With this more likely to be a slog and with those runs under his belt he’s taken to go well again in his bid to defend his Cotswold Chase crown. While the switch to Sandown is fine for him too – having won over fences here in 2019! Saint Calvados is certainly no back number either after his fourth in the King George and is a past heavy ground winner – but you feel he’d got his stamina to prove over this longer trip, but he does get a handy 6lbs from the main players, which will help on that score. But, the other pick is YALA ENKI (e/w) – mainly because we know he’s in good form and that he’ll stay! He overcame a bad error to win at Taunton a few weeks ago and before that was third in the Welsh National. He’s been a busy horse of late, but is a very consistent staying chaser that – if the race falls apart – could easily do his own thing and plug on for a place. He also gets a handy 6lbs from the main trio and jockey Bryony Frost gets on well with this old boy.
