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St James's Place Hunters' Chase

16:10 Cheltenham Festival

2024-03-15

Winner: £24,445

Runners: 12

Going: Soft

No. of hurdles: 22

Distance: 3m2f70y

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The St James's Place Hunters' Chase, on day four of the Cheltenham Festival, is run over the same course and distance as the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup and is restricted to amateur jockeys. For this reason it is often referred to as the amateurs’ Gold Cup. Check the Hunters' Chase runners and riders ahead of the race and place your bets by clicking the odds buttons.

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FORM
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HORSE
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JOCKEY& TRAINER
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AGE
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OR
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10(0)
31-215
silk
Shantou Flyer

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J: Miss Olive Nicholls
T: S Loxton
14
12-0
133
133
Festival regular having made the frame in the Ultima, a Kim Muir and three editions of this race (beaten 3l by Premier Magic 12 months ago); warmed up for another crack with his sixth point win 12 days ago; however, now a 14yo, his chance of getting his hands on the treasured trophy has surely passed.
9(0)
030/P-
silk
Samcro

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J: Mr T Hamilton
T: Gordon Elliott
12
12-0
142
142
Dual Festival winner during his novice days (over hurdles and fences) but heady ambitions failed to materialise afterwards and his only subsequent success under rules was a Grade 3 chase at Killarney in May 2021; has got his mojo back in winning four of his last five points, the latest in November (soft/heavy) after an absence; it was a fair race in which he ran third last month; just a suspicion that others will see this trip out more strongly; effective in the reapplied tongue-tie earlier in his career.
6(0)
3P/1-1
silk
Premier Magic

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J: Mr Bradley Gibbs
T: Bradley Gibbs
11
12-0
142
144
66-1 winner of this 12 months ago (soft) but there was no fluke about that in repelling the rallying Its On The Line having got lonely after the final fence when in command; after winning his three subsequent starts (hunter chase here and two points), there's no reason to believe he won't be as good in his defence; age is no barrier to success in this race; the cheekpieces in which he's unbeaten are back on (missing in this year's points).
2(0)
488214
silk
D'Jango

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J: Miss Immy Robinson
T: Miss V Collins
11
12-0
129
125
Has done well since switched to hunter chases for his new yard but his Warwick win (3m, soft) came at the expense of a frustrating horse who looked in command only to stop to nothing on the run-in; heavy ground was no good to this 11yo last time when behind Quintin's Man; placed at best if he's lucky.
1(0)
F2U-12
silk
Billaway

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J: Mr P W Mullins
T: W P Mullins
12
12-0
140
144
Part of the furniture in this race; after two seconds he finally got his just reward two years ago when doing well to win from an unpromising position, and he was 9-2 last year only to depart mid-race; has taken his usual tried-and-trusted route via a Naas hunter chase, in which last month he was flattered to get very close to collaring Its On The Line who was at it a fair way out at the head of affairs; still, that race usually brings this 12yo on, and this place gets his competitive juices flowing; expect him to be closing in at the finish, as is his way.
4(0)
35P34-
silk
From The Heart

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J: Miss Natalie Parker
T: Mrs L Jones
10
12-0
107
120
Has won a couple of small-field points during the past year but there's nothing in his profile - under rules or between the flags - to suggest he'll be having a lot to say in today's company.
11(0)
P5-111
silk
Time Leader

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J: Mr Toby McCain-Mitchell
T: Miss Hannah Roach
10
12-0
128
129
By no means prolific in points (3-13) but he's 5-7 in hunter chases after taking a winnable race at Hereford in January (2m5f, good to soft); showed that he can mix it at this level of competition when not beaten far into fifth (staying on) in last season's hunter chase at Aintree (2m5f good to soft; made bad mistake at The Chair); perhaps relying on some of these being off their game if he's to win, but is no forlorn hope over a longer trip that he might need these days.
8(0)
9-5434
silk
Ramillies

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J: Mr R James
T: D M Christie
9
12-0
140
138
A good horse in his day for Willie Mullins, though failed to shine at three successive Festivals (all Grade 1s admittedly); has won four points since November (on ground ranging from yielding to heavy) but he stopped to a walk on the run-in after mixing it for a long way with Its On The Line at Naas last month and that hard race was perhaps a factor in his no-show last week at Gowran; hard to recommend so soon after that.
12(0)
31-211
silk
Sine Nomine

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J: Mr John Dawson
T: Fiona Needham
8
11-7
124
135
Improving mare with a good strike-rate and the form of her easy win at Wetherby last time (3m, soft) is not to be sniffed at, with runner-up Bennys King, who was hammered by 15l and won since, second in last season's big hunter chase at Aintree; this grey has been placed on both previous visits here (not this race) and she may well hold her own in the face of her toughest test yet.
3(0)
113-21
silk
Ferns Lock

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J: Mr B O'Neill
T: D M Christie
7
12-0
142
152
Last season he had convincing verdicts over Billaway and Its On The Line, and yet his shrewd Northern Irish trainer elected to bypass this despite being long prominent in the ante-post market; only a 7yo and very much an emerging force, but he did get outstayed by Its On The Line at Down Royal over Christmas (3m, soft; first-time tongue-tie, retained since) and that's a worry with a view to this even stiffer stamina test (more patient tactics than usual may need adopting); has since won easily at Thurles but was entitled to; appeals as the likeliest winner if seeing out the trip.
7(0)
2-1513
silk
Quintin's Man

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J: Mr Darren Andrews
T: J Heard
7
12-0
131
130
Progressive 7yo who secured C&D honours at the hunter chase meeting here last May (good) and he was too good for useful opposition on good to soft at Wincanton in February (3m1f); 2m6f looked an inadequate test at Haydock last time, even on heavy; two of his five point wins have come on soft; not without hope of joining the party.
5(0)
2F1-11
silk
Its On The Line

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J: Mr Derek O'Connor
T: Emmet Mullins
7
12-0
142
145
In first-time cheekpieces he stayed on better than anything to push Premier Magic close in this 12 months ago when bidding to become the first successful 6yo since Kingscliff in 2003; has won all his subsequent completed hunter chases, in the last two staying on to nab Ferns Lock at Down Royal (3m, soft) and then repelling a fast-finishing Billaway at Naas (3m1f, heavy); deserves considerable credit last time for holding on after getting competitive a long way out; purchased since by JP McManus; gives the impression of racing lazily at times and the return of cheekpieces (absent last four starts) is probably a good thing.

RACING POST TIP

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silk
Sine Nomine
The smallest field since 11 ran in 1998 and this could be more open than the betting implies. Last year's runner-up Its On The Line doesn't always make life easy for himself and seems risky business as favourite, while it's a concern over today's trip that the hugely talented Ferns Lock has rarely looked the stoutest of stayers, a doubt that also dismisses Samcro. Past winners Premier Magic and Billaway should threaten again, while Time Leader is interesting despite having largely plied his trade at a lower level and over shorter distances. However, another surprise package could be SINE NOMINE, who is an improving mare with the wind in her sails after delivering her most convincing performance yet at Wetherby last month when making short work of last season's Aintree hunter chase runner-up Bennys King.

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St James's Place Hunters' Chase PREVIOUS WINNERS

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Year Horse Previous Form Age Price Trainer Jockey
2023 Premier Magic 1-11 10 66-1 Bradley Gibbs Mr Bradley Gibbs
2022 Billaway 252-21 10 13-8F Willie Mullins Patrick Mullins
2021 Porlock Bay 221-12 10 16-1 Will Biddick L Williams
2020 It Came To Pass 1-U17P 10 66-1 Eugine O’Sullivan Maxine O’Sullivan
2019 Hazel Hill 112-11 11 7-2F Philip Rowley Alex Edwards
2018 Pacha Du Polder 4-114-3 11 25-1 Paul Nicholls Harriet Tucker
2017 Pacha Du Polder 633-41 10 16-1 Paul Nicholls Bryony Frost
2016 On The Fringe 77249 11 13-8F Enda Bolger Nina Carberry
2015 On The Fringe 31-122 10 6-1 Enda Bolger Nina Carberry
2014 Tammys Hill 61213 9 15-2 Liam Lennon James Smyth

St James's Place Hunters' Chase KEY TRENDS AND STATS

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Key trends

  • Aged ten or 11, 9/10 
  • Won over at least 3m, 8/10
  • Top-three finish last time out, 8/10
  • Adjusted RPR of at least 139, 7/10
  • Rated within 9lb of RPR top-rated, 7/10 (exceptions 18lb to 29lb off top)

Other factors

  • The record of the previous year’s winner is 141P7F.
  • There have been three back-to-back winners since 2012 – Salsify (2012-13), On The Fringe (2015-16) and Pacha Du Polder (2017-18). The last one before them was Double Silk in 1993-94.
  • Five winners had competed at a previous festival.
  • Those aged 12 or older are winless in the last ten years. The 13-year-old Earthmover (2004) is the only winner from this category since 1990.

We have all the best Cheltenham Betting offers ahead of placing your bets on the St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase

WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - St James's Place Hunters' Chase 2023

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PREMIER MAGIC had failed to give his running in this race last year when pulled up but, with cheekpieces added, came in to this year’s renewal once again in good order on the back of two point wins and toughed it out well to run out a surprise 66-1 winner. Its On The Line was struggling to get involved from the back of the third-last but finished strongly up the hill. This was a cracking effort. Shantou Flyer has a fine festival record having made the frame in the Ultima, a Kim Muir and two editions of this race and rallied to gamely from the last to regain third.