The Saturday feature with the shortest history: how can we figure out the Veterans' Final?

Veterans' races in general have been a great success. By a surface reading the status of this race, a final for the original series of veterans' handicap chases, has gone up like the north face of the Eiger. Ten years ago it did not exist, now it is the feature race on the first Saturday of the year.

There are a couple of caveats. The first is that moving the Tolworth Hurdle to Aintree on Boxing Day did more to make this race a Saturday feature than it ever did by itself. The second is that the most interesting veterans often dip in and out of age-restricted company. This race does not always get the field it might, and it is likely related that shock results have been common.

In nine runnings, only one favourite and one joint-favourite has won. There have been winners returned at 18-1, 20-1 and 50-1. The unique nature of this race is one that punters have yet to fully figure out.