Cheltenham Festival 202412 – 15 March 2024

Ultima Handicap Chase Betting Tips & Race Preview – Cheltenham Festival 2023

Tom Scudamore rides Un Temps Pour Tout during the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival

The Ultima Handicap Chase is a hugely competitive race at the Cheltenham Festival, where many of the top handicappers come together, producing a thrilling race. The race is a real test at the end of a hard season for these handicappers, and is ran over the distance of three miles and one furlong, so you need a horse that can stay to win this race. Many horses will arrive looking well handicapped, but because there are so many of those, it is often very difficult to solve the puzzle that is the Ultima Handicap Chase.

However, having said that, when you look through the previous winners of this race it is often the case that the quality animals come to the fore. Some of the previous winners have carried big weights to victory, and are horses that are just short of being top class and running in graded events at the festival. It takes a very good horse to win the Ultima, one that has a touch of class, while being well handicapped. Let's check our Ultima Handicap Chase tips.

Ultima Handicap Chase Tips – Day 1, 14:50

Bullionaire, Favourite #1

Favourites Horse Odds Best Bookmaker Bet Now
#1 Bullionaire 20/1 Ladborkes Bet Now
#2 Red Jack 25/1 Paddy Power Bet Now

2023 Ultima Handicap Chase Preview

Un Temps Pour Tout and Tom Scudamore leading last year's Ultima Handicap Chase

Last season we saw a fabulous performance from Un Temps Pour Tout, who won the race for the second year in a row, beating the highly fancied novice Singlefarmpayment into second place. It takes a huge amount of work by a trainer and guts by a horse to top the Ultima Handicap Chase results, so to win it twice in two years is a huge credit to the team at the David Pipe yard, and of course the horse.

Over the past few seasons this race has been dominated by British trainers, with the Irish not winning it a single time in the last ten years. There are many hugely competitive handicaps throughout the season in Britain at around this distance and maybe because of those races the horses are more prepared and find this race a little easier than the Irish runners. However you look at it, the stats show it is unlikely that an Irish horse will win the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase.

Ultima Handicap Chase Tips – Cheltenham 2023

Favourites Horse Odds Best Bookmaker Arkle Chase Tips
#1 Melon 12/1 Betfair Bet Now
#2 Petit Mouchoir 12/1 Bet365 Bet Now

Ultima Handicap Chase Betting Odds

Cheltenham Festival

Odds will appear here…

Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase Winners

After the brilliance of Un Temps Pour Tout, David Pipe has joined Jonjo O’Neill at the top of the trainers list for this race, both having three wins each in the past ten years. Elsewhere the rest of the victories have been spread around various British yards, such is the competitiveness of this race, and Ultima Handicap Chase trends show it!

Last 10 winners

Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2018 Coo Star Sivola Lizzie Kelly Nick Williams
2017 Un Temps Pour Tout T.Scudamore D.Pipe
2016 Un Temps Pour Tout T.Scudamore D.Pipe
2015 The Druids Nephew B.Gerraghty N.Mulholland
2014 Holywell R.McLernon J.O’Neill
2013 Golden Chieftain J.Tizzard C.Tizzard
2012 Alfie Sherrin R.McLernon J.O’Neill
2011 Bensalem R.Thornton A.King
2010 Chief Dan George P.Aspell J.Moffatt
2009 Wichita Lineman A.P.McCoy J.O’Neill

Leading Trainers

Wins Trainer Years
3 D.Pipe 2008, 2016, 2017
3 J.O’Neill 2009, 2012, 2014
1 Nick Williams 2018
1 N.Mulholland 2015
1 C.Tizzard 2013
1 A.King 2011

 

Leading Jockeys

Wins Jockey Years
3 T.Scudamore 2008, 2016, 2017
2 R.McLernon 2012, 2014
1 B.Gerraghty 2015
1 J.Tizzard 2013
1 R.Thornton 2011
1 P.Aspell 2010
1 Lizzie Kelly 2018

Cheltenham 2023 Ultima Handicap Chase Race Conditions

Very dynamic photo of jockeys and horses during the Ultima Handicap Chase

The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase is an extremely tough race to win for those who enter, it takes a strong a gutsy horse as well as one who is classed as well handicapped. Those horses are hard to come by, which is why many different stables will fancy a horse for the race, target it at the race but ultimately come up short because something else is better than it on the day.

The race conditions are set for this race to be a handicap chase race, with a distance of three miles and one furlong. Horses aged five years and older can enter, including novice horses although not many enter because of the tough nature of this race. However, those that do are often some of the best handicapped horses in the race, so worth keeping an eye out for.

Location Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham England
Race Type Handicap chase
Distance Three miles and one furlong (3M1F)
Age Five year and older
Surface Turf