National Hunt Chase
17:20 Cheltenham Festival
2025-03-11
Winner: £52,030
Runners: 45
Going: Soft
No. of hurdles: 23
Distance: 3m5f201y
The Maureen Mullins National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Chase, known as the National Hunt Chase, is a novice chase over 3m6f at the Cheltenham Festival. Up until 2019 it was run over 4m but the distance was reduced due to welfare concerns after 2020's race, in which only four of the 18 runners completed. It is run as the final race on the first day of the festival. The 2025 edition of the National Hunt Chase will no longer be restricted to amateur jockeys and has been downgraded to a novice handicap for horses with a rating of up to 145.
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NATIONAL HUNT CHASE PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2024 | Corbetts Cross | R-312F | 7 | 15-8 | Emmet Mullins | Derek O’Connor |
| 2023 | Gaillard Du Mesnil | 213 | 7 | 10-11 | Willie Mullins | Patrick Mullins |
| 2022 | Stattler | 343-11 | 7 | 2-1 | Willie Mullins | Patrick Mullins |
| 2021 | Galvin | 2-1111 | 7 | 7-2 | I R Ferguson | Jack Kennedy |
| 2020 | Ravenhill | 2152-F | 10 | 12-1 | Gordon Elliott | Jamie Codd |
| 2019 | Le Brueil | 12324 | 7 | 14-1 | Ben Pauling | Jamie Codd |
| 2018 | Rathvinden | 112BU | 10 | 9-2 | Willie Mullins | Patrick Mullins |
| 2017 | Tiger Roll | 22133 | 7 | 16-1 | Gordon Elliott | Lisa O’Neill |
| 2016 | Minella Rocco | 1-3P62 | 6 | 8-1 | Jonjo O’Neill | Derek O’Connor |
| 2015 | Cause Of Causes | 220-75 | 7 | 8-1 | Gordon Elliott | Jamie Codd |
NATIONAL HUNT CHASE KEY TRENDS AND STATS
Key trends
- Had run at the Cheltenham Festival before, 9/10
- Trained in Ireland, 8/10
- Had not won on their previous start, 8/10
- Ran to an RPR of 157 or above, 8/10
- Aged seven, 7/10
Other factors
- Tiger Roll (2017) is the only winner to have been successful before at the Cheltenham Festival.
- All of Willie Mullins’ winners in the race have been ridden by his son, Patrick.
Check out all of our latest Cheltenham Free Bets ahead of placing your bets on the 2025 National Hunt Chase
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - NATIONAL HUNT CHASE 2024
In its last running as a Graded contest, Corbetts Cross turned the race into a procession with an effortless win under leading amateur rider Derek O’Connor. He avenged his dramatic defeat at the festival the year before, when he ran out of the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, with a 17 length win from Embassy Gardens. He made it a staggering six wins on the day for Irish-trained horses and it was extra special as trainer Emmet Mullins won the race which was named in memory of his late grandmother Maureen.