2026 St James's Place Hunter's Chase Tips, Odds and News
Following on from the Gold Cup on day four at the Cheltenham Festival is the Foxhunter Chase. Know affectionately as the "amateur's Gold Cup" this traditional race is open only to horses who've been running in hunter chases and point-to-point races.
Once the new National Hunt season starts and the contenders begin to come forward, we'll have a range of Foxhunter Chase tips live on the website.
St James's Place Hunter's Chase Result
Position
Name
SP
1st
Wonderwall
28/1
2nd
Its On The Line
4/1
3rd
Willitgoahead
13/2
Hunter's Chase Day Card
Cheltenham Day 4 Card
Time
Friday Races (Day 4)
Status
Distance
13:20
Triumph Hurdle
Grade One
2m
14:00
County Hurdle
Grade Three Handicap
2m
14:40
Mares' Chase
Grade Two
2m 4f
15:20
Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle
Grade One
3m
16:00
Cheltenham Gold Cup
Grade One
3m 2f
16:40
St James's Place Hunter Chase
Class Two
3m 2f
17:20
Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle
Class Two Handicap
2m 4f
Hunter's Chase History
Known as the "amateurs Gold Cup", the Foxhunter Chase has played a crucial role at the Cheltenham Festival since it's inaugural running in 1946.
The Foxhunters is a Class Two chase run over the same trip as the Cheltenham Gold Cup. To be eligible to run in the race, entrants must have finished first or second twice in hunter chases, or have won two point-to-point races, or have won one open point-to-point race and finished first or second in a hunter chase.
One of the most famous winners of the Foxhunter Chase was Halloween, who won as a six-year-old in 1951. Bill Wightman's star would go on to win several Graded races, including two victories in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The Callant was the first horse to win back-to-back Foxhunters in 1956 and '57. Since then, nine horses have won the race twice, the most recent dual-winner being Pacha du Polder in 2017 and '18.
Laurie Morgan both trained and rode the second two-time winner, College Master in the early 1960s. In 1973, Lord Oaksey rode Bullocks Horn to victory for Bob Turnell.
Oliver Sherwood, trainer of Grand National winner Many Clouds, rode two Foxhunter Chase winners for Fred Winter in the 1980s. Ted Walsh guided Attitude Adjuster to victory for Mouse Morris in 1986.
Richard Barber is the joint-most successful trainer in Foxhunters history, saddling four winners between 1992 and '98.
Barber's final winner, Earthmover moved to Paul Nicholls' yard soon after his win in 1998. Earthmover would go on to win the Foxhunters again for his new trainer as a 13-year-old in 2004.
Nicholls has since equaled Barber's tally of four winners, with Sleeping Night scoring, and Pacha du Polder winning twice.
Enda Bolger and Nina Carberry teamed up to win with On The Fringe in 2015, before successfully retaining their crown a year later.
Philip Rowley's prolific pointer Hazel Hill won the Foxhunter Chase in 2019. Hazel Hill was then surprisingly beaten in 2020, as 66/1 outsider It Came To Pass claimed a surprise win for the father, daughter combination of Eugene and Maxine O'Sullivan.
Billaway finished second again in 2021, as he was beaten by Will Biddick's Porlock Bay.
