National Hunt Chase Tips: 2022 Betting Preview & Trends

Gavin Beech

February 14th, 2022

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The 2022 National Hunt Chase has a wide-open feel to it, with the odds lists at horse racing betting sites dominated by Irish-trained runners.

National Hunt Chase tips often feature horses that go on to run in the biggest staying races of all. For example, 2021 winner Galvin is now the favourite in 2022 Gold Cup betting, so the National Hunt Chase is always a race worth watching closely.

National Hunt Chase Tips

• Back Threeunderthrufive to win - 7/1 with 888sport

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National Hunt Chase Runners in Focus  

Here's a closer look at the potential contenders for the 2022 National Hunt Chase:

Fred a Star Attraction For Elliott

Trainer Gordon Elliott has won the National Hunt Chase four times since 2011 and he has fine prospects of enhancing that record in 2022.

Elliott’s six-strong list of entries is headed by Run Wild Fred. He looks more likely to run here than stablemate Fury Road, who actually beat Run Wild Fred by eight lengths at Leopardstown in December.

Run Wild Fred is a second-season novice with a pretty poor strike-rate in truth (1-10 over fences) but he has some seriously strong staying chase form to his name. He finished second in the 2021 Irish Grand National last April before running away with this season’s Troytown Chase by over seven lengths.

Versatile ground-wise, Run Wild Fred has long been touted by his trainer for the National Hunt Chase and he brings a high level of form to the table.

Read More: Get the best Cheltenham offers ahead of the 2022 Festival

Stattler Has The Class to Strike

Another classy stayer expected to appreciate the step up in trip is the Willie Mullins-trained Stattler, who was fourth in the 2021 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Stattler didn’t manage to win outside of maiden company over hurdles but he’s already a better chaser and there is the potential for a lot more to come over staying trips.

The seven-year-old outstayed Farouk D'alene to land a Grade 3 novice chase at Naas at the end of January and should be considered among National Hunt Chase betting tips.

More Mullins Contenders

The Mullins-trained Capodanno got within hailing distance of Bob Olinger on just his second start over fences and not many National Hunt Chase contenders would be capable of that kind of form.

However, his jumping let him down when he came a cropper at the fifth fence in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown and this Cheltenham race will provide a thorough test of his jumping ability.

Fellow Irish-trained entrant Vanillier deserves considerable respect as the only previous Cheltenham Festival winner with a National Hunt Chase entry.

However, his chase form has dipped since he won a Grade 2 at Punchestown in November and he was thrashed by Stattler at Naas, so there are serious question marks hanging over Gavin Cromwell’s runner now.

Read More: Gambling.com's in-depth guide to picking a winner in horse racing

2022 National Hunt Chase Tip: Threeunderthrufive

The best of the home challenge looks to be Threeunderthrufive, who has racked up four successive chase wins this term including an easy success around Cheltenham’s Old Course.

Completely dominant in a Grade 2 around Warwick in January, the Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old looks to have enough class and pace to have a crack at the shorter Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (formerly the RSA Chase) and connections appear to be favouring that Grade 1 prize.

However, he is quite a sight when in full flow and his jumping is impeccable for a novice. He has the class and profile to serve it right up to the best of the Irish runners if allowed to take his chance, so with that in mind, he has to be high on any National Hunt Chase tips list.

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National Hunt Chase Odds  

• Odds correct as of 22/02/2022 - For full latest odds head over to 888sport

National Hunt Chase Trends  

• Stamina key: 13 of the last 16 National Hunt Chase winners had won at least one race over three miles or further.
• Age range: Since the turn of the century, only four horses older than eight have won the race, although two 10-year-olds have won the race since 2018.
• Course form counts: Since 2006, 11 National Hunt Chase winners had already raced around Prestbury Park, four of which won.
• Recent winning form: In the same period, 13 of the 16 winners had won at least one race that season.
• Favourite misery: No favourite has won this race since 2013 but this isn’t generally a race for huge shocks either. The biggest-priced winner in recent years was 16/1 chance Tiger Roll in 2017. Whatever happened to him?
• Green-tinted: Irish-trained runners have won five of the last seven editions and the last five favourites have all been trained in Ireland, although none of them could justify their market position.

Recent National Hunt Chase Winners  

National Hunt Chase Verdict 

As is the modern trend with this race, Irish-trained runners dominate National Hunt Chase tips. The likes of Stattler and Run Wild Fred look tailor-made for the stamina-sapping contest and it’s hard to ignore that pair.

However, when you take into account National Hunt Chase trends, market leaders have a poor recent record in this race, so it looks worth taking a chance on something at slightly bigger odds.

Given the best betting sites are now going NRNB on all Cheltenham Festival races, it looks worth backing THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE at 7/1 and hoping connections decide to target this race.

This classy novice is a strong traveller who jumps superbly, so if he gets into a nice rhythm near the front, he could be very hard to stop. Back him safe in the knowledge that if he doesn’t run, you’ll get your money back. If he does run, he’ll be in with a great chance.

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