Challenge Cup Open Hunters Chase 2027 Betting Odds

2026 The St James's Place Festival Hunters' Chase Betting

The latter obliged in 2025 as a nine-year-old and may well return in March to defend his title. The horse was sent off as a 28/1 shot in the race twelve months ago, although it was a game effort on good to soft ground. In a close finish, the charge was able to fend off Its On The Line by a small margin, with plenty to recommend the horse here.

In November, there was a success at Dromahane on the point-to-point course, with the bookies also thinking that Con's Roc has a strong chance. On Boxing Day, the nine-year-old produced a strong effort at Down Royal to finish third out of sixteen runners. Its On The Line was actually the winner on that occasion, with the runner having previously obliged at Fairyhouse. It's On The Line has to be considered and Emmet Mullins trains a runner who is owned by JP McManus and the horse has collected lots of prize money during his career. We were taken by his outing at Punchestown in May where the 10/11 favourite won the Hunters' Chase on yielding ground and there could be more to come from the horse.

Panda Boy has been one of the market movers for this race, with the ten-year-old having landed successive wins this term. Trained by Martin Brassil, there was a January success at Thurles over three miles and one furlong. That came on yielding ground and was followed by a four-length victory in the Hunters Chase at Naas. Music Drive and Stattler are also likely to line up here. The former runs for Kelly Morgan who will hope that the nine-year-old can return to the track successfully after a long absence. There has previously been a Cheltenham success in May after finishing fourth in this very race twelve months ago.

2025 Festival Hunter Chase Tips

Its On The Line is the current favourite to win the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase, with Emmet Mullins training an eight-year-old who has produced some strong performances this term. The latest effort saw the horse finish third out of nine runners at Naas when flopping as the 4/7 favourite in the QuinnBet Hunters Chase.

Angels Dawn is a ten-year-old with bags of ability, with the horse bagging a victory in Dromahane at the end of December, with the runner falling in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival although he was travelling well when tumbling down in the end.

Willitgoahead is a largely untested seven-year-old that could perform well based on his latest effort at Thurles. The horse was sent off as the 11/10 favourite when winning by three and a half lengths, with this coming after finishing second out of sixteen horses at Limerick at the end of December.

Sine Nomine is a nine-year-old who fell last time out although we shouldn’t overlook the fact that the horse was successful in this race twelve months ago. On that occasion, the charge was narrowly victorious when touching off Its On The Line, although the horse hasn’t been showing any kind of form this season which explains his bigger price.