Sun Alliance Handicap Chase

The competitors who line up for the Sun Alliance Novices Chase are all coming to the end of their first season over fences. Cheltenham Form can therefore be a little misleading with many entrants having only ran a couple of times in that season. At over three miles in length it is not an easy trip for the novices and shocks are often a feature of this event, illustrated with only one favourite winning in the last seven years.

Cheltenham Festival Odds - Day Two Wednesday
2.00pm	Ballymore Properties Novices Hurdle Odds	Free Bets
2.35pm	Royal Sun Alliance Chase Betting Odds	Free Bets
3.15pm	Queen Mother Chase Betting Odds	Free Bets
4.00pm	Coral Cup Betting Odds	Free Bets
4.40pm	National Hunt Novice Chase	Free Bets
5.20pm	Champion Bumper Betting Odds	Free Bets

The best suggestion is to look for the more experienced horses in making your selection and one race to consider as a good form guide is the Reynoldstown Chase, run earlier in the National Hunt Racing calendar.

The third race on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Sun Alliance Novices Chase 2008 Results

Albertas Run went off the favourite to get Jono O'Neill and AP McCoy started at this years festival. Joe Lively took it up from the start, Battle Cry followed him out into the country with Silverburn right there. Air Force One settled in Midfield with Albertas Run. Pomme Tiepy was the first to come down and Joe Lively made a bad mistake at the next fence. Silverburn took it up going out into the country once more with Air Force One making to many mistakes. Starzam made a bad mistake, as did Silverburn which gave the lead to Battle Cry with Albertas Run coming at him strongly and jumped the last well and went on to win well.

1. Albertas Run (A.P. McCoy) 4/1 Fav
2. Roll Along (T Murphy) 20/1
3. Battle Cry (P Brennan) 25/1
11 ran

Sun Alliance Novices Chase 2007 Results

Denman lived up to his billing in this race and winning with loads to spare and it will be interesting to see how far he can go in the jumping game. Denman had the race won when Aces Four stumbled three out with his winning time around nine seconds quicker than that recorded by good handicappers in the William Hill Chase 24 hours previously. At this stage it would be impossible to rate his bare form anywhere near that of Kauto Star, but he is an outstanding talent, as connections have always insisted, and the manner in which he finished the race surely dispelled any lingering stamina doubts.

1. Denman (R Walsh) 6/5 Fav
2. Snowy Morningdle Talk (M Fitzgerald) 10/1
3. According to John (Tony Dobbin) 66/1
17 ran

Sun Alliance Novices Chase 2006 Results

Paul Nicholls will be remembered when his time has come and gone by the phrase 2you win nothing if you can not jump" and this summed up this race to a tee. There was a catalogue of errors by his rivals and Star de Mohaison jumped beautifully and won with his head in his chest, there was nothing else to match the winners jumping and the result was clear from a long way out..

1. Star de Mohaison (BJ Geraghty) 14-1
2. Idle Talk (JM Maguire) 33/1
3. Darkness (PJ Brennan) 11/2
15 ran

Sun Alliance Novices Chase 2005 Results

Coming into the Festival the Nicky Henderson horses did not seem to be in the best of form, all this changed on the second day with Trabolgan justifying Henderson's faith in this high class novice chaser. Even after making a bad error three fences out Trabolgan headed Comply or Die into the home straight and was never going to be caught thereafter.

1. Trabolgan (MA Fitzgerald) 5/1
2. Comply Or Die (TJ Murphy) 3/1 F
3. Cornish Rebel (R Walsh) 9/2

Sun Alliance Novices Chase 2004 Results

Rule Supreme upset the odds to claim victory in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices Chase. The horse, ridden by David Casey, came in at 25-1, beating the well-fancied Our Vic and Tony McCoy, who eventually finished third.

In a race run at a strong enough gallop, Rule Supreme came from well off the pace to score. Last but one at the top of the hill, he made relentless progress on the descent and forged home up the final climb. Stamina and stamina alone won him the prize. Quite what would have happened had Royal Emperor's rider not lost his whip is open to question. Given the hype surrounding Our Vic, the hot favourite was ultimately disappointing. Perhaps surprisingly ridden very close to the pace, given that he had run a screamer in the two-mile William Hill National Hunt Handicap, he blundered at the first, ran freely down the first hill and then made several minor mistakes.

Sun Alliance Novices Chase 2003 Results

One Knight took the 2003 Cheltenham Festival Sun Alliance Chase in great style, leading from start to finish with a memorable front running display. Despite several jumping mistakes he was still far too strong for the competition and crossed the line three lengths clear of the second placed Jair du Cochet. Under Jacques Ricou the favourite Jair du Cochet was left with far too much to do in the final furlong and had perhaps been kept at the rear of the field for a little too long. Narrowly beaten into third place was the Irish horse Barrow Drive, who on the basis of this spirited performance could be one to watch in future Cheltenham Festivals.