Cheltenham Trials Day: Betfair Cotswold Chase Trends

• Katie Midwinter takes a deep dive into the Betfair Cotswold Chase

• A field of six are set to contend the Grade 2 on Festival Trials Day

• Find out which trends suit favour certain runners ahead of Saturday's race

• Our Cheltenham offer is live! Get a completely free bet every weekend until the Festival

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L'Homme Presse a worthy Cotswold Chase favourite

Run over an extended 3m1f, the Betfair Cotswold Chase has attracted a field of six ahead of the 2025 edition, with Venetia Williams-trained L'Homme Presse heading the market as he bids to provide his yard with a first success in the Grade Two contest.

Making his fourth appearance at the course, L'Homme Presse has performed well in each of his three starts here to date, winning the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, as well as landing a Grade Two prize and finishing a respectable fourth in the Gold Cup last year.

The talented gelding returned from a 391-day break to beat Protektorat at Lingfield last January, proving he still retains plenty of ability, and was able to run with credit to place third in the King George VI Chase when last seen, in his first start of the season.

The fact he comes into this race on the back of a recent start bodes well for his chances considering all of the previous ten winners benefitted from a previous run before winning the race.

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Tommie Beau has a stiff task at the weights

All six of this year's contenders have been seen already this season, with Tommie Beau the most recently seen having lined up at Windsor last Sunday.

Tommie Beau has 21lb to find with the favourite on ratings, with a gulf of 12lb between himself and the next lowest-rated horse in the field, Chantry House. The likable gelding is faced with a stiff task at the weights, despite being in receipt of 6lb from Gentlemansgame, running from a mark of 142.

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Irish raiders could be worth a second look

All but one of the previous ten winners were rated 160 or higher, with 159-rated Definitly Red the only exception. Only L'Homme Presse and Gentlemansgame fall into that category in this field, with the others all needing to find improvement to reach that level. 

Gentlemansgame caused a small upset when beating 10/111.91 favourite Bravemansgame in his first British start when winning the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last season, but hasn't been at his best since, pulling up in the Gold Cup before being well beaten by Gerri Colombe at Aintree.

Last seen in third when sent off at odds of 28/129.00 for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last month, few horses trained outside of Britain have won the race, but an Irish-raider in the form of Capodanno was successful last year, and Gentlemansgame is one of two, along with Delta Work, who make the trip across the Irish Sea this year.

A twelve-year-old is yet to win the race, which is a negative for Delta Work, who returns to Cheltenham for Gordon Elliott. He has been seen sparingly outside of handicaps in recent years, and will likely have his sights set on March, with his previous success at a higher level than a Grade Three coming four years ago when winning the Irish Gold Cup.

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Stage Star on the recovery mission

Paul Nicholls is the leading trainer in the race with five wins, most recently when saddling popular Frodon to success in 2019. Third-place is the best finishing position he's managed since, however, with 3/14.00 favourite Stay Away Fay last year, and this year's Ditcheat representative Stage Star, who is on somewhat of a recovery mission, must show significant improvement on his recent effort at the track.

A return to Grade Two company could be in his favour, if under the impression he was likely to improve for his first outing of his campaign at Aintree, and if shouldering a hefty weight in the December Gold Cup proved too much for the gelding. The nine-year-old is a previous Grade One winner here in novice company, stepping up in trip, attempting further than 2m5f for the first time, and could pose a threat under champion jockey Harry Cobden. 

Two nine-year-olds have won in the previous ten renewals, but it's eight-year-olds who have dominated in recent renewals. There isn't an eight-year-old in this year's field, but a younger horse is favoured on recent trends, with only two of the previous ten winners aged ten or above - a positive statistic for both Stage Star and Gentlemansgame.

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Chantry House looking to regain Cotswold Chase title

Many Clouds was able to regain his title in this race in 2017, having won two years earlier and been beaten a year prior. See More Business is another who was able to achieve the same feat, with a two year gap between his victories. Chantry House is attempting a similar achievement, having previously obliged at odds of 5/61.84 in the 2022 renewal. 

The proven winner is the only horse coming into this race on the back of a previous success, which had worked well for Santini, Frodon, Definitely Red, and Many Clouds twice, in the past. Whilst age may be against him on trends, although didn't stop Native River in 2021, nor See More Business in 2001, there are positives in his favour, and Chantry House seemed a rejuvenated horse when recording a course-and-distance victory here on New Year's Day.

Only two favourites have won in the past 14 years, but all winners in the same timeframe have been sent off at single-figure odds. There's rarely an upset in the contest, with Taranis being the previous winner at a bigger price when deemed a 16/117.00 chance in 2010, the third successive winner at double-figure odds.

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Betfair Cotswold Chase Verdict

1. L'Homme Presse

2. Gentlemansgame

3. Stage Star

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