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St. James's Place Festival Open Hunters' Chase Odds Selection Odds Its On The Line 7/2 Angels Dawn 4/1 Willitgoahead…
Friday 14th March 16:40
The St. James's Place Festival Open Hunters' Chase takes place at 16:40 on Friday 14th March 2025 at the Cheltenham festival and our expert horse racing analysts David Young & Will Smith will be providing hot tips for the race.
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| Bookie | Selection | Best Odds | Market | Bet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Shearer | 10/1 | Win Hunter Chase |
Place Bet |
 |
Its On The Line | 11/2 | Win Hunter Chase |
Place Bet |
Date of Tips: 14/03/2025
Disclaimer The odds for these selections were correct at the time of publishing (08:00 14/03/2025) but may have changed since. Please check the latest price before placing your bet.
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Not a race I’d ever get hugely involved with and it’s often the case that the best horse, and highest rated runner doesn’t land this with Billaway in 2022 and then 2016 the last time before that but Angels Dawn with her allowance on top has to go well given her form at The Festival.
It has been a plan for SHEARER to give trainer Paul Nicholls’ daughter a good chance in this event though. He took the race twice in succession with Pacha Du Polder who finished 5th the year prior when the trainer helped former Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton achieve a goal, who hadn’t even sat on a horse 12 months before. She was only beaten just under 3 lengths in the race and with respect, any jockey with more experience probably would have won that year.
Olive Nicholls has a 26% strike rate over fences from her 27 rides and she’s running at a 32% strike rate when pairing up with her father in all races including two wins on SHEARER this season. The horse is 4 from 4 over fences now and the latest two wins came off the back of a 601-day break. This is a genuine long-term plan and if anyone can pull it off, it’s Paul Nicholls.
The other runner I feel has to be mentioned in this sphere is ITS ON THE LINE who has his own ideas about doing things but twice has finished second in this race. He comes with more risks than some, but he also has much more ability than most so he’s always worth a second look in this type of contest.
SHEARER – 1 STAR WIN @ 10/1 (Betvictor)
ITS ON THE LINE – 1 STAR WIN @ 11/2 (Generally)
The St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase is the penultimate race of the festival and one many will be looking to have a punt on. Despite being one of the final races, there is still time to open new bookmaker accounts and claim the free bets on offer to new customers. Below, we’ve gathered the best St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase free bet offers that are currently available.
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| Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
| Its On The Line | 7/2 |
| Angels Dawn | 4/1 |
| Willitgoahead | 9/2 |
| Ryehill | 9/1 |
| Shearer | 11/1 |
| Music Drive | 11/1 |
| Allmankind | 14/1 |
| Fairly Famous | 18/1 |
| Rocky's Howya | 18/1 |
| Ontheropes | 20/1 |
| Carnfunnock | 25/1 |
| What A Glance | 25/1 |
| Wonderwall | 25/1 |
| Bardenstown Lad | 33/1 |
| Lift Me Up | 33/1 |
| Haven't Time | 40/1 |
| Take All | 40/1 |
| West Of Carrig | 40/1 |
| Angels Breath | 40/1 |
| Plan Of Attack | 50/1 |
| Lisleigh Lad | 80/1 |
| Au Fleuron | 80/1 |
| Cloudy Tuesday | 100/1 |
| Go On Chez | 100/1 |
| Yippee Ki Yay | 100/1 |
| D'jango | 100/1 |
| Hunters Chase | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Distance | Type |
| Fri 14/03/2025 | 16:40 | 3m 2f | Chase |
The Hunters Chase, or its full name, the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, is a Grade 2 steeplechase that is run on the New Course at the Cheltenham Festival. It is a race for amateur riders and is run over a distance of 3 miles and 2 furlongs. The race is open to horses aged five and older and is seen as a showcase for the best amateur riders and horses in the sport.
The Hunters Chase features 23 fences to be jumped over the testing course and horses that are able to display both speed and stamina are best suited to the race. The race is a unique event in that it is run exclusively by amateur riders, which adds an extra layer of excitement and unpredictability to the competition. It is a race that provides amateur riders with an opportunity to showcase their talents on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Over the years, the Hunters Chase has been won by horses such as On The Fringe, Salsify, and Pacha Du Polder.
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New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £/€10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £/€10 Place). Receive £/€20 Tote Credit, £/€10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. #ad
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Previous Tips
2020 Foxhunter Chase Tips [expired]
Not everyone’s cup of tea, granted, but the Foxhunters’ Chase market at this stage provides a couple of very attractive ante-post bets.
Last year’s winner Hazel Hill has shown his fallibility when being beaten at Wetherby at the beginning of February. What was most alarming was his tendency to shift markedly right-handed at his fences – something which reared its head slightly when winning the Foxhunters last year. It is entirely possible that race fitness will iron this idiosyncrasy out, but when you consider he is still the general favourite for the race, there must be value elsewhere.
When you consider that his nemesis at Wetherby, Minella Rocco, can be backed at 6/1 and has any amount of innate back-class to bring to the race, then I’m finding it hard not to recommend backing him.
Derek O’Connor got a lovely tune out of Minella Rocco at Wetherby, allowing the former Gold Cup runner-up to jump fluently, straight as a die, and travel with supreme efficiency. All attributes that will stand him in good stead when it comes to the nature of the Foxhunters. O’Connor will surely keep the ride, and having him on your side is worth it’s weight in gold in a race like this.
Last year’s second, Shantou Flyer, is also worth a small investment. Beaten only four lengths last year, cutting the deficit back all the way to the line. It is possible that with a slightly more aggressive ride, this confirmed stayer can turn the tables.
Shantou Flyer has joined Rose Loxton since last season, and it’s possible this could eke out a bit more improvement, given that Rose is such an integral part of the Paul Nicholls stable operation. While, he looked as good as ever when absolutely bolting up at Fakenham last week. He is simply too big at 12/1.
In a race where most people will still be concentrating on the aftermath the Gold Cup, run 40 minutes earlier, give yourself a chance to reap some returns with these two classy sorts – one of whom finished second in the Gold Cup of 2017, and the other certainly wouldn’t have been out of place in a Gold Cup.
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