You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Old Roan Chase Preview
Scheduled to take place in October of each year at the Aintree Racecourse is the Old Roan Chase. This Grade 2 limited handicap chase was originally known as the Wigan Chase when established in 2004. The race takes place early in the jumps season, with it being run over a trip of two miles and four furlongs, in which a total of sixteen fences are faced.
The popular Monet's Garden won the race three times in four years (2007, 2009 & 2010) and has been a happy hunting ground for the experienced chaser, with plenty in their older age being successful in this race.
Aintree Spring Trail Leads the Way
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Old Roan Chase Information:
In April, the only thing racing fans are interested in is the Grand National tips from the OLBG expert racing tipsters, which of the forty runners are they predicting to win the showcase race at Aintree? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Aintree Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the Old Roan Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2011, when the race had an over-round of 105%. The race in 2023 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 121%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Old Roan Chase, the over-round has been 115%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £115 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Old Roan Chase Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Old Roan Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Old Roan Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Wishfull Thinking (4:49.10) in 2014
- Conquisto (4:50.30) in 2013
- Third Intention (4:50.40) in 2016
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Old Roan Chase next time out, then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -16.90. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Old Roan Chase.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Wishfull Thinking, trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson, who set the fastest winning time in the Old Roan Chase. That runner won the race in a time of 4:49.10 in 2014. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and jockey Paddy Brennan with Knowhere who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 5:19.50 in the 2008 renewal.
Old Roan Chase Past Winners
Here are the Old Roan Chase past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Old Roan Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:55.77 | Hitman (FR) 9yo 11-3 9/1 | Freddie Gingell Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2024 5:01.89 | Minella Drama (IRE) 9yo 10-6 3/1 | Brian Hughes Donald McCain (GB) |
| 2023 5:09.85 | Jetoile (IRE) 8yo 11-0 25/1 | Daryl Jacob Ryan Potter (GB) |
| 2022 4:57.36 | Riders Onthe Storm (IRE) 9yo 10-6 16/1 | Brian Hughes Richard Hobson (GB) |
| 2021 4:51.43 | Allmankind (GB) 5yo 11-10 9/4F | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2020 5:09.70 | Nuts Well (GB) 9yo 11-7 18/1 | Danny McMenamin (3lbs) Ann Hamilton (GB) |
| 2019 5:03.75 | Forest Bihan (FR) 8yo 10-4 9/2 | Brian Hughes Brian Ellison (GB) |
| 2018 4:51.30 | Frodon (FR) 6yo 11-7 9/2 | Bryony Frost (3lbs) Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2017 5:01.40 | Smad Place (FR) 10yo 11-3 12/1 | Wayne Hutchinson Alan King (GB) |
| 2016 4:50.40 | Third Intention (IRE) 9yo 10-7 5/1 | Aidan Coleman Colin Tizzard (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Old Roan Chase have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 30 placings from 158 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 5 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
2025 Old Roan Chase Replay
Old Roan Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Old Roan Chase over the last 20 renewals is Paul Nicholls, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Kauto Star (2006), Sound Investment (2015), Frodon (2018) and Hitman (2025). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Old Roan Chase is Nicky Richards (3 wins).
Here are some of the top Old Roan Chase trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 23-4-9 | +2.50 | +1.93 |
| Nicky Richards | 5-3-3 | +16.25 | +7.70 |
| Dan Skelton | 10-1-2 | -6.75 | -6.02 |
| Philip Hobbs | 8-1-3 | +7.00 | +4.35 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 8-1-3 | +1.00 | +0.20 |
| Donald McCain | 8-1-3 | -4.00 | -2.95 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 7-1-2 | -3.50 | -3.50 |
| Alan King | 6-1-1 | +7.00 | +2.50 |
| Ann Hamilton | 3-1-1 | +16.00 | +9.25 |
| Brian Ellison | 3-1-2 | +2.50 | +2.91 |
Old Roan Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Old Roan Chase over the last 20 renewals is Brian Hughes, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Forest Bihan (2019), Riders Onthe Storm (2022) and Minella Drama (2024).
Here are some of the top Old Roan Chase jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Hughes | 11-3-6 | +15.50 | +9.52 |
| Harry Skelton | 10-1-2 | -6.75 | -6.02 |
| Nick Scholfield | 4-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.70 |
| Dougie Costello | 4-1-1 | +1.00 | -0.50 |
| Danny McMenamin | 3-1-1 | +16.00 | +9.25 |
| Freddie Gingell | 2-1-2 | +8.00 | +5.82 |
| Bryony Frost | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.70 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -5.23 |
| Ryan Mania | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | -1.20 |
| Harry Cobden | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -4.17 |
2026 Old Roan Chase Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 2, 6, (2, 8), 3, 3, (1, PU), UR, 4, PU, 6, PU, 3, 2, 3, 1, 6, 11, 4, 5
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Off a break of 15 - 225 days
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran in 13 - 44 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried 126 - 161lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - In a field of 6 - 29 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Highest Run is not G2/LST/Cl2-3
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Held an OR of 137+ (Going)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Achieved an RPR of 146+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 2 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in 2 - 15 races (Going)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career Win)
- 18 / 20 (84%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 18 / 20 (88%) - No more than 2 falls (Career)
- 16 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 12/1
- 16 / 20 (79%) - Won by at least 1½l (Last Win)
- 16 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 16/1 (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Aintree racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Old Roan Chase. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Old Roan Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
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2026 Old Roan Chase Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the Old Roan Chase will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
Old Roan Chase Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +40.50, is when runners had a highest class placed of Class 1 (G1).
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 3 career places over further; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-24.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Old Roan Chase is Aintree; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Aintree last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 164 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 1 runner.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Old Roan Chase; that stallion, Roselier, has produced 3 winners (2010,2009,2007).
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Old Roan Chase; that stallion is Presenting, who has failed to produce a winner from 6 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Jetoile in 2023, winning for Ryan Potter at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Daryl Jacob. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 3 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 Old Roan Chase, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Old Roan Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Old Roan Chase. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Hitman Sandown - 7th of 9 (29/1) | Oaksey Chase |
| 2024 - Minella Drama Aintree - PU of 7 (50/1) | Melling Chase |
| 2023 - Jetoile Chepstow - 1st of 7 (11/8) | Dunraven Windows Handicap Chase |
| 2022 - Riders Onthe Storm Aintree - 13th of 29 (33/1) | Topham Chase |
| 2021 - Allmankind Chepstow - 3rd of 9 (7/4) | Geoffrey Broomhall Memorial Handicap Hurdle |
| 2020 - Nuts Well Kelso - 1st of 6 (19/2) | NSPCC School Service Handicap Chase |
| 2019 - Forest Bihan Kelso - 3rd of 6 (7/2) | Belhaven Best Handicap Chase |
| 2018 - Frodon Cheltenham - 13th of 16 (7/1) | Silver Trophy Chase |
| 2017 - Smad Place Aintree - 3rd of 7 (10/1) | Bowl Chase |
| 2016 - Third Intention Sandown - 4th of 7 (16/1) | Oaksey Chase |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Old Roan Chase Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
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