William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase: Cheltenham Festival RaceFrench horse Jakari ridden by Richard Johnson rides down the home straight during The William Hill Trophy Handicap steeple chase Class A Grade 3 race during the opening day of The Cheltenham Festival 15 March 2005. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

The William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase is the first major handicap steeplechase run at the Cheltenham Festival.

The William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase dates back to the 1950s and has a record of producing future Cheltenham Gold Cup winners with five race winners going on to win the Cheltenham Festival’s top race. The race is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase run on the Cheltenham Racecourse Old Course.

The William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase, Cheltenham Festival race, is open to horses aged five and over and is run over 3 miles and a ½ furlong. As a handicap event the race has a tendency to draw a large field and it is unusual for the pre-race favourite to win the race with only two favourites achieving this feat since 1969.

William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase Winners

Like the other handicap events at the Cheltenham Festival, the William Hill Handicap Chase sees few racehorses win more than once. Only two horses have won the race twice; Sentina doing so in 1957 and 1958, with Scot Lane the last to do so in 1982 and 1983.

The William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase also seems to be a slippery title for jockeys, as only Robert Thornton has managed to hold the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase winner’s title for two years in the last decade. Thornton achieved his wins on Fork Lightning and Kelami in 2004 and 2005.

In recent years Nicky Henderson has been the trainer to make the biggest impact on the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase. Although no trainer has managed to train more than one William Hill Trophy Handicap chase winner in the last decade, Henderson has seen five of his last eight entries into the race finish placed.

William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase Betting

When looking at the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase, Cheltenham Festival race, betting markets keep in mind that favourites tend not to win the race, whilst horses not rated in the top five tend to have equally poor prospects.

With the race distance extending over more than 3 miles it is useful to look out for horses with stamina and experience over 3 miles.