Foxhunter Steeplechase Tips 2022
Foxhunter Steeple Chase tips are from one of the most intriguing races to appear at the Cheltenham Festival. While it is not a graded race, it is run at the same distance and has the same number of fences as the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The difference is that this is for amateur riders, and horses have to do enough to qualify for the fixture. Our racing experts look through the latest Foxhunter Steeple Chase odds for 2022.
Foxhunter Steeple Chase Potential Runners & Favourites
With the element of amateur riders competing in this fixture, it’s informally known as the ‘Amateur Gold Cup’. As a result, there are usually some big prices to be found throughout the Foxhunter Steeple Chase odds. It can be a tricky field to pick through, however.
There has been a dominant market leader for 2022 St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase betting odds. That is the Willie Mullins-trained BILLAWAY, who, if the markets are right, clearly sets the standard.
He does have Cheltenham Festival experience as Billaway has taken second place in the last two renewals of this race. A comfortable win at Naas in February sets him up nicely for another attempt at the Foxhunter.
The presence of WINGED LEADER is not to be ignored as he’s won on his last five outings. After a break of two and a half months, Winged Leader returned to action to crush Billaway by 12 lengths at Thurles in a January Hunter chase. As a result, he will get his first taste of Cheltenham this year.
As one of the highest-rated contenders in the field, BOB AND CO could also be in the mix. Last year’s effort in the Foxhunters Chase didn’t pan out, though. He was going well in midfield when he stumbled and lost his rider. Bob And Co warmed up for this year’s Cheltenham action with a Hunter’s appearance at Haydock in February.
COUSIN PASCAL could have something to offer from a longer quote in St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase tips. He beat Bob And Co at Haydock in that February Hunters effort, and he looks like he has a big engine.
Others worth noting in the betting are FUMET D’OUDAIRIES, LORD SCHNITZEL and IT CAME TO PASS.
Foxhunter Steeple Chase Confirmed Runners
| Horse | Silks | Trainer/Jockey | Odds |
| Billaway |  | J: Patrick Mullins T: Willie Mullins | 5/2 |
| Winged Leader |  | J: B O’Neill T: David Christie | 9/2 |
| Bob And Co |  | J: David Maxwell T: Paul Nicholls | 6/1 |
| Pont Aven |  | J: Alex Chadwick T: James Owen | 9/1 |
| Dubai Quest |  | J: Gina Andrews T: Tom Ellis | 12/1 |
| Cousin Pascal |  | J: James King T: Joe O’Shea | 14/1 |
| Fumet D’oudairies |  | J: Zac Baker T: Tom Ellis | 16/1 |
| Premier Magic |  | J: Bradley Gibbs T: Bradley Gibbs | 16/1 |
| Lord Schnitzel |  | J: M C O’Donovan T: Declan Queally | 20/1 |
| It Came To Pass |  | J: M O’Sullivan T: Eugene O’Sullivan | 22/1 |
| Mighty Stowaway |  | J: J J Codd T: Gordon Elliott | 25/1 |
| Monbeg Chit Chat |  | J: Christopher Furness T: G B Walford | 28/1 |
| Desire de Joie | | J: Archie Wright T: N R Wright | 33/1 |
| Overworkdunderpaid |  | J: George Chatterton T: L J Morgan | 33/1 |
| Don Bersy |  | J: Tommie M O’Brien T: Ryan Potter | 50/1 |
| Point The Way |  | J: Joe Wright T: G C Brewer | 50/1 |
| Senor Lombardy | | J: Lyall Hodgins T: K Harding | 50/1 |
| Back Bar |  | J: Izzie Marshall T: Alan Hill | 66/1 |
| Zamparelli |  | J: Darren Andrews T: V Collins | 80/1 |
| Rewritetherules |  | J: David O’Brien T: David O’Brien | 100/1 |
*Odds Correct as of 12pm 16/03/22*
How Often Does a Favourite Horse Win The Foxhunter Steeple Chase Race
There have been three winning favourites in the last ten editions of the St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase. The most recent of those was Hazel Hill in 2019 from a 7/2 SP. However, there has been a bit of a recent shift towards longer-priced winners getting home.
Four of the last five winners of the Foxhunter Steeple Chase have been at least a 16/1 SP. One other notable trend is that each of the previous seven winners has been either a 10-year-old or an 11-year-old. Experience is something that has become important in this fixture.
Foxhunter Steeplechase Favourites vs Winners in The Past 10 Years
| Year | Favourite Horse* | Winning Horse |
| 2021 | Billaway (2nd) | Porlock Bay (16/1) |
| 2020 | Billaway (2nd) | It Came To Pass (66/1) |
| 2019 | Hazel Hill | Hazel Hill (7/2) |
| 2018 | Burning Ambition (8th) | Pacha Du Polder (25/1) |
| 2017 | On The Fringe (4th) | Pacha Du Polder (16/1) |
| 2016 | On The Fringe | On The Fringe (13/8) |
| 2015 | Paint The Clouds (3rd) | On The Fringe (6/1) |
| 2014 | Harbour Court (5th) | Tammys Hill (15/2) |
| 2013 | Salsify | Salsify (2/1) |
| 2012 | Chapoturgeon (2nd) | Salsify (7/1) |
*(-) = Finishing Position, UR = Unseated Rider, F = Faller, RO = Ran Out, PU = Pulled Up
Foxhunter Steeple Chase History & Present Time
This race has been around since 1904, and while it may be still commonly referred to as the Foxhunter, its registered name is the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase, with the word ‘fox’ having been dropped since 2021.
This is a 3m 2f trip with 22 fences which, as mentioned, is the same as the Gold Cup. Mares get a 7lb allowance. To get into the St James’s Place, horses must have finished in the top two twice in Hunter chases before or won at least two point-to-point races.
The other way in would be for a horse to have won one point-to-point and to have had a top-two finish in a Hunters chase as well. Horses that had places (top 3) in a Grade 1 or 2 chase from the previous season aren’t allowed to participate in a Hunters Chase.
Foxhunter Steeple Chase Jockey & Trainer Records
The all-time leading trainer in the Foxhunter Steeple Chase at Cheltenham is Richard Barnet from the 90s and, more recently, Paul Nicholls, with four wins each. All four of those wins for Nicholls have come inside the last 20 editions, and he is one of the leading trainers that shows well in the fixture.
The only two trainers in the last twenty editions to see two winners come up are Enda Bolger and Rodger Sweeney, with a couple of wins each.