We showcase the past Cotswold Chase winners ahead of this Saturday’s big Cheltenham Trials Day race – which is often billed as a Gold Cup Trial. But has it really been a good guide to the big Blue Riband race at the Festival?
With that in mind, we delve deeper into the past Cotswold Chase winners and see how many horse have won both races, plus who the last one was.
Looks Like Trouble Was The Last Cotswold Chase Winner To Land The Gold Cup
The quick answer to -is the Cotswold Chase is a good pointer towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 14th?
Is no – not really.
Okay, in more recent times the Gold Cup has been dominated by the top Irish stayers – like Galopin Des Champs, A Plus Tard, Minella Indo and Al Boum Photo – and these don’t often have the Cotswold Chase on their radars.
That said, the Cotswold Chase was won by an Irish horse in 2024 – Capodanno – but you have to go back to the Ted Walsh-trained Rince Ri in 2002 to find the next winner from the Emerald Isle.
You then have to go back another two years from there (2000) to come across the last Cotswold Chase winner that went onto land the Cheltenham Gold Cup that same horse racing season.
Step forward LOOKS LIKE TROUBLE.
This 8 year-old was ridden by Norman Williamson in the 2000 Cotswold Chase, but a few months later the Noel Chance horse was guided home in the Gold Cup by Richard Johnson.
In total, the horse won eight of his 14 chase starts and amassed £343,251 in total prize money.
Looks Like Trouble was also sent off favourite with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK for the 2002 Gold Cup – but finished 13th (of 18) to a certain Best Mate, who went onto land three Gold Cups in total.
Did you know? His last ever race was on the flat.
He finished unplaced in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot – ridden by former top flat jockey and now trainer Richard Hughes. 😮
Little Owl and Master Oats The Only Others To Do The Cotswold/Gold Cup Double (Same Season)
With the Cotswold Chase first run in 1980, prior to Looks Like Trouble – there have been only two other horses to win the Gold Cup in the same campaign.
The first was the Peter Easterby-trained Little Owl in 1981. While the other was the classy Master Oats, who was trained by Kim Bailey, in 1995.
Master Oats was ridden in both races by ‘Stormin’ Norman Williamson.
Meaning only three horses in the history of the Cotswold Chase has also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season.
Did you know? Trainer Nicky Henderson won the first ever Cotswold Chase in 1980 with a horse called Raffi Nelson. He’s won two more – Santini (2020) and Chantry House (2022).
Cotswold Chase Race Details 2025
📅Date: Saturday 25th January 2025
⌚Time: 2:25pm
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
🔄Trip: 3m 1 1/2f
💷Winning Purse: £70,338
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV – Full ITV Racing coverage here
Cotswold Chase 2025 Runners 🏇
- Gentlemansgame (Mouse Morris)
- Stage Star (Paul Nicholls)
- Chantry House (Nicky Henderson)
- Delta Work (Gordon Elliott)
- L’Homme Presse (Venetia Williams)
- Tommie Beau (Seamus Mullins)
Note: The final declarations will be out on Thursday 23rd Jan 2025
Native River and See More Business Won Both Races (Just Not In The Same Season)
Some of you might be screaming – saying there has actually been a few other double winners in these races.
Yes, you are right – just not in the same season.
Native River did it the other way round.
He won the Gold Cup in 2018 for Richard Johnson and at the age of 11 – and three years later – took the 2021 Cotswold Chase.
The other horse to have history in both races is See More Business.
This super-talented Paul Nicholls-trained chaser landed the Cotswold Chase twice, the first in 1998 and the other in 2001.
He also landed the Gold Cup in his career – but this came sandwiched between these wins in 1999.
2019 Cotswold Chase Winner Frodon Won The Ryanair Chase That Season
In addition to the Gold Cup being linked to this race, it’s also worth pointing out that the 2019 Cotswold Chase winner Frodon went onto land the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival that same season.
Bryony Frost did the steering for both wins.
His trainer Paul Nicholls has won the Cotswold Chase five times – with Frodon still his most recent.
He’ll be hoping for a sixth success in the race with Stage Star in 2025.
2015 Cotswold Chase Winner Many Clouds Won The Grand National That Season
The Cotswold Chase has also thrown up a Grand National winner in the past.
Back in 2015, the Trevor Hemmings-owned Many Clouds won the Cotswold Chase, which was called the BetBright Cup that season.
This Oliver Sherwood runner went onto run 6th in the Gold Cup that season – but went five places better in the Aintree Grand National the following month.
Many Clouds also landed the 2017 Cotswold Chase – but this win ended in tragedy when the horse collapsed and died after the race. 😢
Cotswold Chase Winners Since 2000 📋
- 2024 – Capodanno (7/2)
- 2023 – Ahoy Senor (13/2)
- 2022 – Chantry House (5/6 fav)
- 2021 – Native River (13/2)
- 2020 – Santini (13/8 fav)
- 2019 – Frodon (9/4)
- 2018 – Definitly Red (7/1)
- 2017 – Many Clouds (8/1)
- 2016 – Smad Place (9/2)
- 2015 – Many Clouds (4/1)
- 2014 – The Giant Bolster (6/1)
- 2013 – Cape Tribulation (7/1)
- 2012 – Midnight Chase (11/2)
- 2011 – Neptune Collonges (11/2)
- 2010 – Taranis (16/1)
- 2009 – Joe Lively (11/1)
- 2008 – Knowhere (16/1)
- 2007 – Exotic Dancer (6/1)
- 2006 – See You Sometime (18/1)
- 2005 – Grey Abbey (10/3)
- 2004 – Jair Du Cochet (11/4)
- 2003 – Behrajan (9/2)
- 2002 – Rince Ri (9/2)
- 2001 – See More Business (9/4)
- 2000 – Looks Like Trouble (10/3)
