RSA Chase: The key race trials

The RSA Chase points the way to future Gold Cup winners and it is a race year after year that produces the top staying chasers in the division.

The key trials below have produced six winners in the past ten years and these are the types of races that usually attract a high calibre of horse at that particular time in the season. Some of the races you see throughout this article may not be key race trials in name, but have either produced winners at the Cheltenham Festival, an array of placed horses or include those featured prominently in the betting.

With each of the five trials it’s important to keep a small race analysis to ensure that the bare form and the result of the race can be relied upon. It can pay to link the key race trials to the stats and trends page which can be found in the Cheltenham tips folder. 

Which races?

•    Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase - Kempton
•    Grade 2 The Dipper Novices’ Chase - Cheltenham
•    Grade 1 Neville Hotel Novices’ Chase - Leopardstown

Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase

Slate House is a G1 winner!

He captures a dramatic Kauto Star Novices' Chase @kemptonparkrace for @colintizzard & @Robbie_Power_, to make it three victories from four starts this term!

A victory for Power & Tizzard - an omen for Lostintranslation in the King George later? pic.twitter.com/pUqPcrk8ka

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 26, 2019

Analysis: 

A competitive betting heat with Colin Tizzard’s experienced second season Novice Chaser Slate House coming out on top. Slate House was held up throughout the truly run contest and was the final horse off the bridle and travelling much better than his rivals before coming under pressure from his jockey Harry Cobden as he jumped two from home upsides the tough and admirable 152 rated Black Op. He soon pulled two lengths clear approaching the final flight as he steadied into the fence losing minimal ground giving closest pursuer, Black Op, a chance on the run-in. However, Slate House had more up his sleeve inside the final furlong showing a great attitude to knuckle down near the finish. He did drift to his right, cutting across his rival but won snugly enough in the end.

It is worth noting that the the well-fancied Paul Nicholls trained Master Tommy Tucker fell four from home when he was travelling comfortably at the head of the field.

It was a very slowly run race. Indeed, for the majority of the race the field ran five seconds slower than the Grade 1 King George on the same card. The fractions stayed the same from the third fence to the finish line.

How does the winner rate for Cheltenham glory?

Bookmakers had a varied reaction after the race cutting Slate House into as short as 14/1 for the RSA. However, he is now a general 16/1 shot. 

Slate House could yet have more to offer but you would have liked to see him clear away once hitting the front to suggest he will be up to the class of an RSA horse at the Festival. A progressive horse and plenty of Cheltenham experience under his belt will only be a positive at the festival. It must be said that the second horse Black Op does have a habit of hitting the top of his fences causing him to lose ground at each of his obstacles. So while he sets a solid enough recent form standard, he wouldn’t be worthy of a place in the top five in the betting for the race in March.

This particular trial has proven to be a gold mine for RSA contenders in the past. In 2018, La Bague Au Roi won the race but connections opted to go to Aintree and bypass Cheltenham all together, but the race still worked out remarkably well with the second and third going on to finish first and second at Cheltenham in March. In 2017, Might Bite drew 18l clear of the field before falling at the final flight but went onto Cheltenham to put things right next time. The 2014 winner Coneygree went onto win the Cheltenham Gold Cup as a Novice after taking this race in impressive style.

The outstanding Bobs Worth was beaten here before going onto Cheltenham glory in the RSA just three months later and nearly all of the last decades renewals have produced placed horses in the RSA Chase.

Winners Produced: 3

Grade 2 Dipper Novices’ Chase 

Oh Champ!

The G1 winner departs at the second-last and loses his unbeaten record over fences as Midnight Shadow (4-1) lands the Dipper for @suesmithracing at @CheltenhamRaces

Results ➡ https://t.co/glajGV55GR pic.twitter.com/f1nOsaeWPN

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 1, 2020

Analysis: 

A race that ended in drama with the Nicky Henderson trained and ante-post RSA favourite, Champ, coming down two from home when in a commanding lead and yet to be asked for his effort.
Midnight Shadow was a fortunate winner due to the heavily odds-on favourite falling; he was four lengths behind and it looked unlikely he would get near Champ. Midnight Shadow, to his credit, stayed on well to hold off the remainder of the field into the final two furlongs of the race but did show a tendency to jump out to his right-hand side. The second placed horse, Paint The Dream, with an official rating of 130 was given a 10lb rise in the weights after this performance and there seemed to be no other excuses for many of the runners.

How does the winner rate for Cheltenham glory?

The Sue Smith runner, Midnight Shadow, will almost certainly need to improve off the back of that performance to cut it at Grade 1 level and was beaten by Itchy Feet next time out.

The one to take out of the race, despite the fall, would be Champ. He will need to improve on his jumping technique but there were glimpses of promise amongst some sloppy errors at his fences. When he is left to make his own mind up approaching a fence he may prove vulnerable at Championship pace, yet there doesn’t seem to be many horses in the market with the ability and sizeable engine that he possess. His place at the top of the market was only enhanced by this performance with some bookmakers cutting his odds from 7/2 into 3/1 and providing he jumps around it is very difficult to see him being beaten at this moment in time. He is a best price of 7/2 with one firm. 

This race has produced RSA contenders throughout the years and made the list for that reason. 

A middle-distance race that will allow many trainers to keep their options open going forward, as both the 2019 winner and runner-up did by running in the JLT or the newly named Marsh Chase. In 2017, Whisper went onto finish second in the RSA at the Festival in a race full of drama behind Might Bite. Whilst no horse has managed to do the double in the past ten years it would be unwise to discount the beaten horses in the race, as Black Lion proved when finishing second behind Seeyouatmidnight in 2016.

Winners Produced: 1

Grade 1 Neville Hotel Novices' Chase 

1/111P-111

Battleoverdoyen is now an unbeaten Grade 1 winner over fences, denying Champagne Classic in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at @LeopardstownRC @gelliott_racing

Results ➡ https://t.co/glajGV55GR pic.twitter.com/mty5NSliki

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 29, 2019

Analysis: 

The race was ultimately diluted due to the ground drying out and trainers not wanting to run their horses on the quicker surface which otherwise would have proved to be an informative race.

Battleoverdoyen got on top of his stable mate inside the final furlong but was all out to hold the closing runner up inside the final 50 yards. The pace was a slow one and no more than a schooling round for three-quarters of the race as the Gigginstown first string made all of the running. His jumping was solid throughout, making very few errors at his fences but jumping out to the right on occasions. The pair finished 39 lengths clear of the third horse (134 rated) Lord Schnitzel. The quicker ground won't have suited either horse, with both looking evenly matched.

How does the winner rate for Cheltenham glory?

Battleovedoyen has always been prominent in the RSA market throughout the season and bookmakers took the view to leave his odds untouched after this performance, after all, it was little more than a schooling round of jumping.

Gordon Elliot’s leading hope for the RSA continues to strike all the right notes of an RSA contender but fails to impress at this current stage. The beating of stable mate Champagne Classic here is arguably his best form to date and whilst he has a solid profile, others in the market look like stronger candidates at this stage. You would be concerned at how he blew up in last season’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. Connections said he encountered travel issues and that has to be in the back of your mind again this season. He may not make it over after his fall at Leopardstown so keep an eye on any news from Gordon Elliott. 

If you are looking for a solid each-way RSA horse from Ireland then this is certainly the race to take note of. Battleoverdoyen follows a solid roll call here and he will look to follow in the footsteps of Bostons Angel and Don Poli who were able to land this and the RSA in the same season. In the last decade, this has race has produced four placed horses outside of the two winners including Monalee (2nd), Bellshill (3rd), Morning Assembly (3rd) and First Lieutenant (2nd).

Winners Produced: 2

Which horse to take from the trials?

Battleoverdoyen has done absolutely nothing wrong at this stage of his career. The seven-year-old is nothing flashy but gets the job done like a reliable staying chaser should. However, he needs to prove that his flop in last year’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle was not down to the travel and not being suited to the track. I do find it difficult to warm to him, unlike some. However, with recent news he may miss the Festival this year, it is worth looking elsewhere. 

Champ’s fall in the Dipper trial has capped off a season which has been a far from ideal preparation. However, you can’t help but be impressed with the sizeable engine he possess. Despsite rating a risky proposition it is hard to see any other runner in the field matching the class he has. I’d firmly want to keep him onside.  

Get more insight and previews for the Festival on our Cheltenham tips page.

*Below are a selection of links to help you navigate around all of our Horse Racing Tips content: