Royal & SunAlliance ChaseCHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 1: Mick Fitzgerald and Lord Of Illusion lead the Jason Maguire riden Lord Noelie over an early fence before landing The Cheltenham and Three Counties Race Club Steeple Chase Race run at Cheltenham Racecourse on January 1, 2005 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Julian Herbert/Getty Images)

The Royal & SunAlliance Chase is the showpiece steeplechase event for novice racehorses at the Cheltenham Festival. The race introduces novices to the arduous fences and distances of national hunt racing’s most demanding race format.

The Royal & SunAlliance Chase is one of the older races at the Cheltenham Festival and was first contested in 1946. The first Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner was Birthlaw, ridden by Ted Vinall. The race is run over the Old Course at Cheltenham Racecourse.

The Royal & SunAlliance Chase is a Grade 1 steeplechase run over a challenging distance of 3 miles and 110 yards with horses required to jump a total of 19 fences. The Royal & SunAlliance Chase race is frequently targeted by trainers who wish their horses to make the difficult transition from hurdling to steeplechases.

Royal & SunAlliance Chase Betting & Trends

Age: The last five RSA Chase winners have been in the 5- to 7-year-old age range. 7-year-olds have been the dominant age group with 4 wins from 5 races.
Odds: Winners in past five races priced from 6/5 to 14/1. Three antepost favourites have won during this period.
Jockey: Ruby Walsh has won the RSA Chase twice in the past three years.
Trainer: Only top stables have managed to capture this race in the last decade. Paul Nicholls has two winners in the past three years.
RSA Chase Tip: If you like backing the favourite, this is one race where you may have some success. Also consider some each-way and place bets on horses priced in the top 3 in the RSA Chase betting markets. Use an odds comparison for maximum value.

Read the Gambling Guru 2010 RSA Chase Preview Here

Royal & SunAlliance Chase Winners

The Royal & SunAlliance Chase is one of the races at the Cheltenham Festival that holds the promise of introducing the public to potential future champion racehorses. An excellent example is the legendary Irish racehorse Arkle, who won the race in 1963 before going on to build a reputation as one of the finest steeplechasers in the history of national hunt racing.

The record for the most Royal & SunAlliance Chase wins by a trainer is held by Tom Dreaper. Two female trainers have also claimed top honours in the race with Jenny Pitman’s Nahthen Lad winning in 1996 and Henrietta Knight’s Lord Noelie winning the Royal & SunAlliance Chase in 2000.

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