Denman Chase betting with William Hill

It’s one of the most keenly-anticipated trials in the build up to the Cheltenham Gold Cup and William Hill will have all the odds required to get stuck into Newbury’s Grade 2 Denman Chase.

Established in 2000, the race was initially named the Aon Chase before changing to the Levy Board Chase in 2009, picking up its current moniker three years later in honour of Paul Nicholls’ chaser and local favourite Denman.

Taking place early every February, a month or so out from the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Denman Chase gives the best jumpers in the business a chance to lay down a marker or stake a late claim ahead of the big day.

Stick with William Hill for all the Denman Chase betting you need to tackle this 3m test of legs, over 18 bushy fences, on the road to the Cheltenham Festival.

Trainers to watch in the Denman Chase betting

Having dominated this race from its inception, taking the laurels eight times between See More Business’ victory in 2000 and Silviniaco Conti’s success 13 years later, Paul Nicholls’ return to the Denman Chase winners’ enclosure in 2019 was somewhat overdue.

As 2/5 favourite, there was little surprise in Clan Des Obeaux’s 11-length victory - which was achieved at Ascot after an outbreak of equine influenza hit the original Newbury fixture - and Nicholls has certainly overcome stiffer Denman Chase tests during his illustrious career.

The race is named after the trainer’s iconic gelding Denman, known as ‘The Tank’ and best remembered for a crushing seven-length defeat of stablemate Kauto Star in the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Prior to that success, Denman stormed the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, winning off top weight by 11 lengths and repeated the feat two years later in 2009.

Kauto Star and Denman both took this race as long odds-on favourites under its old guise, but Nicholls’ next two winners - Tricky Trickster and Noland in 2010 and 2011 - were 8/1 and 13/2 respectively, each beating more fancied stablemates.

When it comes to William Hill’s Denman Chase betting markets, it’s always hard to get away from the Nicholls horses when the Ditcheat maestro has a likely sort in the mix.

Mark Bradstock’s Coneygree used the Denman Chase as a springboard to Cheltenham Gold Cup success in 2015, confirming his Cotswolds credentials with a seven-length victory as 15/8 favourite in a classy field, which included past and future winners Harry Topper and Houblon Des Obeaux.

Colin Tizzard’s Native River was the first horse to win the Denman Chase twice, seeing off 10/11 favourite Bristol De Mai and Le Mercurey in 2017, before beating Cloudy Dream and Saphir Du Rheu when 8/11 jolly the following February.

Jockeys to watch in the Denman Chase odds

Aidan Coleman became the second jockey to win the Denman Chase two years running on different horses, and for different trainers, thanks to Houblon Des Obeaux and Native River in 2016 and 2017.

Coleman shares the distinction with Richard Johnson, who steered home Shooting Light and Farmer Jack in 2004 and 2005, and the veteran has been back amongst the Denman Chase winners in recent years aboard Coneygree in 2015 and Native River in 2018.

Harry Cobden became the seventh different rider to take the Denman Chase on Paul Nicholls’ horses with Clan Des Obeaux in 2019, following in the feted footsteps of Mick Fitzgerald, Joe Tizzard, Barry Geraghty, Ruby Walsh, Sam Thomas and AP McCoy.

Denman Chase betting trends to follow

Favourites have done well in this race, with around half of Denman Chase winners over the past decade leading the market at the off, most of them carrying an odds-on price.

Indeed, only one horse - 12/1 shot Madison Du Berlais in 2009 at Kempton, where the race took place due to snow at Newbury - has managed take the Denman Chase at a double-figure price since Shooting Light and Farmer Jack, who came in at 33/1 and 12/1 in 2004 and 2005.

The trend towards fancied runners seems firmly set, with the vast majority of recent winners coming from the top two in the Denman Chase betting.

Noland was the last 10-year-old to take this in 2011, with seven and eight-year-old geldings dominating proceedings since, bar one victory by nine-year-old Houblon Des Obeaux in 2016.

Around half of recent Denman Chase winners went into the race off the back of victory in their last outing, and most had previous winning form at the Berkshire track.

The vast majority could boast at least seven previous chase runs and four previous chase wins, and had run twice or more during the campaign prior to their Denman Stakes triumph.

Visit news.williamhill.com to follow all the latest Denman Chase betting and horse racing previews.