TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase 2026 Trends For The Cheltenham Festival

By James Stoddart

Feb 25th, 2026 12:30 PM EST

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The trends of each race can be really useful to follow when looking find winners at the Cheltenham Festival on your horse racing betting sites, especially in tricky handicap chases. So we've taken a look at the most important TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase trends from the last 10 years for you, and used them to find you the best horses to follow for the 2026 Festival Plate and maybe use any Cheltenham free bets on.

2026 TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase Trends

The last 10 winners:

• Were not top weight
• Had won at least one chase but no more than five
• Were all rated between 139 and 149.
• Had won that season.
• Had run at least three times that season.
• Finished first or second in at least one of their last three races (the same is true of 37 of the 40 horses that finished 1st-4th in the last 10 runnings).

Nine of the last 10 winners:

• Had won no more than three handicap chases (exception Siruh Du Lac).
• Were aged between 6-10 (Coole Cody was 11).
• Had won over hurdles (Siruh Du Lac).
• Had at least one win over 19-21 furlongs (Road To Respect).
• Were carrying 11st 4lb or less (Shakem Up'Arry).

Eight of the last 10 winners:

• Last ran no more than 60 days ago (Shakem Up'Arry & Seddon).

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TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase Last 10 Winners

Key Trials from the Last 10 Years

With Cheltenham's handicaps, it's often better to look down the field in the popular trials, rather than at the winner, but we've given you the winners below as a guide.

Any Grade 3 handicap chase at Cheltenham run over 2m4f-2m5f is a great trial for this race, here are some of the key examples:

• The 2019 winner Siruh Du Lac won what is now the Grade 3 Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in late January before Festival Plate success. Coole Cody also ran in this in 2022 but finished a distant seventh. The 2026 edition was won by Donnacha with Jagwar in second.
• The Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November has also proven a useful trial, with several placed finishers in the past 10 years. These include winners Splash Of Ginge (2nd, 2017), Happy Diva (2nd, 2019) and Coole Cody (4th, 2020). Panic Attack won this in 2025.
• Another to watch is the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup in December with two winners (Salut Flo 13th, Coole Cody 1st) and several placed finishers in the past 10 years. Fugitif won this in 2023 and was second in the 2023 Festival Plate, too. Glengouly won this season's edition with Jagwar back in third
• Oldgrangewood won the New Year's Day Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and finished fourth at the next Festival Plate, whilst Shakem Up'Arry won this trial in 2024 and then went on to win at the Festival. Matata was the winner of this year's Handicap Chase.

Trainer Trends

• Nicky Henderson has won this race four times in his career and leads the way among those still operating. However, the last of those came in 2006.
• David Pipe has won it three times since 2010, which leaves him just one shy of his father Martin's record. He has also saddled four placed horses, most recently Eamon An Cnoic who was fourth in 2019, but his last win was 11 years ago.
• A different trainer has won the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase in each of the last 13 editions.
• Over the last 10 years we have seen an even split of winners from horses trained either side of the Irish Sea.

Jockey Trends

• No jockey currently riding has won the race more than once.

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How Did the Trends Do Last Year?

Winner Jagwar fit the trends as he had won three chases in his career and was rated 139, which was a career high at that point.

He became the seventh horse in as many years with winning Cheltenham course form to land the event, and was coming off a win 47 days earlier in the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase on the same course.

Jagwar had a win over hurdles to his name and a win over the requisite distance, he essentially ticked every box.

2025 TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase Result

Who Fits The Trends Best In 2026?

As this race is starting to move towards being won more often than not by the favourites with only four in the last eight years and a further two at single digit prices it pays to look towards the head of the market.

Those at the heading the betting include Madara who ticks a lot of boxes but hasn't won this season, McLaurey and Waterford Whispers who aren't rated high enough and could lack the class needed to win this, and Jagwar who actually doesn't fit as many of the trends as he did last year. He could well be top weight, now has a rating over 152 and hasn't won yet this season. Perhaps his excursions last year have placed him in the grip of the handicapper.

Vincenzo is another strong option after his win last time out in the bet365 Handicap Chase at Ascot. He ticks every box on trends but might prefer going right handed, as three of his four career wins have came going that way round.

TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase Odds

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Cheltenham Festival 2026 Trends

Cheltenham Festival Day One Trends

• Supreme Novices' Hurdle Trends
• Arkle Novices' Hurdle Trends
• Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Trends
• Ultima Handicap Chase Trends
• Cheltenham Champion Hurdle Trends
• Cheltenham Festival Plate Handicap Trends
• National Hunt Novices' Chase Trends

Cheltenham Festival Day Two Trends

• Turners Novices' Hurdle Trends
• Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Trends
• Coral Cup Trends
• Cheltenham Cross Country Chase Trends
• Cheltenham Champion Chase Trends
• Grand Annual Chase Trends
• Cheltenham Champion Bumper Trends

Cheltenham Festival Day Three Trends

• Cheltenham Mares' Novices' Hurdle Trends
• Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap Chase
• Cheltenham Mares' Hurdle Trends
• Stayers' Hurdle Trends
• Ryanair Chase Trends
• Pertemps Final Trends
• Kim Muir Handicap Chase Trends

Cheltenham Festival Day Four Trends

• Triumph Hurdle Trends
• County Hurdle Trends
• Mares' Chase Trends
• Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle Trends
• Cheltenham Gold Cup Trends
• Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase Trends
• Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle Trends

About the Author

James Stoddart

More About James

Born in Liverpool, James is an LFC fan and season ticket holder. He's got an interest in playing and watching most sports including golf, darts, football and horse racing. As a keen punter, he's always on the lookout for value and loves spotting something at a big price that fits the trends. He applies this to online casino too, and is always looking to beat the house.

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