The favourites for the 2024 National Hunt Chase

The opening card of the Cheltenham Festival, officially billed as ‘Champion Day’, is considered by many racing enthusiasts to be the best of the entire meeting.

Four Grade 1s feature throughout the afternoon, with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle raising the curtain on the Festival followed immediately by the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase.

The Champion Chase is the day’s feature race at 3:30 before the Mares’ Hurdle subsequently concludes the top-level action.

It’s worth hanging around right to the end, however, as the Grade 2 National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novice Chase brings the curtain down on the first day.

The National Hunt Chase is a unique race in its own right, with its gruelling distance of three miles and six furlongs and challenging obstacles paired with the fact it’s for amateur riders only.

It promises to be a thrilling contest, so let’s assess the favourites in the National Hunt Chase odds 2024.

Embassy Gardens – 7/4

Willie Mullins has won the last two renewals of the National Hunt Chase, and the esteemed Irish handler looks set to make three in a row as Embassy Gardens is the outright favourite.

The eight-year-old had a rather disappointing end to last season, pulling up in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival before finishing sixth in another top-level race at Punchestown.

However, he marked his seasonal reappearance and chasing debut with a win back at Punchestown — landing a Beginners’ Chase by a commanding 13 lengths.

Embassy Gardens followed that with another success at Naas in January, this time in Grade 3 company.

The Mullins-trained horse appears to be a worthy favourite in the Cheltenham race odds.

Corbetts Cross – 10/3

Having a Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at Naas last February, Corbetts Cross set off as the favourite for the aforementioned Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, but he ran out at the last obstacle and clattered the railings — unseating Mark Walsh.

Corbetts Cross’ transition to fences hasn’t been as flawless as Embassy Gardens’, as he was third on his chasing debut before winning the second time out.

The Emmet Mullins-trained horse was then a respectable second in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown but fell when last seen at Fairyhouse.

More consistency is needed if he is to win here.

Nick Rockett – 4/1

A horse shortening in the National Hunt Chase market, Nick Rockett is now 4/1 to win the amateur Grade 2 contest.

The Willie Mullins-trained horse won both his outings over the smaller obstacles, including a Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse last April, before switching to fences this season.

He was fourth in the previously mentioned Beginners Chase won by Corbetts Cross in December, but he got off the mark with an easy win back at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day and he was second to American Mike in a Grade 2 Novice Chase at Navan in February.

That is a respectable result, and Nick Rockett should be taken seriously for the National Hunt Chase.

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Salvador Ziggy, Flooring Power, Meetingofthewaters, and Three Card Brag are some of the other horses close to the top of the market.