The Becher Chase is a handicap over three and a quarter miles over the Grand National fences at Aintree.
The Becher Chase takes place on Saturday 9th December 2024.
It takes place in late November or early December and is a recognised trial for the big race itself.
Find out more about the Becher Chase:
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Race Overview – The Becher Chase
Horses six years old or older may compete in the Grade Three National Hunt steeplechase known as the Becher Chase.
There are twenty-one fences to leap throughout the race, which is raced at Aintree over a distance of around three miles and two furlongs (three miles, one furlong, and 188 yards, or 5,201 metres).
It will take place every year in November or December and is a handicap race.
Becher Chase Previous Winners
Here is a table of all the previous winners from the Becher Chase.
| Year | Winner | Age | Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Chance du Roy | 9 | 10-06 | Tom O’Brien | Philip Hobbs |
| 2014 | Oscar Time | 13 | 10–12 | Sam Waley-Cohen[a] | Robert Waley-Cohen |
| 2015 | Highland Lodge | 9 | 10-00 | Henry Brooke | James Moffatt |
| 2016 | Vieux Lion Rouge | 7 | 10-09 | Tom Scudamore | David Pipe |
| 2017 | Blaklion | 8 | 11-06 | Gavin Sheehan | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2018 | Walk In The Mill | 8 | 10-03 | James Best | Robert Walford |
| 2019 | Walk In The Mill | 9 | 10-8 | James Best | Robert Walford |
| 2020 | Vieux Lion Rouge | 11 | 10-07 | Conor O’Farrell | David Pipe |
| 2021 | Snow Leopardess | 9 | 10-04 | Aidan Coleman | Charlie Longsdon |
| 2022 | Ashtown Lad | 8 | 11-05 | Harry Skelton | Dan Skelton |
Key Becher Chase Trials
Previous Aintree form is a useful guide for your Becher Chase tips.
Eleven of the last twelve winners had at least one previous run at Aintree and three of those had recorded a victory.
Stamina is also an important factor with winning form over three miles or further.
The Grand National Trial at Haydock Park in February is a possible target for Becher Chase winners. Vieux Lion Rouge won both races in 2016-2017 with Blaklion finishing second in the Haydock race after winning here in 2017-2018.
The Grand National is the main objective for Becher Chase winners but it has proved to be difficult to win both races in the same season. Ten of the last twelve winners ran in the big race but none of them were successful.
Becher Chase Betting Trends
One of the features of the Becher Chase is the good record of older horses.
Hello Bud was the third twelve-year-old to win the race in 2010 and still holds the winning age record of fourteen for his second victory in 2012.
Oscar Time was another veteran to win here at the age of thirteen in 2014 and Vieux Lion Rouge was eleven when recording his second victory in 2020.
Favourites have a mixed record in the Becher Chase with four victories in the past twelve seasons. Hello Bud was 15-2 favourite in 2010 and Vieux Lion Rouge was market leader at 8-1 in 2016.
Blaklion was a heavily-backed 7-4 favourite in 2017 and Snow Leopardess won as the 4-1 favourite in 2021.
There have also been plenty of shock results. Garvivonnian was a 33-1 outsider in 2005, Eurotrek (2006) and Oscar Time (2014) both returned at 25-1 and Highland Lodge (2015) was a 20-1 shot.
The going is often on the soft side and this can favour the more lightly weighted runners.
Blaklion was the only winner to carry more than 11 stone in the last twelve years.
Blaklion was also the highest officially rated winner on 153.
The other eleven winners were rated between 130 and 142.
Becher Chase Trainer Statistics
The most successful trainer in the Becher Chase is Paul Nicholls with three wins.
Here are the most winning trainers of the Becher Chase.
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 24-3-8 | +15.50 | +12.02 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 21-3-5 | +5.25 | +0.53 |
| David Pipe | 21-2-5 | +1.00 | +0.01 |
| Robert Walford | 3-2-2 | +17.00 | +10.25 |
| Jonjo O’Neill | 9-1-1 | -2.50 | -4.56 |
| James Moffatt | 6-1-3 | +15.00 | +12.50 |
| Alan King | 5-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.25 |
| Philip Hobbs | 4-1-1 | +11.00 | +5.75 |
| Charlie Longsdon | 4-1-1 | +1.00 | -0.50 |
| Edward P Mitchell | 2-1-1 | +32.00 | +19.63 |
Becher Chase Jockey Statistics
The most successful jockey in the Becher Chase is Sam Twiston-Davies with two wins.
Here are the most winning jockeys of the Becher Chase.
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-2-3 | +16.50 | +10.44 |
| James Best | 3-2-2 | +17.00 | +10.25 |
| Henry Brooke | 7-1-5 | +14.00 | +14.00 |
| Conor O’Farrell | 7-1-2 | +6.00 | +4.50 |
| Aidan Coleman | 6-1-1 | -1.00 | -2.50 |
| Denis O’Regan | 5-1-4 | +3.50 | +4.98 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 4-1-3 | -1.25 | +1.59 |
| Liam Heard | 3-1-1 | +23.00 | +13.63 |
| Harry Skelton | 3-1-2 | +3.00 | +2.76 |
| Paddy Brennan | 10-0-2 | -10.00 | -6.37 |
Becher Chase Facts
- The Becher Chase is a National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged 6 years or older.
- The race is run over a distance of 3 miles and 6 furlongs (5,906 metres) at Aintree Racecourse, and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped.
- The race was first run in 1839, and it was named in honour of Captain Martin Becher who fell from his horse, Conrad, at the first Becher’s Brook fence during the first running of the Grand National in 1839.
Popular Questions
What are important facts about Becher Chase?
Here are some important facts about Becher Chase:
- The Becher Chase is run at Aintree Racecourse, Great Britain
- The Becher Chase is for horses aged 6 and older
- The Becher Chase is a National Hunt Steeplechase in Great Britain
- The Becher Chase distance is 3 miles and 2 furlongs
Summary of the Becher Chase
Thank you for reading our Becher Chase guide.
The Becher is a great race, run over the famous Grand national fences, it often is a springboard for horses who go on to run well in the big one, later in the season!
You can check out the Aintree horse racing tips page for our tips on this race or take a look at more horse racing in December.
- Becher Chase
- Betfair Exchange Trophy Handicap Hurdle
- Bristol Novices’ Hurdle
- Challow Novices’ Hurdle
- Christmas Hurdle
- Coral Gold Cup
- December Gold Cup
- December Novices’ Chase
- Fighting Fifth Hurdle
- Finale Juvenile Hurdle
- Henry VIII Novices’ Chase
- Horse Racing In December
- International Hurdle
- Kauto Star Novices’ Chase
- Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle
- King George VI Chase
- Long Distance Hurdle
- Long Walk Hurdle
- Many Clouds Chase
- Noel Novices’ Chase
- Peterborough Chase
- Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase
- Summit Juvenile Hurdle
- Tingle Creek Chase
- Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase
- Welsh Grand National
- Winter Novices’ Hurdle
