The Old Roan Chase 2026 takes place at Aintree on Sunday 25 October and provides one of the first significant tests for established chasers during the autumn.
Run over approximately two miles and four furlongs on Aintree’s Mildmay Course, the Grade 2 limited handicap has been won by Kauto Star, Monet’s Garden, Frodon and Minella Drama.
Hitman won the 2025 renewal for Paul Nicholls and Freddie Gingell, finally landing the race after previously finishing second in both 2022 and 2024.
The Old Roan is particularly interesting from a betting perspective because many runners are making their first start of the season. Previous form matters, but so do fitness, handicap marks, Aintree form and the targets trainers have in mind for later in the winter.
Old Roan Chase 2026 Key Information
Date: Sunday 25 October 2026
Racecourse: Aintree
Scheduled time: 3.00pm, subject to change
Distance: Approximately 2 miles 4 furlongs
Race type: Grade 2 limited handicap chase
Course: Mildmay Course
Obstacles: 16 fences
The Old Roan is the feature race of Aintree’s Halloween Family Day.
Our Aintree Racecourse guide explains the different courses at Aintree and why form over the Mildmay Course should not be confused with experience over the Grand National fences.
Old Roan Chase 2026 Runners
The final field for the 2026 Old Roan Chase has not yet been declared.
British Racecourses will update this section when a reliable entry list and subsequently the final declarations become available.
That distinction matters.
A horse appearing in an early betting market is not necessarily a confirmed runner.
Plans can change according to:
Ground conditions
Handicap marks
Alternative targets
Fitness
Stable plans
Weather
Do not treat an early ante-post price as confirmation that a horse will run.
Once declarations are available, we will assess every runner individually rather than simply reproducing the bookmaker market.
Old Roan Chase 2026 Odds
The Old Roan betting market becomes much more informative as the race approaches.
Early prices can provide an opportunity to secure bigger odds, but they also introduce uncertainty over participation.
Before placing an early bet, check whether the market is standard ante-post or whether Non-Runner No Bet terms apply.
Under ordinary ante-post rules, a selection that does not subsequently run can result in a losing stake.
The price therefore needs to compensate for both:
The horse’s chance of winning
and:
The risk that it does not take part
Once the final field is known, comparing prices between bookmakers becomes particularly important.
Our Best Horse Racing Betting Sites comparison looks at bookmakers specifically from a racing perspective, including odds, Best Odds Guaranteed, each-way terms and racing features.
Readers who regularly use bet365 can also see our bet365 horse racing review, while our Best Horse Racing Betting Apps comparison focuses specifically on mobile betting.
Why the Old Roan Chase Is an Interesting Betting Race
The Old Roan occupies an unusual position in the jumps calendar.
It is a valuable Grade 2 handicap run early in the core National Hunt season.
That creates a different analytical problem from a major chase in February or March.
Some horses arrive ready to perform close to their best.
Others are starting campaigns built around larger targets later in the season.
Several may not have raced for months.
The race therefore rewards analysis of context, rather than simply comparing each horse’s highest previous rating.
The horse with the strongest form is not automatically the horse best placed to win the Old Roan under the race conditions.
Fitness Matters in the Old Roan Chase
Fitness deserves more attention here than in many mid-season races.
A horse returning after a long summer break can be fit enough to run well without necessarily being at its absolute peak.
Different trainers also prepare horses differently.
Some regularly have horses ready to win first time out.
Others leave improvement for later targets.
Do not reduce this to a simplistic statistic such as:
“Horse has not run for 180 days, therefore oppose it.”
Instead, consider:
Previous first-time-out performances
Trainer record with returning horses
Whether this race appears to be a target
Likely targets later in the season
Market strength
Physical and paddock evidence on race day
The Old Roan often attracts horses good enough to contest Grade 1 races later in the campaign.
Their presence does not mean this is necessarily their most important target.
The Handicap Is Crucial
The Old Roan is a limited handicap.
That means the runners do not compete at level weights.
The strongest horse on ratings can therefore be asked to concede significant weight to improving or lower-rated opponents.
This creates one of the central Old Roan questions:
Is the classier horse good enough to concede the weight?
A high weight should not automatically eliminate a runner.
Allmankind won the 2021 Old Roan carrying 11st 10lb.
Other winners have benefited from carrying considerably less.
The correct approach is to assess what each horse needs to achieve from its allocated weight and whether its handicap mark gives it a realistic chance.
Our horse racing handicap ratings guide explains how handicap marks and weight allocation work.
Aintree Form Matters
Previous Aintree form deserves close attention.
It should also be interpreted correctly.
The Old Roan takes place on the Mildmay Course.
It does not use the Grand National fences.
A horse that has completed the Grand National therefore has Aintree experience, but not necessarily experience of the exact test presented by the Old Roan.
Conversely, horses that have contested races such as the Melling Chase, Manifesto Novices’ Chase or Mildmay Novices’ Chase have experience of the conventional Mildmay fences.
That distinction is important when reading a racecard.
A simple C for course form does not tell you which Aintree course produced that performance.
What Type of Horse Suits the Old Roan Chase?
There is no single Old Roan winner profile.
The race has been won by top-class horses carrying substantial weight and by less obvious contenders at bigger prices.
The qualities we would prioritise are:
Effective jumping at racing pace
Proven or likely suitability around two and a half miles
Ability to handle the prevailing ground
A workable handicap mark
Sufficient fitness for an early-season Grade 2
Evidence that Aintree’s Mildmay Course will suit
Class matters.
So does the price at which you are being asked to back that class.
Distance: Why 2m4f Matters
The Old Roan sits between the traditional two-mile and three-mile chase divisions.
That makes distance particularly important.
A specialist two-mile chaser stepping up in trip needs to show that it can conserve enough energy to finish strongly.
A three-mile horse dropping back needs sufficient tactical speed to remain competitive when the pace increases.
Some horses are ideally suited by an intermediate trip around two and a half miles.
That is one reason horses associated with races such as the Ryanair Chase can be particularly interesting.
Do not assume that dropping in distance automatically makes a staying chaser faster or that stepping up automatically helps a two-miler.
Look at how the horse has actually performed around the distance.
Going at Aintree
Late October conditions can have a major influence on the Old Roan.
Aintree can race very differently on good ground compared with softer autumn conditions.
The going affects:
Pace
Stamina requirements
Jumping
How easily horses travel
The importance of weight
A horse effective over two and a half miles on good ground may face a much greater stamina test over the same nominal distance on soft ground.
Equally, a strong stayer can be vulnerable if conditions are quick and the race develops into a speed test.
Our horse racing going guide explains the main descriptions and how they can change the demands of a race.
Check the official going close to the race rather than relying on conditions reported several days earlier.
Pace in the Old Roan Chase
Pace analysis can be particularly useful over Aintree’s intermediate chase distance.
Start by identifying the likely front-runners.
Then consider which horses normally race prominently, which prefer cover and which are usually held up.
If several runners want the lead, the early pace can become competitive.
That can help horses capable of settling behind the leaders and finishing strongly.
If there is only one obvious front-runner, that horse may be able to control the race more comfortably.
Our pace maps guide explains how to build a likely picture of the race before it starts.
Do not treat pace as an isolated statistic.
Combine it with distance, ground, jumping and race fitness.
Jumping Is More Important Than Raw Speed
The Old Roan requires 16 fences to be negotiated.
Small jumping errors cost ground.
Repeated mistakes can also force a horse to use additional energy getting back into position.
A horse with a higher rating can therefore underperform if its jumping prevents it from using that ability efficiently.
When analysing previous races, look beyond finishing positions.
Ask:
Did the horse jump fluently?
Did it lose ground at its fences?
Did it jump left or right?
Was it comfortable racing at that pace?
Did an error materially affect the result?
This is especially important with horses returning after a break.
Old Roan Chase Betting Trends
Old versions of this page relied heavily on fixed samples such as the “last 12 winners”.
That approach becomes stale quickly and can encourage arbitrary elimination rules.
The more useful trends are those that have a logical connection with the demands of the race.
Previous Graded Form Is Valuable
The Old Roan is a Grade 2.
It regularly attracts horses with form in high-level chases.
That makes previous Graded form useful evidence.
It does not mean every runner must already be a Grade 1 performer.
An improving handicapper can still be dangerous when receiving weight from an established star.
Course Experience Is Useful
Aintree form can strengthen a horse’s case.
Hitman is a good example.
Before finally winning the race in 2025, he had already finished second in the Old Roan in both 2022 and 2024.
His previous performances demonstrated that the race conditions suited him.
Favourites Are Not Automatic Bets
The Old Roan has produced winners at a wide range of prices.
Jetoile won at 25/1 in 2023.
Riders Onthe Storm won at 16/1 in 2022.
Nuts Well won at 18/1 in 2020.
Hitman won at 9/1 in 2025.
Those results do not mean you should automatically oppose the favourite.
They show why a Grade 2 label should not be mistaken for a straightforward race.
Handicap weights, fitness and early-season uncertainty can produce competitive markets.
Older Horses Can Still Win
The Old Roan is not restricted to young, improving chasers.
Hitman was nine when winning in 2025.
Minella Drama was nine when successful in 2024.
Previous winners have also shown that established chasers can remain highly competitive in the race.
Age should therefore be considered alongside current ability and handicap mark rather than used as a simple elimination rule.
Hitman’s 2025 Old Roan Chase Win
Hitman entered the 2025 race with an unusually strong Old Roan record.
He had finished second in the race in 2022 and again in 2024.
At the third attempt, he won.
Ridden by Freddie Gingell for Paul Nicholls, Hitman started at 9/1 and beat Master Chewy by two lengths.
Minella Drama, the 2024 winner, finished third.
The result provides several useful lessons for analysing the race.
First, previous course-and-race evidence mattered.
Second, a horse did not need to arrive as favourite to possess a strong chance.
Third, the eventual winner was making his seasonal return.
That does not mean those characteristics will automatically identify the 2026 winner.
It demonstrates why race-specific evidence deserves more weight than generic betting trends.
Recent Old Roan Chase Winners
2025: Hitman
2024: Minella Drama
2023: Jetoile
2022: Riders Onthe Storm
2021: Allmankind
2020: Nuts Well
2019: Forest Bihan
2018: Frodon
2017: Smad Place
2016: Third Intention
This sequence shows the variety of horses capable of winning the Old Roan.
It includes established Grade 1 performers, progressive chasers and big-priced winners.
That makes individual race analysis more useful than attempting to find one historical profile and applying it mechanically.
Monet’s Garden and the Old Roan Chase
No discussion of the race is complete without Monet’s Garden.
The popular grey won the Old Roan three times.
His victories came in:
2007
2009
2010
He remains the race’s most successful horse.
Monet’s Garden was particularly effective at Aintree and became closely associated with the race.
His record also illustrates the importance of genuine course suitability.
When a horse repeatedly produces its best form under similar conditions, that evidence deserves attention when it returns to the same test.
Kauto Star’s Old Roan Victory
Kauto Star won the Old Roan in 2006.
His appearance demonstrates the level of horse the race can attract.
He went on to become one of the defining National Hunt horses of the modern era, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice and the King George VI Chase five times.
The Old Roan sits much earlier in the season than those championship races.
That makes it a useful starting point for high-class chasers whose major objectives lie later in the winter.
Our King George VI Chase guide covers one of the major mid-season targets for leading chasers.
Frodon and the Old Roan
Frodon won the race in 2018.
He later became particularly associated with intermediate-distance and staying chases, winning major races including the Ryanair Chase and King George VI Chase.
His career provides another example of the type of established high-class chaser the Old Roan can attract.
It also reinforces why the race should be viewed as more than an isolated October handicap.
Performances at Aintree can provide clues about horses worth following as the jumps season develops.
Old Roan Chase Trainers
Trainer records provide useful context, particularly in an early-season race where preparation matters.
Paul Nicholls has an excellent Old Roan record and added another victory with Hitman in 2025.
His previous winners include Kauto Star, Sound Investment and Frodon.
Nicky Richards also has a strong historical record in the race, most notably through Monet’s Garden.
Philip Hobbs has won the race with Farmer Jack and Wishfull Thinking.
Trainer records become most useful when combined with the individual horse.
Do not back a runner simply because its trainer has won the race before.
Ask whether that horse has the form, fitness, handicap mark and conditions to repeat the stable’s previous success.
How to Analyse the 2026 Old Roan Chase Field
Once the final declarations are available, British Racecourses will assess the race in a consistent order.
First, establish the going.
Then assess each horse’s current handicap mark and the weight it must carry.
Look at previous performances around two and a half miles.
Check Aintree form carefully and distinguish between the Mildmay Course and Grand National course.
Assess previous first-time-out performances and likely fitness.
Identify the expected pace.
Review jumping.
Consider the strength of each horse’s recent form.
Then estimate each runner’s chance.
Only after completing that analysis should the bookmaker prices become part of the decision.
Our professional horse race analysis guide explains this process in more detail.
Price Matters More Than Finding the Most Likely Winner
Finding the horse most likely to win is only one part of betting analysis.
Price determines whether that opinion creates a worthwhile bet.
Suppose you believe a horse has a 25% chance of winning.
That corresponds to theoretical fair odds of:
3/1
If bookmakers offer:
5/1
your assessment suggests the market price is bigger than the horse’s true chance.
If bookmakers offer:
2/1
your assessment suggests the opposite.
The horse itself has not changed.
The price has.
Our value betting guide explains why a winning selection and a value bet are not necessarily the same thing.
Comparing Old Roan Chase Odds
Price comparison can materially change the return from the same selection.
Suppose a horse is available at:
4/1 with one bookmaker
and:
5/1 with another
A £20 win bet at 4/1 produces a total return of:
£100
The same £20 wager at 5/1 produces:
£120
That is £20 more from the same horse winning the same race.
At bigger prices the difference becomes even more significant.
A £20 winner at 10/1 returns £220.
At 20/1, it returns £420.
The examples do not imply that bigger-priced horses are better bets.
They show why obtaining the best available price matters once you have decided to back a horse.
Best Odds Guaranteed on the Old Roan Chase
Best Odds Guaranteed can become relevant once the Old Roan moves into qualifying day-of-race markets.
Under qualifying BOG terms, an eligible fixed-odds horse racing bet can be settled at the bigger qualifying price if the Starting Price is greater than the price originally taken.
Bookmaker terms vary.
The start time for BOG can differ.
Eligibility can differ.
Some specialist bet types can also be excluded.
Check the actual terms before betting.
Our Best Odds Guaranteed guide explains how the concession works.
Each-Way Betting on the Old Roan Chase
The Old Roan can attract a competitive field, but the final number of runners determines the standard each-way terms.
An each-way bet contains:
One win bet
and:
One place bet
A £10 each-way wager therefore costs £20.
Before placing one, compare:
Win odds
Number of places
Place fraction
Total stake
Extra places can be attractive, but an additional place does not automatically create better value if the bookmaker offers a materially shorter win price or less favourable place fraction.
Our each-way betting guide explains how the two parts of the wager work.
Wait for the final field before assessing the 2026 Old Roan each-way market properly.
Should You Back the Old Roan Favourite?
Favourite status tells you which horse the market currently considers most likely to win.
It does not tell you whether the available odds are attractive.
Before backing the favourite, ask:
Is its handicap mark fair?
Will it be fit enough first time out?
Does 2m4f suit?
Does it have relevant Aintree form?
Will the ground suit?
How will the race be run?
What weight is it conceding?
What price should it be?
A favourite can win comfortably and still have been shorter than your assessment of fair value.
An outsider can lose and still have been a reasonable bet at the available odds.
Results alone do not tell you whether the original price was good.
Old Roan Chase and the Ryanair Chase
The Old Roan’s intermediate distance means some runners can eventually develop into Ryanair Chase contenders.
The races are very different.
The Old Roan is an autumn limited handicap at Aintree.
The Ryanair is a Grade 1 championship race at the Cheltenham Festival.
But both demand the blend of speed and stamina associated with the intermediate chase division.
A strong Old Roan performance can therefore provide useful evidence for later races without making the winner an automatic Cheltenham selection.
Old Roan Chase and the Grand National
The Old Roan takes place at Aintree, but it should not be treated as a direct Grand National trial.
The differences are substantial.
The Old Roan is approximately:
2 miles 4 furlongs
The Grand National is run over:
More than four miles
The Old Roan uses:
Mildmay fences
The Grand National uses:
The National course
The stamina, jumping and race-shape requirements are therefore very different.
A horse can perform well in both types of race, but Aintree course form alone does not make an Old Roan runner an obvious National horse.
Our Grand National guide explains the very different demands of Aintree’s most famous race.
Aintree Betting on Old Roan Day
The Old Roan headlines a seven-race Sunday card at Aintree.
The meeting also includes hurdles, a veterans’ chase, novice chase and National Hunt Flat race.
That gives bettors several different race types to analyse.
Do not assume evidence from the Old Roan automatically applies to every other race.
Distance, obstacles and race class differ throughout the card.
What earlier races can provide is current information about the ground, weather and how the course is riding.
Our wider Aintree Racecourse guide provides more information about racing at the track.
For bettors comparing bookmakers before the meeting, our horse racing betting sites page is the main commercial comparison hub.
How to Watch the Old Roan Chase 2026
The Old Roan takes place at Aintree on Sunday 25 October 2026.
Racing TV covers Aintree racing.
Some bookmakers also provide live streams to qualifying customers, subject to their current viewing requirements.
Streaming should not be the only factor used when choosing where to bet.
Compare the horse’s price, each-way terms and BOG eligibility as well as streaming access.
Our Racing TV guide explains more about the specialist racing channel.
Old Roan Chase 2026 FAQs
When is the Old Roan Chase 2026?
The Old Roan Chase takes place at Aintree on Sunday 25 October 2026.
What time is the Old Roan Chase 2026?
The race is currently scheduled for 3.00pm.
Check the final racecard because race times can change.
Where is the Old Roan Chase run?
The Old Roan Chase is run at Aintree Racecourse.
Is the Old Roan run over the Grand National fences?
No.
The Old Roan is run on Aintree’s conventional Mildmay Course, not the Grand National course.
How far is the Old Roan Chase?
The race is run over approximately two miles and four furlongs.
How many fences are jumped in the Old Roan Chase?
The race involves 16 fences.
Is the Old Roan Chase a handicap?
Yes.
It is a Grade 2 limited handicap chase.
The runners can therefore carry different weights according to the conditions of the race.
Who won the Old Roan Chase in 2025?
Hitman won the 2025 Old Roan Chase for trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Freddie Gingell.
He started at 9/1 and beat Master Chewy by two lengths.
Who won the Old Roan Chase in 2024?
Minella Drama won the 2024 Old Roan Chase.
Hitman finished second and Ahoy Senor was third.
Who is the most successful Old Roan Chase horse?
Monet’s Garden won the race three times, in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
Did Kauto Star win the Old Roan Chase?
Yes.
Kauto Star won the Old Roan in 2006.
Did Frodon win the Old Roan Chase?
Yes.
Frodon won the race in 2018.
Who is favourite for the Old Roan Chase 2026?
A reliable final 2026 market has not yet formed around a confirmed field.
British Racecourses will update the page as the race approaches rather than presenting potential runners as confirmed participants.
When will the Old Roan Chase runners be confirmed?
The final field will be known much closer to the race.
Check this page again during race week for confirmed runners, jockeys, weights and odds.
Can I bet on the Old Roan Chase ante-post?
Bookmakers can open early markets before final declarations.
Check the terms carefully because standard ante-post bets can lose if the selected horse does not run.
Is Best Odds Guaranteed available on the Old Roan?
BOG can apply to qualifying day-of-race bets depending on the bookmaker’s terms and customer eligibility.
Do not assume an ante-post bet qualifies.
Can I bet each-way on the Old Roan Chase?
Yes.
The final each-way terms depend on the number of runners and the bookmaker.
Compare the win price, number of places and place fraction before betting.
Where can I compare bookmakers for the Old Roan Chase?
Our Best Horse Racing Betting Sites page compares bookmakers specifically for British and Irish racing.
Use it alongside a comparison of the actual Old Roan prices once the final field is known.
Responsible Betting
The Old Roan takes place early in the main jumps season and many runners can be returning from lengthy breaks.
That creates uncertainty.
Do not compensate for uncertainty by increasing your stake.
Set a betting budget before the meeting and judge the price as carefully as the horse.
An early-season Grade 2 does not become easier to predict because the runners have familiar names.
Summary
The Old Roan Chase 2026 takes place at Aintree at 3.00pm on Sunday 25 October, subject to any later race-time changes.
The Grade 2 limited handicap is run over approximately two miles and four furlongs on the Mildmay Course, with 16 fences to jump.
It is not run over the Grand National fences.
Hitman won the 2025 renewal at 9/1 after previously finishing runner-up in the race twice.
For the 2026 race, fitness, handicap weights, Aintree form, distance suitability, going, jumping and likely pace should all form part of the assessment.
The final runners are not yet confirmed, so there is little value in pretending an early list represents the eventual field.
Once declarations are available, analyse the horses first and compare bookmaker prices afterwards.
For bookmaker comparisons, use our Best Horse Racing Betting Sites page. Readers who prefer to bet on mobile can also compare the Best Horse Racing Betting Apps for racing.
