Ultima Handicap Chase 2020 Betting Offers & Overview – TIME: 14:50 (2:50 PM)

What Happened in the Ultima Handicap Chase 2020?

Winner: The Conditional

The Conditional became the first-ever Cheltenham Festival winner for trainer David Bridgwater in the Ultima Handicap Chase of 2020. A previous course and distance winner from earlier in the season at The Showcase meeting in October, he overcame a mistake and peck on landing at the penultimate fence to land odds of 15/2.

Previously a gallant runner-up in the valuable Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury and a fine fourth in the Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick which is a trial for the Grand National at Aintree, The Conditional stayed on well up the famous Cheltenham hill to prevail over 10/1 chance Kildisart by a neck in this Grade 3 contest.

Much of the running was made by 11/2 joint-favourite Vinndication, but carrying top weight in the Ultima Handicap Chase told in the closing stages as Kim Bailey’s horse faded and finished fourth. Fellow market leader Discorama, who had twice finished runner-up at the Cheltenham Festival in previous years for Irish trainer Paul Nolan, was ahead in third but 2 1/2 lengths behind The Conditional.

It has been a remarkable season for the eight-year-old. The Conditional represents one of British jumps horse racing’s smaller yards in Cheltenham local handler Bridgwater and was again ridden by Brendan Powell junior here. Given how well-handicapped he was and the fact he has stayed well over three miles in the Ultima Handicap Chase, he could well be aimed at staying graded handicaps again next season.

BEST BOOKMAKER OFFERS FOR ULTIMA HANDICAP CHASE 2020 (MARCH 2020)

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Ultima Handicap Chase Betting Sites (MARCH 2020)

Ultima Handicap Chase 2020 Tips (Updated 09/03)

This is a really competitive handicap chase but what recent history has taught us is that the top trainers get it right year after year, knowing how to prep their main contenders and leading to winners coming from the first five or so in the betting.

While we don’t know who those five will be just yet it does show that we shouldn’t be looking too far down the ante post list for our selections.

While it is understandable that many are backing Sodexho Gold Cup winner Vinndication, we reckon he may be too high in the weights and would prefer tracks other than this one and so the nod goes to THE CONDITIONAL.

A 15/2 shot at the time of writing but being backed all the time, The Conditional won over this course and distance in October before finishing a fine second to De Rasher Counter in the Ladbrokes Trophy.  There’s more to come from David Bridgwater’s horse we’re sure, especially over this trip after a short experiment to see whether he could be a Grand National type.

This is a very tough race as it always is, but despite the undoubtedly solid preparations given to the likes of Who Dares Wins, Discorama and Burbank who all have chances, the one with the most ticks in the most boxes remains The Conditional and so with a career best run perhaps on the cards, he remains the one to be on.

Ultima Handicap Chase Tip: THE CONDITIONAL

Ultima Handicap Chase 2020 Preview 

One of the standout fixtures of Tuesday, this handicap race has a history that can be traced back to 1946 when the first outing was won by Dunnshaughlin for Bobby O’Ryan and Charles Rogers. The most recent episode of the Festival Trophy Handicap Chase saw Beware The Bear crowned the 2019 champion for Jeremiah McGrath and Nicky Henderson.

Who will come out on top this year? It is still very early in the National Hunt horse racing season, but followers will have a close eye on the results over 3m 1f distance with an eye on picking the champion of the 2020 Festival Trophy Handicap Chase. The following review of the race aims to make picking the right horse easier to do.

Our team of horse racing experts look back at the all-important stats and trends before offering our betting guide which can be used on the race itself when the antepost markets become available in the coming weeks and months.

Antepost Key Runners & Favourites

At the time of writing many Cheltenham Festival races have been priced up through the antepost betting markets, including the Gold Cup. This allows backers to get their stake money down early, jumping the queue, to secure a better price about their runner of choice compared to those waiting for the final declarations. There’s more of a risk involved there as your horse may not run in the race you backed it to win but the odds available often make it a risk worth taking.

While we don’t know who those five will be just yet it does show that we shouldn’t be looking too far down the ante post list for our selections. While it is understandable that many are backing Sodexho Gold Cup winner Vinndication, we reckon he may be too high in the weights and would prefer tracks other than this one and so the nod goes to THE CONDITIONAL and GLENLOE.

The former, a 10/1 shot at the time of writing, won over this course and distance in October before finishing a fine second to De Rasher Counter in the Ladbrokes Trophy.  There’s more to come from David Bridgwater’s horse we’re sure, especially over this trip after a short experiment to see whether he could be a Grand National type.

Glenloe on the other hand at 16/1 is real value given his profile, one that makes it appear as though his clever trainer Gordon Elliott has laid him out for the Festival.

We already know he stays three miles and loves Cheltenham, something evidenced by his second in the 2018 Pertemps Final, but thus far over fences he has stuck to trips of around the 2½-mile mark meaning his best form has not been forthcoming.

Nevertheless, he has still performed well, but with his handicap mark having been looked after, a big improvement is on the way and he would be a fair shout at these prices.

Ultima Handicap Chase Ante Post Tips: THE CONDITIONAL & GLENLOE

Traders at major online bookmakers are caught between wanting a good look at the form of the horses that may be including in the betting for this race and trying to grab the attention of potential customers by being one of the first bookies to offer betting on the contest. Bookmark this page and return to see when the antepost betting has been added.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Ultima Handicap Chase 2020.

Ultima Handicap Chase Betting Offers

The closer we get to the 2020 Cheltenham Festival the more promotions, deals and specials will be made available by major bookmakers. These types of offers are used by major bookmakers to ensure they stand out from the crowd in a busy market at a hectic time of year but it’s also great news for punters. Traders fighting over your custom puts you in complete control of how you bet and the promos you use.

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