John Durkan Memorial Chase 2022 Offers & Betting Guide

Run this time on Sunday December 11th, the John Durkan Chase 2022 will take place at Punchestown over 2½ miles. There are fourteen fences to jump for these Grade 1 types and with over €50,000 going to the winner, the race once again will prove to be an important event not just in the Irish jumps calendar but also in regards to Cheltenham Festival 2022 prep.

Don Cossack, the 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, as well as 2005 scorer Kicking King each managed to win this race en route to Blue Riband victory around Prestbury Park.

John Durkan Chase Runners & Tips

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2022 John Durkan Chase Tips

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John Durkan Memorial Chase Stats & Trends

Ahead of the 2021 John Durkan Chase, it is well worth knowing certain statistics and prevailing trends about this event. There are no guarantees that these will provide you with the winner, but you are more likely to make an informed decision by being aware of them before you start betting. Whatever decision you make, take a look at a wide range of Ladbrokes Cheltenham offers to get the best bang for your money. Here are the key stats for the John Durkan ahead of this year’s race:

• Most successful horses – As noted above, there have been eight multiple John Durkan Chase past winners with each landing the race twice. Straight Fort (1971 and 1972), Fort Fox (1976 and 1977), Jack Of Trumps (1978 and 1979), Bobsline (1984 and 1986), Merry Gale (1994 and 1995), Native Upmanship (2000 and 2002), Djakadam (2015 and 2016), and Min (2018 and 2019).
• Most successful jockeys – The great Ruby Walsh rode four John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase winners a record four times between 2013 and 2018 before retiring. Of still active riders, Paul Townend joined Robbie Power and Daryl Jacob in partnering the successful horse to victory.
• Most successful trainers – Jim Dreaper saddled a record seven winners of the John Durkan Memorial Chase with five different horses. Of active trainers, Willie Mullins has six successes with four different horses, including Florida Pearl, Djakadam and Min. Other top stables to have won the race in recent years include Gordon Elliott, Jessica Harrington, and British handler Paul Nicholls.
• Age – Five John Durkan Chase past winners since 2012 have been seven-year-olds. That is the most recent trend, but there have also been three eight-year-olds to land the spoils over the last decade. In fact, every horse to win from 2002 onwards was between the age of six and eight. That is the clear profile for the John Durkan and, unless there is an exceptional older horse, you should focus your search for the winner in that bracket.
• Favourites – The market leader has a fantastic record in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in recent times. Nine of the last 12 favourites (or joint-favourites) have obliged and a 75 per cent success rate is well above average for a horse race.
• Ratings – It takes a top-class horse to win this. Six of the last eight winners had an official rating of 167 or above. Only four horses among the early closing entries and potential John Durkan Chase runners this year meet that requirement. Of those, only one – Min – is likely to go to Punchestown after winning the race in both of the last two years.

Past John Durkan Memorial Chase Winners

Some top names have taken this event in the past, here are all of the winners since 2010 along with how they did at the following Cheltenham Festival.

What Happened in 2019?

Min made a successful defence of the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase from the front, giving trainer Willie Mullins a sixth win in the race. Sent off the odds-on 8/11 favourite under stable jockey Paul Townend, the Rich and Susannah Ricci owned gelding was very keen on his way to post and didn’t always have his mind on the job with his jumping a little sticky. Despite skying a couple of fences, Min showed a likeable attitude to rally on the far side when headed by 25/1 outsider Hardline approaching the last and retake the lead. He settled things on the run-in, pulling 2¼ lengths clear of Keith Donoghue’s mount in the second Gigginstown House Stud colours for Gordon Elliott.

Presenting Percy, the 2018 RSA Chase hero, was beaten a further length in third and the slight drift in the market out to 10/1 perhaps reflected that Pat Kelly’s horse needed a longer trip than this under Davy Russell. One of the 11/2 joint second favourites, Real Steel, was close up in fourth but the gamble of the race, Shattered Love, didn’t fire. A bad mistake at the third last cost Elliott and Gigginstown’s first string as the mare faded to be only seventh. Shattered Love finished behind a couple of 25/1 outsiders in Voix Du Reve and Noel Meade’s Snow Falcon. Duc Des Genievres, the 2019 Arkle winner, also ran below market expectation (11/1) back in eighth ahead of Anibale Fly.

About the Author

Jamie Clark has been around horse racing and betting his entire life. His father and godfather ran a trackside bookmaker’s pitch at Market Rasen Racecourse in Lincolnshire for many years. Jamie was Sports Editor for Coral’s digital platforms between 2014 and 2017, and has since become a successful freelancer.