Manifesto Novices' Chase Odds

What is the Manifesto Novice Chase?

Established in 2009, the Manifesto is a Grade 1 novices’ chase, held over just shy of two and a half miles (two miles, three furlongs and 200 yards).  

Originally a Grade 2 contest, the race was upgraded to Grade 1 status in 2012, and generally features horses who ran in either the Arkle Trophy Novices’ Chase (over two miles) or the JLT Novices’ Chase (over two and a half miles) at the previous month’s Cheltenham Festival. 

The race can often deviate from the Cheltenham Festival form wise, and offers a second bite of the cherry for those horses who perhaps disappointed the previous month. For instance, the 2019 Manifesto winner Kalashnikov unseated his rider in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, before bouncing back at Aintree three weeks later. 

What happened in the 2021 Manifesto Novices’ Chase

Dan Skelton's Pretoktorat was a fine winner of the Manifesto Novices' Chase, as the 17/2 shot pulled clear of The Shunter and Hitman in a hugely competitive renewal of the Grade 1 contest.

The history of the Manifesto Novices' Chase

The history of the Manifesto Novices’ Chase is a brief but colourful one, and it has seen plenty of drama already since being established in 2009. Although the race is perhaps becoming known as something of a bloodbath for favourites, some illustrious names have won the race so far,  including Menorah, Uxizandre and Finian’s Oscar. The most recent renewal was won by the Amy Murphy-trained Kalashnikov, and it will be fascinating to see who adds their name to the roll of honour in 2020.

Who is the most iconic winner of the Manifesto Novices' Chase?

The race is perhaps better known for the names who have been beaten in it rather than those who have won it, though the 2012 winner Menorah is a particularly iconic name on the roll of honour.

A winner of the 2010 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Menorah initially struggled with the transition to novice chasing in 2011/12, failing to complete in novice contests at both Exeter and Doncaster, but he soon flourished into a top notch chaser, and his finest achievement came in the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase at Sandown - which he won for four years in a row - being retired when winning it for the fourth and final time as a 12-year-old on his swan song in 2017. 

Are there any trials for the Manifesto Novices' Chase?

As a Grade 1 novices’ chase, the Manifesto has a clear and defined route, and although key contenders occasionally miss it, the vast majority if Manifesto runners take their chance at the previous month’s Cheltenham Festival - either in the Arkle Trophy over two miles, or in the JLT Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles. Other races to note during the season include the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown, the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown and the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick.

Who is the most successful jockey in the Manifesto Novices' Chase?

The joint winning most jockeys in the history of the Manifesto Novices’ Chase are Barry Geraghty and Richard Johnson, with two wins each. Johnson won the Manifesto on Wishfull Thinking (2011) and Menorah (2012), while Geraghty has tasted success with Mad Max (2010) and Captain Conan (2013).

Who is the most successful trainer in the Manifesto Novices' Chase?

The joint winning most trainers in the history of the Manifesto Novices’ Chase are Philip Hobbs and Nicky Henderson, with two wins each. Henderson’s two winners came with Mad Max (2010) and Captain Conan (2013), while Hobbs trained Wishfull Thinking (2011) and Menorah (2012) to success.