• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

BettingSites.co

Betting Sites - Best UK Online Bookmakers & Sports Betting Websites

  • Home
  • Top 10
  • New Sites
  • Free Bets
  • Bookmakers
  • Sports
    • American Football
    • Athletics
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Boxing
    • Cricket
    • Darts
    • Football
    • Formula 1
    • Golf
    • Greyhound Racing
    • Horse Racing
    • Ice Hockey
    • Rugby
    • Snooker
    • Tennis
    • UFC/MMA
  • Tips
  • Banking
  • Articles

Melling Chase Betting Tips, Winners & History

Meeting:
Grand National & Aintree Festival
Racecourse:
Aintree
Grade:
Grade 1

The Grade 1 Melling Chase is the biggest race on the card of the second day of the Grand National Festival. Run over a distance of two miles and four furlongs and with 16 fences to clear, this is a test of skill and speed for the runners. With such greats as Sprinter Sacre and Moscow Flyer amongst the previous winners, and with a hefty prize fund of a quarter of a million pounds this year, it certainly has plenty of prestige.

Next Race: TBD

The next renewal of this race has not been scheduled yet. We will update this once the schedule has been released for next season. The race info, trends and tips shown below will be updated for the next renewal once the final declarations have been made.

Last Run: 5th April 2019

  • Winner: Min
  • SP: 2/1
  • Trainer: Willie Mullins
  • Jockey: Ruby Walsh

Race Info

This race is relatively new, having first been run in 1991, but has already witnessed five dual winners. Bidding to join the likes of Moscow Flyer, Native Upmanship and Viking Flagship in the record books this year is the Paul Nicholls-trained Politologue.

Going Distance Grade Prize Money Runners EW Terms
Good To Soft 2m4f Grade 1 £250,000 7 Runners 1/4 1-2

Melling Chase Betting Tips

Aintree, 14:20, Friday 3rd April 2020

Note: The following tips are from 2020. Tips for the next renewal will be added once the final declarations have been made.

Race cancelled.

Melling Chase Winners

Year Winner SP Trainer Jockey
2020 Abandoned - - -
2019 Min 2/1 Willie Mullins Ruby Walsh
2018 Politologue 11/1 Paul Nicholls Sam Twiston-Davies
2017 Fox Norton 4/1 Colin Tizzard Robbie Power
2016 God’s Own 10/1 Tom George Paddy Brennan
2015 Don Cossack 3/1 Gordon Elliott Tony McCoy
2014 Boston Bob 5/1 Willie Mullins Paul Townend
2013 Sprinter Sacre 1/3 Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty
2012 Finian's Rainbow 13/8 Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty
2011 Master Minded 11/2 Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh

About the Melling Chase: A Chasing Contest for Champions

Aintree Racecourse Viewed from the Melling Road
Rept0n1x, Wikimedia Commons (Image Cropped)

When you ask most people about the Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse only one race will immediately come to mind. The public’s imagination is no doubt captured by the marathon trip and monumental effort required to win the Grand National but the three days that it headlines contain all manner of different National Hunt races.

The Melling Chase is an excellent case in point. This Grade 1 is run over a distance of 2 miles 4 furlongs, which is over 1½ miles shorter than the Grand National. Naturally, horses with a very different set of skills compete in the two races but the leading contenders of the Melling Chase are often revered every bit as much as those who compete in the Grand National.

An Instant Hit

The Leeds Liverpool Canal from the Melling Road with Aintree Racecourse in the Background
Rept0n1x, Wikimedia Commons

Named after a village in close proximity to Aintree, the Melling Chase was first run in 1991. It was introduced to the Grand National Festival as a Grade 1 and immediately lived up to the billing as Blazing Walker won a classy seven-runner affair.

Things soon got even better as leading trainers began targeting their leading shorter distance chasers at the Melling Chase. Some of the best horses of the last 20 years or so have claimed this race including Moscow Flyer, Voy Por Ustedes and Sprinter Sacre.

Some of those stars were winning the Melling Chase relatively late on in their careers but as time’s gone by it has become more of a race for younger chasers. Moscow Flyer (one of five two time winners of the Melling Chase) shares the record as the oldest winner at 11. Since that win in 2005 no horse has won the Melling Chase aged over nine.

Graph Showing the Age of Melling Chase Winners Between 1991 and 2019

As you would expect with so many big name horses claiming this race, the Melling Chase has been won by several of the most accomplished trainers and jockeys in the game too. Nicky Henderson became the first trainer to secure a hat-trick of wins and was joined by Paul Nicholls on 3 victories in 2018. The most successful jockey is Barry Geraghty who racked up his fourth win aboard the much-loved Sprinter Sacre in 2013.

Middle Distance Provides Many Routes in and Out

The 2m4f distance of the Melling Chase means that it is neither a race for specialist minimum distance chasers nor one for the out and out stayers. That provides its own challenges both for horses and trainers but it does mean that the potential pool of competitors is a large one.

For that reason the leading contenders from many different races eventually find their way to the Melling. The most common route from the Cheltenham Festival a month or so earlier sees horses take in either the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which is run over 2m, or the Ryanair Chase over 2m4½f.

Chart Showing the Winners of the Melling Chase's Preceding Run at Cheltenham Between 1991 and 2019

Either route necessitates a change in tactics but that’s par for the course for this sort of competition. You’ll find that the runners in any year’s Melling Chase have competed from anywhere between 2m to 3m+ over the course of that season which undoubtedly makes things a little tricky for punters.

There are some important trends to consider though. The Mildmay Course at Aintree is a pretty speedy track. Therefore, those who come in having competed over shorter trips must be able to prove their stamina whilst those who have been seen in staying races must show a turn of pace which may not have been required of them for a while.

Top class jumping ability is the other thing to consider. There are 16 fences to be jumped in the Melling Chase. Whether an individual horse is taking them quicker than they are used to or is more tired than normal when approaching the final few flights, being able to rely on rock solid technique is a real boost. So, who do you fancy this year?!

Other Races of Note at Aintree

  • Aintree Bowl Chase
  • Aintree Hurdle
  • Becher Chase
  • Grand National
  • Grand Sefton Chase
  • Juvenile Hurdle
  • Maghull Novices' Chase
  • Manifesto Novices' Chase
  • Melling Chase
  • Mersey Novices' Hurdle
  • Mildmay Novices' Chase
  • Ryanair Stayers Hurdle
  • Sefton Novices' Hurdle
  • Top Novices' Hurdle
  • Topham Handicap Chase

Primary Sidebar

Sports Betting Guides

  • American Football
    • Super Bowl
  • Athletics
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
    • BDO World Darts Championship
    • PDC World Darts Championship
    • PDC World Matchplay
  • Football
    • Football Articles
    • Premier League
    • Championship
    • FA Cup
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • European Championships
  • Formula 1
    • Circuits
  • Golf
    • Golf Tournaments
    • The Open Championship
    • US Open Golf
    • The Masters
    • Ryder Cup
    • US PGA Championship
  • Greyhound Racing
  • Horse Racing
    • Horse Racing Articles
    • Horse Races
    • Major Meetings
    • Racecourses
    • Horse Racing Series
    • Prize Money
    • Race Classes
      • Grade 1
      • Grade 2
      • Grade 3
      • Group 1
      • Group 2
      • Group 3
      • Handicap Races
      • The Classics
  • Ice Hockey
  • Rugby
    • Super League
    • Six Nations
    • Rugby World Cup
  • Snooker
    • Masters Snooker
    • World Snooker Championship
    • UK Championship Snooker
  • Tennis
    • Wimbledon
    • US Open
    • French Open
    • Australian Open
  • UFC/MMA

Upcoming Events

  • Arnold Palmer Invitational
  • Players Championship
  • Qatar Masters
  • Imperial Cup
  • Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
  • Champion Hurdle
  • Arkle Chase
  • Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
  • Champion Bumper
  • Queen Mother Champion Chase
  • Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
  • Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
  • Ryanair Chase
  • Stayers’ Hurdle
  • Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
  • Marsh Novices’ Chase
  • Foxhunter Chase
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup
  • Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
  • Triumph Hurdle

Horse Racing Articles

  • Have Any Horses Won The Grand National More Than Once?
  • What's the Different Between Chases & Hurdles in Horse Racing?
  • Worlds Biggest Horse Races
  • Tic-tac: The Bookies Secret Hand Signals Explained
  • Horse Racing Rule 4 Deductions Explained
  • Best Odds Guaranteed Explained
  • Picking Winners: How To Study Horse Racing Form
  • What is Totepool Betting?
  • The History of Horse Racing

Events By Country

  • Countries
  • UAE (Dubai & Abu Dhabi)
  • South Africa
  • India
  • New Zealand
  • France
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • USA
  • Ireland
  • UK
  • Saudi Arabia

Banking

  • Apple Pay
  • Bitcoin
  • Entropay
  • Neteller
  • PayPal
  • Paysafecard
  • Skrill

Popular Articles

  • Picking Winners: How To Study Horse Racing Form
  • Betting & Tax In The UK – Do I Have To Pay Tax On My Gambling Winnings?
  • Both Teams to Score & Goals Galore Explained
  • Multiples Betting Explained
  • Dead Heat Rules – What Happens In The Event Of A Tie?

Latest Articles

  • Bitcoin Betting Sites & Online Bookmakers
  • Apple Pay Betting Sites & Online Bookmakers
  • Entropay Betting Sites & Online Bookmakers
  • Neteller Betting Sites & Online Bookmakers
  • Paysafecard Betting Sites & Online Bookmakers
  • Skrill Betting Sites & Online Bookmakers
  • Major Sporting Events in the United Arab Emirates
  • Major Sporting Events in South Africa
  • Major Sporting Events in India
  • Major Sporting Events in New Zealand

Recently Updated

  • Arnold Palmer Invitational
  • Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
  • Marsh Novices’ Chase
  • Ryanair Chase
  • Stayers’ Hurdle
  • Qatar Masters
  • Players Championship
  • US PGA Championship
  • WGC Workday Championship
  • Close Brothers Handicap Chase
  • Eider Handicap Chase
  • Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
  • Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
  • Queen Mother Champion Chase
  • Champion Bumper
  • Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase
  • Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
  • Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
  • Champion Hurdle
  • Paysafecard Betting Sites & Online Bookmakers
Copyright © 2021 BettingSites.co | 18+ BeGambleAware

Disclaimer: Please note that the legality of betting online varies between countries and it is your responsibility to verify that your actions are legal in the country you reside. All offers subject to terms and conditions. Please gamble responsibly - if you feel you may have a problem and need advice please visit Gamble Aware (UK) or Gamblers Anonymous.