Sky Bet Peterborough Chase: runner-by-runner guide

Wayward Lad, Remittance Man, One Man, Edredon Bleu, Best Mate, Jair Du Cochet, Monet's Garden, Menorah, Riverside Theatre, Al Ferof, Top Notch and Pic D'orhy are just some of the names on the Peterborough Chase roll of honour at Huntingdon Racecourse. Five horses have won the race on more than one occasion and last year's victor Djelo will bid to join that select list at 3.00pm on Sunday. Here is my guide to the eight runners left standing in the weekend's £80,000 Grade Two, live on Racing TV.

Trainer: Venetia Williams. Official Rating: 163. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 7.6. Best odds: 5-4.

Venetia Williams has only had three winners this season and one of those is last year's Peterborough Chase victor Djelo, won landed the Charlie Hall Chase on his seasonal debut at Wetherby last month.

This year's race is unlikely to be quite as testing as it was last season when he beat Protektorat to score by six lengths, but we know he also handles better ground without any issues (it was good ground at Wetherby last time) and he improved on for his first outing last season. 

If he improves again here back down to two and a half miles, he could be very hard to beat. He is only 4lb inferior to Jonbon on official ratings and is 3lb clear of the rest.

Trainer: Paul Nicholls. Official Rating: 157. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 8.0. Best odds: 6-1.

With both Edwardstone and Mahon's Glory entered for this race, nine-year-old Hitman is only the third-oldest horses left standing for this year's race - he is one day older than Jonbon.

Despite his advancing years he put up one of the best performances of his career when running out the two-length winner of the Old Roan at Aintree last time out, jumping well and scoring comfortably under Freddie Gingell, although his advantage was diminishing as they hit the line.

Prior to that victory, Hitman had won just one of his previous 21 races, although frustratingly for connections, he had placed seven times in that period.

There are no ground or trip concerns with him, although the nagging concern is his strike rate and the fact he is yet to win going right-handed in Britain, for all he won at the right-handed Pau for Guillaume Macaire as a four-year-old.

Trainer: Nicky Henderson. Official Rating: 167. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 7.2. Best odds: 7-4.

Jonbon, who is also entered in the previous day's Tingle Creek at Sandown, is a doubtful runner in this contest but would certainly be of strong interest should he line up.

The top-rated runner left standing, we know he is a strong stayer over two miles so should have no issues with this further distance, but the nagging concern is his below-par return at Cheltenham in the Schloer Chase when last seen, where he was beaten 15 lengths by L'Eau du Sud.

That said, his record away from Cheltenham is hugely impressive, where he seems to get into a better rhythm and jump more accurately. 

Although he is prone to an error, he is still yet to finish outside of the first two in his career and has amassed ten Grade One victories and over £1.4 million in prize money.

He won impressively over this trip in the Melling Chase back in April and the conditions of this race ought to suit better than at Prestbury Park last time out. Nicky Henderson has won four of the past eight runnings of the Peterborough Chase, but not since 2020.

Trainer: Willie Mullins. Official Rating: 160. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 7.7. Best odds: 7-2.

Willie Mullins has not saddled a winner at Huntingdon from four previous runners. That may change on Sunday as the master of Closutton has Saint Sam entered here.

The ultra-consistent son of Saint Des Saints is already a Grade Two winner having landed both the Clonmel Oil Chase in November last year, as well as the Red Mills Chase at Gowran nine months previously.

The six-time chase winner has not finished outside of the first two in his past seven races over a mixture of hurdles and fences, with his most recent unplaced effort coming back in April 2024 when he was set a tough assignment in Punchestown's Champion Chase.

He is ground versatile, too, and has a great record when fresh, so it will be interesting to see how he fares against race-fit rivals off a 230-day absence.

Trainer: Dan Skelton. Official Rating: 152. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 7.7. Best odds: 8-1.

Boombawn was sent off an 11-4 chance for the Old Roan Chase on his seasonal debut when last seen but could only manage fourth behind Hitman, beaten four and a quarter lengths.

That was still a performance up there with his best displays, although not quite as strong as his fourth-placed finish at the same track back in April, where he was beaten just three and a half lengths by Impaire Et Passe in the Manifesto Novices' Chase, and was just over two lengths behind runner-up Gidleigh Park and third-placed finisher Jango Baie.

He goes well at flat tracks, but he has only won twice over fences and this will likely require a career best. The percentage call is that he will find a few too strong.

Trainer: Alan King. Official Rating: 154. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 7.4. Best odds: 12-1.

Alan King's veteran is only a few weeks away from turning 12 and has been a fantastic servant for the yard over the years, winning three Grade Ones and over £635,000 in earnings.

Rated 170 in his pomp, he is now 16lb lower than that and is not the force of old - he has not won wince taking the Game Spirit Chase by 40 lengths in February 2024.

That said, he has finished third behind Jonbon on three occasions since, although more recent efforts have been disappointing. He was fourth in the Shloer Chase when last seen, beaten over 30 lengths by the winner L'Eau du Sud, and this will require a much better performance.

He is rarely seen over this trip, but if he can find some of his old sparkle, it would be no surprise to see him place and pick up some more prize money.

Trainer: Dylan Cunha. Official Rating: 134. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 7.5. Best odds: 50-1.

Dylan Cunha has had seven runners over Jumps this season and is yet to saddle a winner, although he did enjoy a couple of victories last term. The shrewd Newmarket handler has nine-year-old Mahons Glory entered here, who finished fourth over the National fences last month and is yet to contest a Graded chase, so this assignment obviously asks plenty of questions.

Formerly trained by Patrick Neville, he went unsold for 900 guineas at the beginning of the year but then won his first two starts for his new trainer in March.

The trip and ground ought to be fine here, but he has plenty to find on the figures for all he is a consistent and likeable performer. Would be a surprise winner.

Trainer: Jane Williams. Official Rating: 148. RaceiQ Career Jump Index: 7.0. Best odds: 16-1.

Both Jane and Chester Williams are operating at very impressive strike rates this season and, despite the former not having saddled a winner for a couple of weeks, she has her string in good form - five of her past six runners have finished second at the time of writing and the other finished third.

Saint Segal has arguably produced the two best performances of his career the last twice. Firstly, when running out the four and three-quarter length winner over Il Ridoto at Chepstow - albeit that race was decimated with non-runners due to the good to firm ground, and then at Exeter last month, where he finished second behind the hugely progressive Thistle Ask in the Haldon Gold Cup.

He has yet to finish outside of the places in the past year over seven starts and it would be no surprise at all to see him give another solid account of himself.

The yard won this race with Gauvain back in 2011 when Nick Williams was the licensed trainer.

Stay tuned for my predicted finishing order on Friday morning after declarations.