While this year’s renewal of the Marsh Chase might not boast a star name like some of its Grand National Festival counterparts — including the possibility of Constitution Hill in the Aintree Hurdle or former Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard in the Bowl — nor the thrills and spills of the showpiece race itself, it is still shaping up to be an intriguing contest.
At the time of writing, there is very little to separate slight favourite Pic D’Orhy from Fakir D’oudairies in the Marsh Chase odds — with the former a 13/8 chance of landing Paul Nicholls his fourth win in the Grade 1 contest, with the latter 5/2 to add another top-level victory to the CV of up-and-coming Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien.
So, as this year’s renewal of the two-mile and four-furlong affair looks set to be a two-horse race, let’s take a look at some of the previous winners of the Marsh Chase.
2022 & 2021: Fakir D’ouadiries
Speaking of Fakir D’ouadiries, there is a lot at stake for the O’Brien-trained horse as he goes for the hat-trick bid at Aintree later this month. A third win in the Marsh Chase would see him be crowned the most successful horse in the race’s 30-odd year history — surpassing greats like Viking Flagship and Moscow Flyer.
The JP McManus-owned thoroughbred won the race for the first time behind closed doors in 2021, entering the race as the 2/1 favourite after a run of five second place finishes and pulling up in his last six starts. He prevailed on his status as market leader comfortably as well, streaking clear two out and winning by 11 lengths from Nuts Well.
Fakir D’ouadiries returned to Aintree last year on the back of a Betfair Ascot Chase triumph, which saw him set off in Merseyside as the odds-on favourite. Hitman put up more of a fight this time in second, but the then seven-year-old went clear of Nicholls’ runner at the last to win by over five lengths.
2019: Min
Unlucky to end his career without a Champion Chase on his résuméas the great Altior was simply too good for the Willie Mullins-trained horse, Min still landed an impressive seven Grade 1 successes in his glittering six-year career.
After finishing second to the aforementioned Nicky Henderson-trained legend in the Cheltenham Festival’s day two feature, Min headed to Aintree as the 11/10 favourite for the Marsh Chase in 2018. However, he was beaten by the neck of 11/1 shot Politologue.
12 months on and the Rich Ricci-owned horse put things right. Pitted back against his Nicholls-trained foe, Min romped to a 20-length victory over the then eight-year-old. He made all the running, cruising clear two out and impressively staying on to win by the mammoth margin.
2018: Politologue
Having already briefly mentioned Politologue’s victory in 2018, let’s take a more in-depth look at how the outsider landed 13-time Champion Trainer Nicholls his third Marsh Chase success. Politologue started the National Hunt season well, winning Grade 2s at Exeter and Kempton either side of the Grade 1 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase.
However, that run of three wins in succession was ended by Altior in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February and Politologue could fare no better than a distant fourth in the Champion Chase. 16 lengths behind second place Min in that Prestbury Park contest, he made up the ground at Aintree to hold off the Mullins runner by a neck.
