Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase

The Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase takes place every year during the Cheltenham Festival, the second richest meeting in the National Hunt calendar. It’s a prominent Grade 3 steeplechase race.

Created in 1951, this event was originally called the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup, after the late Baron Mildmay. He was an amateur National Hunt jockey decorated for riding several winners at Cheltenham. Today, the race is sponsored by Brown Advisory and the Merriebelle Stable.

Like all Cheltenham Festival races, the event draws massive interest from punters worldwide. As a handicap race, it offers a fairly level field.

Plate Handicap Chase: Betting Odds

Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase: Tips, Predictions and Previews

The Festival Plate Handicap Chase, as the event is often called, is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase. However, that doesn’t mean it lacks in quality or excitement. As a handicapped race, the Plate offers a uniquely balanced field, making for a competitive race.

The 2021 Plate chase is expected to be hotly contested. The race card for the fifth race in Day Three of the Cheltenham Festival is yet to be determined. Therefore, no one knows exactly which horses and jockeys will be riding on Thursday, March 18th 2021.

This doesn’t mean we can’t surmise a few predictions from ongoing Festival Plate trends, though. In the past 11 races, only once has the winner carried over 11-0 in weight. 2018’s The Storyteller bucked the trend, but the other nine horses in the top 10 all carried under 11-0.

It’s also worth noting that favourites fare poorly at the Plate. Only three favourites have taken the race since 1999. Between 2000 and 2018, no winning horse had more than two other wins that same season. When the race card is finally revealed, use these tips to narrow the field.

Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase: Recent Winners