Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase
Grade 2, Cheltenham 14:00
£100,000 guaranteed, 5yo+
2m 4f 127y, Class 1  
Thursday 1st January 2026

1 Matata 6/1
2 Il Ridoto 6/1
3 Grandeur d'Ame 14/1
9 ran Distances: 9½l, 2¼l, 2¼l
Time: 5m 10.36s (fast by 0.64s)

Matata may well have booked himself a crack at the Ryanair Chase with a dominant success here.

The eight-year-old, trained by Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies, has been seen to good effect at shorter trips in recent outings, but a return to two and a half miles for this valuable New Year’s Day prize proved just the tonic. Always travelling with real purpose under Sam Twiston-Davies, he moved through the race with an ease that hinted at something significant in reserve.

Cheltenham’s demanding hill has not always been kind to the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding, previously finding him out after racing too freely. This time, however, it posed no such problem. Once asked to stretch after the last, Matata lengthened impressively, powering away from Il Ridoto to score by nine and a half lengths.

It was a performance that left connections understandably buoyant, with thoughts now turning towards a spring campaign that could include both the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree for the 6-1 winner.

Nigel Twiston-Davies said: “He has never been at his best round Cheltenham because he has always been so free and then has never managed to get up the hill. He’s learned to settle and got the two and a half miles well today.

“Sam did a brilliant job settling him as he’s still a lunatic at home, but he was cantering at the bottom of the hill and then it was a question of if he would come up it, which he did, which was lovely.

“We’ve been wanting to go this distance for a long time and the fact he settled so beautifully was great.

“I guess we have to think about the Ryanair again after that, but we’ll see what the handicapper does. He could do both Cheltenham and Aintree and he’s a tough horse, he would be a lovely horse to have in the Ryanair.”

Paddy Power trimmed Matata to 33-1 for the Ryanair Chase, while the victory carried particular significance for Willy Twiston-Davies. It marked the first Cheltenham winner for the father-and-son training partnership at their local track, a milestone moment for the younger handler.

He added: “That is very special and he’s a very talented horse who has been crying out for a step up in trip. However, you look at those opportunities at the shorter trips and try to take them.

“I’ve been on the licence for only this season and nothing has really changed, but I thought when we have been coming here this season with the likes of Un Sens A La Vie and some other favourites and they’ve got beat, I was beginning to wonder if I was a curse. It’s so nice to have one on the board.”

New Year's Day Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
£100,000 guaranteed, 5yo+ 2m 4f 127y, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Matata 8 11-12 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 6/1
2  9½ Il Ridoto 9 10-11 Paul Nicholls Freddie Keighley 6/1
3 2¼ Grandeur d'Ame 10 10-6 Alan King Tom Bellamy 14/1
4 2¼ Just Over Land 7 10-2 Sam Thomas Benjamin Macey 6/1
5 2¼ Moon d'Orange 8 10-5 John C McConnell Callum Pritchard 7/1
6 6 Riskintheground 9 11-3 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 13/2
7 8½ Jungle Boogie 12 12-0 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 22/1
PU Glengouly 10 10-3 Faye Bramley Sean Bowen 5/1
UR Twinjets 9 11-6 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 4/1F