Thursday’s Thyestes Chase looks another super-competitive affair at Gowran Park – which is why using Andy Newton’s key trends and stats can help whittle down the runners and help find the best profiles.
It’s a prize Irish horse racing trainer Willie Mullins has also won TEN times.
With his first in 2000 and his most recent NICK ROCKETT in 2025 – who, of course, went onto land the Grand National at Aintree three months later.
We can expect the Closutton handler to be mob-handed again – but do the Willie Mullins 2026 runners tick the key Thyestes Chase trends?
Thyestes Chase Trends and Stats, Including Best Age and Weight To Look For
See below the full Thyestes Chase 2026 trends and stats – use these to apply to the final runners to find the best profiles based on past winners.
- 23/23 – Irish-based stable
- 21/23 – Won between 1-3 times over fences (rules)
- 21/23 – Irish bred
- 20/23 – Ran within the last 4 weeks
- 16/23 – Aged 9 or younger
- 16/23 – Won over at least 3m (fences)
- 15/23 – Favourites placed
- 13/23 – Carried 10-9 or less
- 13/23 – Unplaced last time out
- 12/23 – From the top 3 in the betting
- 11/23 – Aged 7 or 8 years-old
- 10/23 – Run at Gowran Park over fences before
- 10/23 – Returned a double-figure price
- 10/23 – Raced at Leopardstown in their last race
- 9/23 – Trained by Willie Mullins (won the race 10 times in all)
- 8/23 – Went onto run in that season’s Grand National (1 winner, Nick Rockett, 2025)
- 6/23 – Favourites
- 3/23 – Won their last race
- 3/23 – Ridden by Paul Townend (3 of the last 12)
- 2/23 – Trained by Gordon Elliott (2 of the last 8)
- 2/23 – Trained by Henry De Bromhead (2 of the last 9)
- 2/23 – Won by a previous winner
- The average winning SP in the last 23 runnings is 10/1
Last Year’s Thyestes Chase Winner Nick Rockett Went Onto Win The 2025 Grand National
The 2024 Thyestes Chase winner Ain’t That A Shame went onto run sixth in the Aintree Grand National.
However, the 2025 hero NICK ROCKETT trumped that in some style – by winning the 2025 Grand National (watch below).
In between these two wins, the Willie Mullins-trained 8yo also landed the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.
Meaning he became the first horse to win the Thyestes, Bobbyjo and Grand National in the same season.
Therefore, with Thursday’s Thyestes Chase producing last year’s National hero – we can expect the Aintree ante-post market to get a shake-up after the Gowran Park contest.
Until Nick Rockett won in 2025, no horse had won both races in the same season since the Thyestes Chase was first run in 1988.
But there were some winners that did land the Aintree Grand National later in their careers.
2004 Thyestes Chase winner Hedgehunter went onto win the National in 2005, while 2005 winner Numbersixvalverde followed up at Aintree in 2006.
Will we see another in 2026?
Thyestes Chase Race Details 2026
📅Date: Thursday 22nd January 2026
⌚Time: 3:30pm
🏇Racecourse: Gowran Park
🔄Trip: 3m 1f
💷Winning Purse: €59,000
📺 TV: RTE2
Willie Mullins Has Won The Thyestes Chase TEN Times
Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins has the best record in the Thyestes Chase – with TEN past wins.
The first of these came in 2000 with Micko’s Dream, who was ridden by former Grand National-winning jockey Jason Titley.
Graham Wylie’s On His Own took the prize twice in 2012 and 2014 for Mullins, while his most recent Thyestes Chase winner was, of course Nick Rockett in 2025.
Taking his tally in the race to TEN and more than any other handler.
Of the other big-gun Irish trainers, Gordon Elliott has two wins in the race – 2018, Monbeg Notorious and 2021, Coko Beach, who runs again in 2025.
While Henry de Bromhead was winning the race for a second time in 2024 (Ain’t That A Shame), with his other success coming in 2017 with Champagne West.
This year’s Willie Mullins Thyestes Chase runners are -You Oughta Know, Sa Majeste, Blizzard Of Oz, Uncle Pat, Spanish Harlem, Spindleberry, Quai De Bourbon, High Class Hero and his 2025 Scottish Grand National winner Captain Cody.
With jockey Paul Townend riding the last two Willie Mulllins winners in the race – then the fact he’s picked Captain Cody will also make this horse a leading Thyestes Chase tip for many.
Willie Mullins Thyestes Chase Winners
- Micko’s Dream (2000)
- Hedgehunter (2004)
- Homer Wells (2007)
- On His Own (2012, 2014)
- Djakadam (2015)
- Invitation Only (2019)
- Total Recall (2020)
- Carefully Selected (2023)
- Nick Rockett (2025)
Thyestes Chase Trends: 87% Of The Last 23 Winners Ran In The Last Four Weeks
One of the key Thyestes trends to have on your side is to look for a recent run – within the last four weeks.
This is because 20 of the last 23 ticked this bracket – including last year’s winner Nick Rockett, who ran 27 days prior at Leopardstown.
Most will fit the bill – but, if running, this bunch are coming here off a bigger break.
Better Times Ahead (53), High Class Hero (61), Quai De Bourbon (67), Answer To Kayf (67), Harry Des Ongrais (47), Spanish Harlem (54), Lonesome Boatman (53), Onethreefivenotout (39).
The Thyestes Chase Favourite Has Won 50% Of The Last Eight Runnings
Another Thyestes Chase trend that’s building up in recent runnings is the record of the favourite.
Last year’s winner Nick Rockett won as the 9/2 joint jolly with Yeah Man (4th), who runs again in 2026 – and became the fourth winning market leader since 2018.
With Carefully Selected (2023), Invitation Only (2019) and Monbeg Notorious (2018) the other three winning Thyestes Chase favourites.
And with three of these four being trained by Willie Mullins, then should the Closutton yard have another jolly in 2026 – we should take note.
Thyestes Chase Runners and Betting 2026
- Better Times Ahead 6/1
- Answer To Kayf 8/1
- Captain Cody 8/1
- High Class Hero 8/1
- Quai De Bourbon 9/1
- Now Is The Hour 12/1
- Jordans 14/1
- Search For Glory 14/1
- Yeah Man 14/1
- Harry Des Ongrais 16/1
- Intense Raffles 20/1
- Conyers Hill 25/1
- Shanbally Kid
- Spanish Harlem 25/1
- Uncle Pat 25/1 (Res)
- Will Do 25/1
- Lonesome Boatman 33/1
- Pied Piper 33/1
- Shecouldbeanything 40/1
- Beaufort Scale 50/1
- Velvet Elvis 66/1
Note: Odds are subject to change
Thyestes Chase Winners (Since 2015)
- 2025 – NICK ROCKETT (9/2 jfav)
- 2024 – AIN’T THAT A SHAME (14/1)
- 2023 – CAREFULLY SELECTED (9/2 fav)
- 2022 – LONGHOUSE POET (9/1)
- 2021 – COKO BEACH (9/1)
- 2020 – TOTAL RECALL (16/1)
- 2019 – INVITATION ONLY (4/1 fav)
- 2018 – MONBEG NOTORIOUS (7/2 fav)
- 2017 – CHAMPAGNE WEST (7/1)
- 2016 – MY MURPHY (16/1)
- 2015 – DJAKADAM (9/2)
8 Year-Olds Have A Good Recent Thyestes Chase Record
The Thyestes Chase has been won by horses aged 6-11 since 2020 – so really any age of horse can take this.
However, with three 8 year-olds winning since 2019, this age group just about edges it in recent times.
With last year’s winner Nick Rockett also aged 8.
Here are the possible 8 year-old Thyestes Chase runners in 2026.
- Captain Cody
- Spindleberry
- Conyers Hill
- Intense Raffles
- Spanish Harlem
- Uncle Pat
- Pied Piper
- Sa Majeste
- Croke Park
- Blizzard Of Oz
- You Oughta Know
- Mickie Angel
