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Festival Hunters’ Chase: Past Winners, Stats & History

Cheltenham Festival
Course:
Cheltenham
New Course
Grade:
Class 2
Length:
3m 2½f
Last Winner:
Billaway @ 13/8
Prize Money:
£50,000 (2022)

The course and distance are the same, and whilst the class of runner and prize money may be a notch or two below that of the Gold Cup, for the amateur riders taking part, the Cheltenham Festival Hunter Chase means just as much.

Previously know as the Foxhunter Chase, this is a race for amateur jockeys and is often referred to as the Amateur Gold Cup, though in 2021 professional riders competed in their place. Bryony Frost won this race prior to turning professional when riding Pacha Du Polder to victory for Paul Nicholls in 2017.

The highlight of the season for these jockeys is always a big field affair which makes for a cracking spectacle and betting heat.

Festival Hunters' Chase Course Map (New Course)

Cheltenham New Course Map

The 3m 2½f plots exactly the same course as the Gold Cup run before it. Starting at the end of the New Course straight, two fences are jumped before two complete circuits are navigated.

Festival Hunters' Chase Past Winners

Year Winner SP Trainer Jockey
2022 Billaway 13/8 Willie Mullins Patrick Mullins
2021 Porlock Bay 16/1 Will Biddick Lorcan Williams
2020 It Came To Pass 66/1 Eugene O'Sullivan Maxine O'Sullivan
2019 Hazel Hill 7/2 Philip Rowley Mr Alex Edwards
2018 Pacha Du Polder 25/1 Paul Nicholls Miss Harriet Tucker
2017 Pacha Du Polder 16/1 Paul Nicholls Bryony Frost
2016 On The Fringe 13/8 Enda Bolger Nina Carberry
2015 On The Fringe 6/1 Enda Bolger Nina Carberry
2014 Tammys Hill 15/2 Liam Lennon Mr J J Smyth
2013 Salsify 2/1 Rodger Sweeney Mr C J Sweeney
2012 Salsify 7/1 Rodger Sweeney Mr C J Sweeney
2011 Zemsky 33/1 Ian Ferguson Derek O'Connor
2010 Baby Run 9/2 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies
2009 Cappa Bleu 11/2 Sheila Crow Richard Burton
2008 Amicelli 33/1 Cherry Coward Oliver Greenall
2007 Drombeag 20/1 Jonjo O'Neill J. T. McNamara
2006 Whyso Mayo 20/1 Raymond Hurley Damien Murphy
2005 Sleeping Night 7/2 Paul Nicholls Colman Sweeney
2004 Earthmover 14/1 Paul Nicholls Rilly Goschen
2003 Kingscliff 11/4 Sally Alner Richard Young

About the Foxhunter Chase: The Amateurs Tackle the Gold Cup Fences

Foxhunter and Hounds at Cheltenham Racecourse
Steven Jones, flickr

The Cheltenham Festival is exactly as one might imagine – a true festival of horse racing. All aspects of National Hunt racing are celebrated including the tradition of allowing amateur jockeys to race against each other.

That is the case with the Festival Hunter’ Chase which is a massive opportunity for amateur riders to grab the headlines at Prestbury Park.

After the Lord Mayor’s Show

Horse Jumping Fence at Cheltenham
Steven Jones, flickr

Amateur jockeys always view the chance to ride in the Festival Hunters’ Chase as a real honour as it is the race that that immediately follows the Cheltenham Gold Cup, for many the biggest race of the entire season. Moreover, the Festival Hunters’ Chase is run over the exact same distance of three miles and two and a half furlongs and over the same 22 fences.

The chance to see another race over the world famous New Course at Cheltenham ending with that daunting climb up the hill guarantees the crowds hang around to watch the Festival Hunters’ Chase. It also demands a lot from the runners and riders.

Before we get into what it takes physically to win the race it’s worth pointing out the mental toll that running at the Cheltenham Festival exacts on the horses.

They are the real stars of the show and get a lot of attention as soon as they arrive at Prestbury Park. It is understandable that some of them will react badly to the crowds and the noise and fail to give their best, especially if they have an inexperienced jockey on board. Punters would be advised to have a look at the character of the competitors before parting with any of their hard earned.

A Race for Specialists

Cheshire Forest Hunt Point to Point
Cheshire Forest Hunt Point to Point, John Harwood, flickr

The championship races at Cheltenham basically come down to class. There are specific characteristics needed to win them but each is designed to decide who is the best horse in a particular division. It’s not quite as straightforward with the Festival Hunters’ Chase.

The trainers who send their horses to the Festival Hunters’ Chase have normally come to the conclusion that they have done all they can in handicaps after either succeeding or failing to make an impact amongst graded company. Additionally, many Irish horses who developed a formidable point-to-point record at home have gone on to do well.

The British Horseracing Authority became concerned that the reputation of the hunter chases in general and the Festival Hunters’ Chase was being diminished as big name trainers had begun dropping in horses capable of competing at a higher level into the field. So, they introduced changes in 2018 mandating that horses who contest hunter chases for licensed trainers were subsequently only able to run in hunter chases for the remainder of the season.

Those changes were broadly welcomed, especially by the many people in horse racing who hold hunter chasing close to their heart. It hasn’t stopped the biggest trainers from entering horses into the Festival Hunters’ Chase but should maintain the competitiveness of a race which has a reputation for providing thrilling finishes.

A list of the Hunter Chases run in the UK between January and April can be found here.

Capitalise on the Recent Trend of Multiple Winners

The qualifying criteria for the Festival Hunters’ Chase demands that horses must have finished in the top two twice in hunter chases or have won at least two point-to-points. This only serves to hammer home the idea that this is a race for specialist hunter chasers as does the recent trend of multiple winners.

Since its introduction to Cheltenham in 1904 a handful of horses have won the Festival Hunters’ Chase twice. So far, no horse has won it three times but that could change as multiple winners are becoming increasingly common. Below is a table showing the two time winners, including three such horses between the 2012 and 2018 editions.

Double Foxhunter Chase Winners: 1946 – 2022

Horse Trainer Jockey First Win Second Win
Pacha du Polder Paul Nicholls B Frost / H Tucker 2017 2018
On The Fringe Enda Bolger Nina Carberry 2015 2016
Salsify Roger Sweeney Colman Sweeney 2012 2013
Earthmover R Barber / P Nicholls J Tizzard / R Goschen 1998 2004
Fantus Richard Barber P Curling / T Mitchell 1995 1997
Double Silk Reg Wilkins Ron Treloggen 1993 1994
College Master Laurie Morgan Laurie Morgan 1961 1962
Whinstone Hill Bobby Brewis Bobby Brewis 1958 1960
The Callant Stewart Wight John Scott-Aiton 1956 1957

List of UK Hunter Chases

Below is a full list of UK Hunter Chases between January and April 2022.

UK Hunter Chases: January – April 2022

Course Date Race Class Prize Fund
Ludlow 20/1/22 Behind Bars Hunters Chase Class 5 £5,500
Warwick 23/1/22 Willoughby De Broke Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,000
Hereford 31/1/22 Hereford Open Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,000
Wincanton 3/2/22 Stewart Tory Memorial Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,500
Musselburgh 5/2/22 Scottish Foxhunter Hunters’ Chase Class 4 £7,000
Wetherby 5/2/22 William Hill Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £5,000
Ludlow 9/2/22 Chase Meredith Memorial Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,500
Ffos Las 10/2/22 Welsh Foxhunter H.Ch Class 4 £7,000
Bangor 11/2/22 Tote Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,000
Lingfield 15/2/22 attheraces.com Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £4,000
Leicester 17/2/22 Dick Saunders Nov’ Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £4,600
Fakenham 18/2/22 William Bulwer Long Memorial Class 5 £4,800
Kelso 18/2/22 racingtv.com Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,000
Haydock 19/2/22 William Hill Hunters’ Chase Class 3 £15,000
Doncaster 23/2/22 Virgin Bet Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £4,000
Fontwell 27/2/22 AtTheRaces Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £4,000
Leicester 1/3/22 Cottesmore ‘Grassroots’ Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £4,600
Musselburgh 2/3/22 William Hill Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,000
Wincanton 2/3/22 Dick & Sue Woodhouse Memorial Class 6 £3,000
Ludlow 3/3/22 Racing TV Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,500
Southwell 7/3/22 Virgin Bet Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,500
Catterick 9/3/22 Jack Berry House Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £4,000
Leicester 11/3/22 Thrusters Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £4,600
Stratford 14/3/22 pointtopoint.co.uk Nov’ Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,000
Cheltenham 18/3/22 Festival Challenge Cup Class 2 £50,000
Fakenham 18/3/22 Robert Hoare Memorial Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £4,000
Carlisle 20/3/22 Cocklakes Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,000
Exeter 22/3/22 Totnes & Bridgetown Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,500
Ludlow 23/3/22 Ludlow Gold Cup Class 5 £5,500
Ascot 27/3/22 Peter O’Sullevan Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,000
Ludlow 28/3/22 Magnus-Allcroft Memorial Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,500
Warwick 31/3/22 Air Wedding Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,000
Newbury 1/4/22 BetVictor Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,000
Kelso 4/4/22 Buccleuch Cup Class 4 £6,600
Exeter 5/4/22 Totnes & Bridgetown Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,000
Aintree 7/4/22 Foxhunters’ Hunters’ Chase Class 2 £50,000
Stratford 10/4/22 Stratford ‘Grassroots’ Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,000
Wincanton 18/4/22 John Dufosee Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,750
Hexham 11/4/22 At The Races Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £4,000
Kempton 13/4/22 Vbet Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,000
Exeter 14/4/22 Totnes & Bridgetown Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £3,750
Fakenham 18/4/22 Queen’s Cup Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £4,800
Sedgefield 19/4/22 At The Races Hunters’ Chase Class 6 £4,000
Ludlow 20/4/22 Eddie Mapp Memorial Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,500
Chepstow 22/4/22 Burnham Plastering Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,000
Cheltenham 29/4/22 visitcheltenham.com Hunters’ Chase Class 4 £10,000
Cheltenham 29/4/22 Intermediate Hunters’ Chase Class 4 £10,000
Cheltenham 29/4/22 KTDA Open Hunters’ Chase Class 4 £7,000
Cheltenham 29/4/22 Ineos Grenadier Hunters’ Chase Class 4 £10,000
Cheltenham 29/4/22 Visit Cheltenham Mares’ Hunters’ Chase Class 4 £7,000
Cheltenham 29/4/22 Winchcombe Open Hunters’ Chase Class 4 £7,000
Cheltenham 29/4/22 Evesham Open Hunters’ Chase Class 5 £5,500

Other Races of Note at Cheltenham

  • Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
  • Arkle Chase
  • Arkle Trial Novices' Chase
  • Ballymore Novices' Hurdle
  • Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
  • Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
  • Champion Bumper
  • Champion Hurdle
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup
  • Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
  • Cotswold Chase
  • December Gold Cup
  • Festival Hunters' Chase
  • Greatwood Hurdle
  • International Hurdle
  • November Handicap Chase
  • Paddy Power Gold Cup
  • Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
  • Queen Mother Champion Chase
  • Ryanair Chase
  • Shloer Chase
  • Stayers’ Hurdle
  • Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
  • Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle
  • Triumph Hurdle
  • Triumph Hurdle Trial
  • Turners Novices’ Chase

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