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The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup (amateur riders) - Facts

  1. The National Hunt Chase has been run more times than any other race at The Festival, and is in its 140th year in 2010. Until the 1930s, only the Grand National was more important than the National Hunt Chase in the jump calendar. The race had been run at a number of venues until it became a part of the new two-day National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham in 1911. It had also been run at Cheltenham in 1904 and 1905.
  2. The four-mile National Hunt Chase is the longest race run at The Festival. The race was reduced in distance by a furlong in 2008 and reverted back to the old course.
  3. The race is usually one of the best supported at The Festival, with very competitive fields each year. The largest postwar field size is 37 (1948) and the smallest 13 (1993). There is now a safety limit of 20 runners.
  4. Flimsy Truth, a 33/1 chance, set a record post-war time of 8 mins 11.09s in 1998 but that was beaten by Relaxation in 2000, who scored in 8 mins 0.60s.
  5. Flimsy Truth is not the longest-priced post-war winner - that honour goes to Topsham Bay, successful in 1990, and 2005 winner Another Rum, who were both returned at 40/1.
    6. Castledermot, 6/4 favourite in 1949, is the shortest-priced victor.
  6. The race has proved a good guide to future success in recent seasons. The 2007 winner Butler’s Cabin subsequently won the Irish Grand National, while 2006 victor Hot Weld landed a memorable double in 2007 by collecting the Scottish National and the Sandown Gold Cup in the space of a week. 2007 John Smith’s Grand National victor Silver Birch finished fourth in 2004.
  7. The 2008 race was run as the Peter O’Sullevan National Hunt Chase to celebrate the legendary commentator’s 90th birthday.

The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup (amateur riders) - Roll

(Peter O'Sullevan National Hunt Chase in 2008)

Year Winner Jockey Trainer SP
2009 Tricky Trickster Mr Sam Waley-Cohen Nigel Twiston-Davies 11/1
2008 Old Benny Mr Charlie Huxley Alan King 9/1
2007 Butler's Cabin Mr Alan Berry Jonjo O'Neill 33/1
2006 Hot Weld Mr Richard Harding Ferdy Murphy 33/1
2005 Another Rum Mr Mark O'Hare Ian Duncan IRE 40/1
2004 Native Emperor Mr Robert Widger Jonjo O'Neill 5/1JF
2003 Sudden Shock Mr Denis Cullen Jonjo O'Neill 25/1
2002 Rith Dubh Mr J T McNamara Jonjo O'Neill 10/1
2001
2000 Relaxation Mr Mark Bradburne Henry Daly 8/1
1999 Deejaydee Mr Tony Martin Michael Hourigan IRE 13/2
1998 Wandering Light Mr Rupert Wakley Tim Forster 10/1
1997 Flimsy Truth Mr Micky Harris Martin Weston 33/1
1996 Loving Around Mr Philip Fenton Edward O'Grady IRE 10/1
1995 Front Line Mr John Berry Jonjo O'Neill 7/1
1994 Christmas Gorse Mr Marcus Armytage Nick Gaselee 14/1
1993 Ushers Island Mr Noel Wilson Howard Johnson 15/2
1992 Keep Talking Mr Marcus Armytage Tim Thomson Jones 5/2F
1991 Smooth Escort Mr Tony Martin Di Haine 7/1
1990 Topsham Bay Mr Paul Hacking David Barons 40/1
1989 Boraceva Mr Seamus Mullins Toby Balding 4/1F
1988 Over The Road Mr Tom Costello Terry Casey 10/1
1987 Mighty Mark Mr Jimmy Walton Frank Walton 8/1
1986 Omerta Mr Lorcan Wyer Homer Scott IRE 9/4F
1985 Northern Bay Mr Tony Fowler Tom Bill 12/1
1984 Macks Friendly Mr Willie Mullins Paddy Mullins IRE 11/4
1983 Bit Of A Skite Mr Frank Codd Edward O'Grady IRE 5/1F
1982 Hazy Dawn Mr Willie Mullins Paddy Mullins IRE 8/1
1981 Lucky Vane Mr Stephen Bush Toby Balding 13/1
1980 Waggoners Walk Mr Tony Fowler Caroline Mason 10/1
1979 Artic Ale Mr John Fowler Dan Moore IRE 20/1
1978 Gay Tie Mr John Fowler Mick O'Toole IRE 10/1
1977 Alpenstock Mr Dick Saunders Stan Mellor Harron 14/1
1976 Sage Merlin Mr Peter Greenall Jack Hardy 5/2F
1975 Abandoned (course waterlogged)
1974 Mr Midland Mr Mouse Morris Edward O'Grady IRE 7/2
1973 Foreman Mr Bill Shand Kydd Tom Jones 11/2F
1972 Charley Winking Mr Derrick Scott Leslie Scott 20/1
1971 Deblin's Green Mr Derek Edmunds George Yardley 9/2F
1970 Domason Mr Robert Alner Harry Dufosee 10/1
1969 Lizzy The Lizard Mr Grant Cann Tony Hartnoll 10/1
1968 Fascinating Forties Mr Michael Dickinson George Owen 9/1
1967 Master Tammy Mr Brian Fanshawe George Guilding 100/7
1966 Polaris Missile Mr John Thorne John Thorne 100/6
1965 Red Vale Mr George Small Albert Piper 100/8
1964 Dorimont Mr Charles Vaughan Tom Taaffe IRE 4/1
1963 Time Mr Ian Balding Willie Stephenson 8/1
1962 Go Slow Mr George Small Albert Piper 10/1
1961 Superfine Sir William Pigott-Brown Frank Cundell 10/1
1960 Proud Socks Mr H Thompson Vivian Bishop 100/6
1959 Sabaria Mr John Lawrence Bob Turnell 5/2F
1958 Spud Tamson Mr Geordie Dun Tommy Dun 13/2
1957 Kari Sou Mr Alan Lillingston Archie Thomlinson 100/6
1956 Rosana III Mr G Everitt G Everitt 9/1
1955 Reverend Prince Mr C Pocock P Dufosee 33/1
1954 Quare Times Mr Bunny Cox Vincent O'Brien IRE 5/2F
1953 Pontage Mr Bunny Cox Dan Moore IRE 9/4F
1952 Frosty Knight Mr Charles Straker Ian Straker 15/2
1951 Cushendun Mr Peter Chisman Bobby Renton 10/1
1950 Ellesmere Mr Atty Corbett Ken Cundell 100/30F
1949 Castledermot Lord Mildmay Vincent O'Brien IRE 6/4F
1948 Bruno II Major Guy Cunard William Anstruther-Gray 20/1
1947 Maltese Wanderer Major Dermot Daly Tom Yates 6/1
1946 Prattler Major Dermot Daly Tom Yates 33/1

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