The St James’s Place Festival Hunters' Chase is often referred to as the amateur riders’ Gold Cup, as it is run over the same course and distance as the big race.
Until 2020 it was known as the Foxhunters' Chase - "fox" was removed from the title prior to the 2021 running.
Rushing Wild went on from his 1992 win in this to finish second in the Gold Cup, while Grittar won the Grand National 13 months after taking this prize.
Listed | 5yo+ | Friday 16.10
3 miles 2½ furlongs | 22 fences | New Course
Weight: 11st 13lb (5yo) / 12st (6yo+) | Allowance: 7lb for mares
Prize money (2022): £50,000 | 1st: £24,445
Although the race is usually only open to amateur riders, professional jockeys took part in 2021 due to Covid restrictions.
To qualify, a horse must have finished 1st or 2nd twice in hunter chases, or have won two open point-to-point races, or have won one open point-to-point race and finished 1st or 2nd in a hunter chase.
FESTIVAL HUNTERS’ CHASE TRENDS
The last 8 winners have been aged 10 or 11
3 of the last 6 winners were French-bred
British-bred horses are 0-85 since 2003
10 of the last 11 winners were rated 134+
7 of the last 25 favourites won (1 joint-favourite)
Updated to include 2022 renewal
There have been a number of repeat winners of this race, with Salsify, On The Fringe and Pacha Du Polder all enjoying back-to-back success since 2012 alone.
Remarkably, Earthmover won in 1998 at the age of seven and again in 2004 at thirteen.
Whilst the majority of fields are made up of Irish-bred horses, it is worth noting the recent success of French-breds.
2021 winner, Porlock Bay, was one of only three French-breds in a field of 18.
And in both 2017 & 2018, Pacha Du Polder led home a French-bred 1-2 (from 12 of the 47 runners in those two renewals).
Top Wood was runner-up in 2018 at 50/1 and third in 2019 at 33/1, before going on to win the Aintree equivalent of this race.
Female jockeys have come to the fore in this race recently, with Nina Carberry (twice), Bryony Frost, Harriet Tucker and Maxine O'Sullivan all successful since 2015.
LAST 5 WINNERS’ DATA
RECENT WINNERS
Mr Bradley Gibbs / Bradley Gibbs
Patrick Mullins / Willie Mullins
Lorcan Williams / Will Biddick
Maxine O'Sullivan / Eugene O'Sullivan
Alex Edwards / Philip Rowley
Harriet Tucker / Paul Nicholls
Bryony Frost / Paul Nicholls
Nina Carberry / Enda Bolger
Nina Carberry / Enda Bolger
James Smyth / Liam Lennon
Colman Sweeney / Roger Sweeney
Colman Sweeney / Roger Sweeney
Derek O'Connor / Ian Ferguson
Sam Twiston-Davies / Nigel Twiston-Davies
Richard Burton / Sheila Crow
Oliver Greenall / Cherry Coward
J T McNamara / Jonjo O'Neill
Damien Murphy / Raymond Hurley
Colman Sweeney / Paul Nicholls
Rilly Goschen / Paul Nicholls
Richard Young / Sally Alner
Fiona Needham / Robin Tate
Alex Charles-Jones / John Manners
Scoll to bottom of page for previous winners
Premier Magic 2023
It was third time lucky in this race for Billaway in 2022, having finished second in the last two renewals.
The 10-year-old, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by his son Patrick, produced a devastating late finish to snatch victory from Winged Leader in the shadow of the post:
‘I’M VERY PLEASED FOR PATRICK TO DO IT. AS A FATHER AND SON TEAM IT’S A TROPHY WE’VE BEEN TRYING TO WIN FOR YEARS, BUT WE DON’T HAVE TOO MANY HUNTERS’
The 2021 winner, Porlock Bay, was trained by Will Biddick, who would also have been riding until the covid protocols - handing over the reins to Lorcan Williams:
It Came To Pass caused a huge shock at 66/1 in 2020, with Maxine O'Sullivan riding for her father Eugene, who had also trained the winner of this race in 1991:
Hazel Hill, winner of 14 of his previous 15 races, stormed clear to win in 2019:
Pacha Du Polder secured back-to-back wins in 2018, despite jockey Harriet Tucker dislocating her shoulder during the race:
Pacha Du Polder had held off stablemate Wonderful Charm in a 1-2 for Paul Nicholls in 2017:
On The Fringe was another back-to-back winner of the Foxhunters' Chase in 2016:
On The Fringe 2015
Tammys Hill 2014
There was a dramatic finish back in 2013, with Oscar Delta jinking and unseating Jane Mangan on the run-in to allow Salsify to land his second successive Foxhunters' Chase.
That gave jockey Colman Sweeney his third victory in the race following their success the previous year, plus on Sleeping Night in 2005.
Looking back further, Cappa Bleu (twice placed in the Grand National subsequently) won the 2009 Foxhunters' on his Rules debut.
He was thus the first chaser since Rushing Wild in 1992 to win this race on his first start outside the point-to-point field.
Cavalero 2000
PREVIOUS WINNERS
Ben Pollock / Caroline Bailey
Joe Tizzard / Richard Barber
Tim Mitchell / Richard Barber
Enda Bolger / Enda Bolger
Polly Curling / Richard Barber
Ron Treloggen / Reg Wilkins
Ron Treloggen / Reg Wilkins
Justin Farthing / Richard Barber
Willie O'Sullivan / Eugene O'Sullivan
Katie Rimell / Mercy Rimell
Paul Hacking / Jean Campbell
Charlie Brooks / Fred Winter
Oliver Sherwood / Fred Winter
Caroline Beasley / Barry Kelly
Brod Munro-Wilson / Brod Munro-Wilson
Dick Saunders / Frank Gilman
Oliver Sherwood / Fred Winter
John Thorne / John Thorne
Peter Grenall / Arthur Stephenson
Richard Shepherd / Richard Shepherd
Bryan Smart / John Horton
George Hyatt / Barbara Surman
Ian Williams / George Fairbairn
Lord Oaksey / Bob Turnell
Chris Collins / Arthur Stephenson
Richard Smith / Denis Windell
Dick Woodhouse / Dick Woodhouse
Geoffrey Wade / Bill Wade
Charlie Macmillan / Geordie Dun
Nick Gaselee / Ian Pattullo
Richard Shepherd / William Shepherd
Dick Woodhouse / Dick Woodhouse
Alan Mactaggart / Reg Tweedie
Bob Bloomfield / George Shepheard
Laurie Morgan / Laurie Morgan
Laurie Morgan / Laurie Morgan
Bobby Brewis / Bobby Brewis
Bobby Brewis / Bobby Brewis
John Scott-Aiton / Stewart Wight
John Scott-Aiton / Stewart Wight
Danny Moralee / Stewart Wight
Gay Kindersley / Alec Kerr
Charlie Scott / Pat Bruce
Ivor Kerwood / A.A Walton
Dickie Smalley / Bill Wightman
John Stuart-Evans / J. Tudor-Evans
Harry Llewellyn / Harry Llewellyn
John Nichols / Sidney Banks
Harry Freeman-Jackson / Harry Freeman-Jackson
Luke Lillingston / J.C Paterson
Eric Bailey / Eric Bailey
Alexander Marsh / Ian Straker
Alexander Marsh / Clifford Nicholson
Reg Tweedie / Stewart Wight
Pete Bostwick / Tom Rimell
George Owen / Walter Easterby
Bill Dutton / John Cockton
Stratford Dennis / E. Davey
Meade Dennis / Percy Woodland
Harry Brown / Harry Brown
Bill Dutton / Max Barthropp
Edward Doyle / Tom Coulthwaite
Edward Doyle / Tom Coulthwaite
Herbrand Alexander / Herbrand Alexander
Jack Anthony / Aubrey Hastings
George Paynter / W. Taylor
Harry Ussher / Harry Ussher
All Foxhunter Chase winners at the Festival prior to 2000
* Dead heat
The Foxhunters' Challenge Cup was first run at the Festival in 1912, but had previously taken place at Cheltenham's Spring meeting in May (1908-1911). It was run over 4 miles until 1978.
Pippin II won the Foxhunters Chase aged 15 in 1927 and remains the oldest horse to have won at the Cheltenham Festival.