FESTIVAL HUNTERS’ CHASE

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.

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

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

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:

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 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:

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.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Pippin II won the Foxhunters Chase aged 15 in 1927 and remains the oldest horse to have won at the Cheltenham Festival.