The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase is better known to many as the RSA Chase or the Sun Alliance Chase.
RSA Insurance (formerly Sun Alliance), sponsored the race from 1974 until 2020.
Originally the Broadway Novices’ Chase, its outstanding roll of honour features future Gold Cup winners including the great Arkle, plus Grand National hero Minnehoma.
Grade 1 | 5yo+ novices | Wednesday 14.10
3 miles ½ furlong | 20 fences | Old Course
Weight: 11st (5yo) / 11st 4lb (6yo+) | Allowance: 7lb for mares
Prize money (2022): £175,000 | 1st: £98,473
It is frequently referred to as the Gold Cup for novice chasers being run, as it is, over a distance of just over 3 miles. But, unlike the Gold Cup, it's run on the Old Course.
The race has certainly been a natural stepping stone to the blue-riband event.
The last horse to complete the double was Lord Windermere, in 2013 and 2014 - after the likes of Denman and Bob's Worth
Minello Indo finished second in 2020 before winning the Gold Cup in 2021, while dual Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo fell two out while still in contention in 2018.
Don Cossack also fell in this race, in 2014, before winning the Gold Cup 2 years later.
Smaller fields tend to go to post nowadays since the introduction of the Turners Chase - which gives trainers the option of running their star novices over a shorter trip.
BROWN ADVISORY CHASE TRENDS
15 of the last 16 winners had finished 1st or 2nd in a G1 or G2 chase
10 of the last 12 winners ran over hurdles at the previous year's Festival
8 of the last 8 winners were rated 150+
18 of the last 23 winners were aged 7
8 of the last 23 favourites won
Updated to include 2022 renewal
Graded form coming into this novices' chase appears to be essential, while course form is another strong pointer.
2022 winner, L'Homme Presse, had won The Dipper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham's New Year's Day meeting.
And the four previous Brown Advisory Chase winners had all finished either first or second over hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival 12 months earlier.
Willie Mullins has trained a record five winners - one more than Nicky Henderson.
BROWN ADVISORY NOVICES’ CHASE 2024 ODDS
LAST 5 WINNERS’ DATA
RECENT WINNERS
Sam Twiston-Davies / Patrick Neville
Charlie Deutsch / Venetia Williams
Paul Townend / Willie Mullins
Barry Geraghty / Nicky Henderson
Harry Cobden / Paul Nicholls
Davy Russell / Patrick G Kelly
Nico de Boinville / Nicky Henderson
Ryan Hatch / Nigel Twiston-Davies
Bryan Cooper / Willie Mullins
Barry Geraghty / Rebecca Curtis
Davy Russell / Jim Culloty
Barry Geraghty / Nicky Henderson
Robbie Power / Jessica Harrington
Davy Russell / Charles Byrnes
Ruby Walsh / Willie Mullins
Tony McCoy / Jonjo O'Neill
Ruby Walsh / Paul Nicholls
Barry Geraghty / Paul Nicholls
Mick Fitzgerald / Nicky Henderson
David Casey / Willie Mullins
Richard Johnson / Philip Hobbs
Russ Garritty / Peter Beaumont
Jim Culloty / Henrietta Knight
Scoll to bottom of page for previous winners
The Real Whacker 2023
There was drama shortly before the 2022 Brown Advisory Chase, as ante-post favourite Bravemansgame was pulled out by Paul Nicholls owing to the increasingly soft ground.
But the conditions did nothing to thwart L’Homme Presse, who gave jockey Charlie Deutsch his first Festival success with what the Racing Post described as:
‘ONE OF THE FINEST DISPLAYS OF JUMPING FROM A NOVICE EVER SEEN AT THE COURSE’
Monkfish, winner of the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 12 months earlier, survived a scare at the final fence in 2021:
A remarkable renewal in 2020 as Champ ran down the two Irish raiders Minella Indo and Allaho in an astonishing last furlong.
Topofthegame, second in the Coral Cup under a big weight the previous year, beat Santini and Delta Work in a pulsating finish in 2019.
Presenting Percy followed up his victory in the Pertemps Final 12 months earlier, with a comfortable win in 2018:
One of the most memorable finishes in Festival history took place in 2017, as Might Bite rallied to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against his stablemate Whisper.
Blaklion provided local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies with a first RSA Chase win in 2016.
Don Poli 2015
O'Faolains Boy 2014
Lord Windermere 2013
Bobs Worth 2012
Bostons Angel 2011
Weapon's Amnesty 2010
Denman 2007
PREVIOUS WINNERS
Paul Carberry / Noel Chance
Richard Dunwoody / Willie Mullins
Richard Dunwoody / Ron Hodges
Warren Marston / Jenny Pitman
Philip Hide / Josh Gifford
Peter Niven / John Edwards
Peter Scudamore / Nigel Twiston-Davies
Peter Scudamore / Martin Pipe
Peter Scudamore / Martin Pipe
Ben de Haan / Jenny Pitman
Peter Hobbs / Josh Gifford
Simon Sherwood / Oliver Sherwood
Graham Bradley / Toby Balding
Geordie Dun / John Brockbank
Niall Madden / Jimmy FitzGerald
John Francome / Fred Winter
Colin Brown / David Elsworth
Steve Knight / Bob Hawker
Richard Hoare / Arthur Barrow
Steve Smith Eccles / Harry Thomson Jones
Michael Dickinson / Tony Dickinson
Tommy Carberry / Dan Moore
John Francome / Fred Winter
Tommy Carberry / Jim Dreaper
Richard Pitman / Fred Winter
David Mould / Harry Thomson Jones
David Nicholson / Michael Pope
John Cook / Edward Courage
John Crowley / Paddy Mullins
Josh Gifford / Ryan Price
David Mould / Peter Cazalet
Liam McLoughlin / Tom Dreaper
Johnny Haine / Bob Turnell
Laurie Morgan / Bogden Lubecki
Pat Taaffe / Joe Osbourne
Pat Taaffe / Willie O'Grady
Arthur Freeman / Ken Bailey
Arthur Freeman / Peter Cazalet
Michael Scudamore / Fulke Walwyn
Tommy Cusack / George Spann
Pat Taaffe / Joe Osbourne
Jimmy Power / Jack Fawcus
Bryan Marshall / Fulke Walwyn
Glen Kelly / Gerald Balding
Lord Mildmay / Peter Cazalet
John Spencer / Syd Mercer
Bryan Marshall / Fulke Walwyn
Joe Maguire / Ivor Anthony
Ted Vinall / Tommy Rayson
Ben Lay / Alec Kilpatrick
Frenchie Nicholson / Reg Hobbs
George Archibald / Owen Anthony
Thomas F. Carey / George Beeby
Hywell Jones / Jack Anthony
Perry Harding / Nancy Moon***
Danny Morgan / Tom Leader
Daniel McCann / Morgan Blair
Tommy Cullinan / Aubrey Hastings
Dick Rees / Gilbert Bennett
Jack Anthony / Aubrey Hastings
Bilbie Rees / George Poole
Tony Escott / Tom Coulthwaite
F. Mason / Bertram Bullock
Herbert Smyth / Herbert Smyth
G. Smith / Frank Hartigan
All Festival Novices' Chase winners prior to 2000
* Run at April meeting
** Golden Knight finished first in 1940 but an objection was sustained (swerved after jumping the last fence)
*** The winning trainer was recorded at the time as J. Delaney who held the license to train for Mrs Moon as women were 'not permitted to hold licenses under rules'
Originally called the Broadway Novices' Chase, the race was split into two divisions from 1948-50: ‡ Division 1, † Division 2
From 1964-73 the race was sponsored by the Tote and called the Totalisator Champion Novices' Chase.
BROWN ADVISORY NOVICES’ CHASE FAQ’s