BetVictor Champion Chase
The BetVictor Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Down Royal over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are fifteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November. The event was established in 1999, and it was initially contested over 3 miles and 1 furlong. It was cut to its present distance in 2000, and given Grade 1 status in 2002. The BetVictor Champion Chase is now the first Grade 1 event of the Irish National Hunt season. It was sponsored by JNwine.com (James Nicholson Wine Merchant) from its inception until the 2018 running. Ladbrokes took over the sponsorship in 2019. The race has been sponsored by BetVictor since 2025.
| Class | Grade 1 |
|---|---|
| Location | DOwn Royal, County Down Northern Ireland |
| Inaugurated | 1999 |
| Race type | Chase |
| Sponsor | BetVictor |
| Website | Down Royal |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3 miles (4,828 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 10 lb Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | €125,000 (2020) 1st: €73,750 |
| 2025 | ||
|
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| Envoi Allen | Affordale Fury | Western Fold |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
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| Envoi Allen | Hewick | Gerri Colombe |
| 2023 | ||
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| Gerri Colombe | Envoi Allen | Conflated |
| 2022 | ||
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| Envoi Allen | Kemboy | Conflated |
| 2021 | ||
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|
|
| Frodon | Galvin | Minella Indo |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ||
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| The Storyteller | Chris's Dream | Tout Est Permis |
| 2019 | ||
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| Road To Respect | Clan Des Obeaux | Alpha Des Obeaux |
| 2018 | ||
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| Road To Respect | Woodland Opera | Outlander |
| 2017 | ||
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| Outlander | Road To Respect | Zabana |
| 2016 | ||
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| Valseur Lido | Silviniaco Conti | Lord Scoundrel |
| 2015 | ||
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| Don Cossack | Rocky Creek | Roi Du Mee |
| 2014 | ||
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|
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| Road To Riches | Rocky Creek | Boston Bob |
| 2013 | ||
|
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|
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| Roi Du Mee | Sizing Europe | Prince De Beauchene |
| 2012 | ||
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| Kauto Stone | First Lieutenant | Quito De La Roque |
| 2011 | ||
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| Quito De La Roque | Sizing Europe | The Nightingale |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
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| Kauto Star | Sizing Europe | China Rock |
| 2009 | ||
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| The Listener | My Will | War Of Attrition |
| 2008 | ||
|
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| Kauto Star | Light On The Broom | Knight Legend |
| 2007 | ||
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| Taranis | Justified | Light On The Broom |
| 2006 | ||
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| Beef Or Salmon | War Of Attrition | Justified |
| 2004 | ||
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| Beef Or Salmon | Kicking King | Cloudy Bays |
| 2003 | ||
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| Glenelly Gale | Arctic Copper | Barrow Drive |
| 2002 | ||
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| More Than A Stroll | See More Business | Give Over |
| 2001 | ||
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| Foxchapel King | Wicked Crack | Florida Pearl |
| 2000-1999 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ||
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| Looks Like Trouble | Dorans Pride | Inis Cara |
| 1999 | ||
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| Florida Pearl | Dorans Pride | Ferbet Junior |
The BetVictor Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Down Royal over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are fifteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November.
The event was established in 1999, and it was initially contested over 3 miles and 1 furlong. It was cut to its present distance in 2000, and given Grade 1 status in 2002.
The BetVictor Champion Chase is now the first Grade 1 event of the Irish National Hunt season. It was sponsored by JNwine.com (James Nicholson Wine Merchant) from its inception until the 2018 running. Ladbrokes took over the sponsorship in 2019.[1] The race has been sponsored by BetVictor since 2025.
Records
[edit]Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Envoi Allen - 2022, 2024, 2025
Leading jockey (4 wins):
- Ruby Walsh – Taranis (2007), Kauto Star (2008, 2010), Valseur Lido (2016)
Leading trainer (5 wins):
- Paul Nicholls – Taranis (2007), Kauto Star (2008, 2010), Kauto Stone (2012), Frodon (2021)
- Gordon Elliott - Roi du Mee (2013), Don Cossack (2015), Outlander (2017), The Storyteller (2020), Gerri Colombe (2023)
Winners
[edit]| Winner |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Florida Pearl | 7 | Paul Carberry | Willie Mullins |
| 2000 | Looks Like Trouble | 8 | Richard Johnson | Noel Chance |
| 2001 | Foxchapel King | 8 | David Casey | Mouse Morris |
| 2002 | More Than a Stroll | 10 | Conor O'Dwyer | Arthur Moore |
| 2003 | Glenelly Gale | 9 | Conor O'Dwyer | Arthur Moore |
| 2004 | Beef Or Salmon | 8 | Timmy Murphy | Michael Hourigan |
| no race 2005 [a] | ||||
| 2006 | Beef Or Salmon | 10 | Andrew McNamara | Michael Hourigan |
| 2007 | Taranis | 6 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2008 | Kauto Star | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2009 | The Listener | 10 | Andrew McNamara | Nick Mitchell |
| 2010 | Kauto Star | 10 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2011 | Quito de la Roque | 7 | Davy Russell | Colm Murphy |
| 2012 | Kauto Stone | 6 | Daryl Jacob | Paul Nicholls |
| 2013 | Roi du Mee | 8 | Bryan Cooper | Gordon Elliott |
| 2014 | Road to Riches | 7 | Paul Carberry | Noel Meade |
| 2015 | Don Cossack | 8 | Bryan Cooper | Gordon Elliott |
| 2016 | Valseur Lido | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2017 | Outlander | 9 | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott |
| 2018 | Road to Respect | 7 | Sean Flanagan | Noel Meade |
| 2019 | Road to Respect | 8 | Sean Flanagan | Noel Meade |
| 2020 | The Storyteller | 9 | Keith Donoghue | Gordon Elliott |
| 2021 | Frodon | 9 | Bryony Frost | Paul Nicholls |
| 2022 | Envoi Allen | 8 | Rachael Blackmore | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2023 | Gerri Colombe | 7 | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott |
| 2024 | Envoi Allen | 10 | Darragh O'Keeffe | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2025 | Envoi Allen | 11 | Darragh O'Keeffe | Henry de Bromhead |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Jennings, David (10 September 2019). "Ladbrokes unveiled as new sponsor of first Grade 1 of jumps season at Down Royal". Racing Post.
- ^ "Racing abandoned in bomb threat". bbc.co.uk. 5 November 2005. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
- Racing Post:
- guardian.co.uk – "Kauto Star strides to victory in jnwine.com Champion Chase" (2008).
- pedigreequery.com – James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase – Down Royal.