Celebration Chase
The Celebration Chase is a Grade One National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs (1 mile, 7 furlongs and 99 yards, or 3,108 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late April.
| Class | Grade One |
|---|---|
| Location | Sandown Park Esher, England |
| Inaugurated | 2001 |
| Race type | Steeplechase |
| Sponsor | Bet365 |
| Website | Sandown Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1m 7f 99yd (3,108 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 10 lb Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | £175,000 (2025) 1st: £99,663 |
| 2025 | ||
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| Il Etait Temps | Jonbon | Energumene |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
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| Jonbon | El Fabiolo | Edwardstone |
| 2023 | ||
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| Jonbon | Captain Guinness | Greaneteen |
| 2022 | ||
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| Greaneteen | Sceau Royal | Nube Negra |
| 2021 | ||
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| Greaneteen | Altior | Sceau Royal |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | ||
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| Altior | Sceau Royal | God's Own |
| 2018 | ||
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| Altior | San Benedeto | God's Own |
| 2017 | ||
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| Altior | Special Tiara | San Benedeto |
| 2016 | ||
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| Sprinter Sacre | Un De Sceaux | Dodging Bullets |
| 2015 | ||
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| Special Tiara | Sprinter Sacre | Mr Mole |
| 2014 | ||
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| Sire De Grugy | Pepite Rose | Special Tiara |
| 2013 | ||
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| Sire De Grugy | Finian's Rainbow | Wishfull Thinking |
| 2012 | ||
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| Sanctuaire | Somersby | Dan Breen |
| 2011 | ||
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| French Opera | Chaninbar | Cornas |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
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| I'm So Lucky | Oiseau de Nuit | Twist Magic |
| 2009 | ||
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| Twist Magic | Kalahari King | Mahogany Blaze |
| 2008 | ||
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| Andreas | Lord Henry | Fiepes Shuffle |
| 2007 | ||
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| Dempsey | Hoo La Baloo | Tysou |
| 2006 | ||
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| River City | Nyrche | Contraband |
| 2005 | ||
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| Well Chief | Azertyuiop | Contraband |
| 2004 | ||
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| Cenkos | Impek | Got One Too |
| 2003 | ||
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| Seebald | Cenkos | Wahiba Sands |
| 2002 | ||
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| Cenkos | Flagship Uberalles | Edredon Bleu |
| 2001 | ||
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| Edredon Bleu | Fadalko | Desert Mountain |
The Celebration Chase is a Grade One National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs (1 mile, 7 furlongs and 99 yards, or 3,108 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late April.
History
[edit]The event has its origins in 2001, when the Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to a foot-and-mouth crisis. Replacements for some of the Festival's races were held at Sandown in late April, and the equivalent of the Queen Mother Champion Chase was a Grade 1 event called the Championship Chase.
The following year the race returned as the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase, in memory of the Queen Mother (1900–2002), who frequently attended racing at Sandown. The event was downgraded to Class B level, but it continued to attract high quality chasers. It was promoted to Grade Two status in 2005, and at this point its title was shortened to the Celebration Chase.
The race is currently sponsored by Bet365, and it takes place at a meeting which features both jump and flat races. Other events at this meeting include the Bet365 Gold Cup, the Gordon Richards Stakes and the Sandown Mile. The Celebration Chase was upgraded to Grade One by the British Horseracing Board from its 2014 running.[1]
Records
[edit]Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Altior - 2017, 2018, 2019
Leading jockey (5 wins):
- Nico de Boinville - Sprinter Sacre (2016), Altior (2017, 2018, 2019), Jonbon (2024)
Leading trainer (7 wins):
- Paul Nicholls – Cenkos (2002, 2004), Andreas (2008), Twist Magic (2009), Sanctuaire (2012), Greaneteen (2021,2022)
- Nicky Henderson - French Opera (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2016), Altior (2017, 2018, 2019), Jonbon (2023, 2024)
Winners
[edit]- ^ The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom[2]
See also
[edit]- Horse racing in Great Britain
- List of British National Hunt races
- Recurring sporting events established in 2001 – this race is included under its original title, Championship Chase.
References
[edit]- ^ "British Horseracing Authority Announces Upgrades to Jump Pattern Races for 2013/14". Archived from the original on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
- ^ "Coronavirus: Horse racing in Great Britain suspended until end of April". BBC Sport. 17 March 2020.
- pedigreequery.com – Celebration Chase – Sandown.