Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online betting company BetMGM, the race is now known as the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 199 yards, or 3,199 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March. It is the leading minimum-distance chase in the National Hunt calendar, and it is the feature race on the second day of the Festival.
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| Class | Grade 1 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
| Inaugurated | 1959 |
| Race type | steeplechase |
| Sponsor | BetMGM |
| Website | Cheltenham |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1m 7f 199y (3,199 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 10 lb Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | £400,000 (2025) 1st: £225,080 |
| 2026 | ||
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| Il Etait Temps | Libberty Hunter | L'eau Du Sud |
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| 2025 | ||
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| Marine Nationale | Jonbon | Captain Guinness |
| 2024 | ||
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| Captain Guinness | Gentleman De Mee | Funambule Sivola |
| 2023 | ||
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| Energumene | Captain Guinness | Greaneteen |
| 2022 | ||
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| Energumene | Funambule Sivola | Envoi Allen |
| 2021 | ||
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| Put The Kettle On | Nube Negra | Chacun Pour Soi |
| 2020-2011 | ||
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| 2020 | ||
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| Politologue | Dynamite Dollars | Bun Doran |
| 2019 | ||
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| Altior | Politologue | Sceau Royal |
| 2018 | ||
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| Altior | Min | God's Own |
| 2017 | ||
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| Special Tiara | Fox Norton | Sir Valentino |
| 2016 | ||
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| Sprinter Sacre | Un De Sceaux | Special Tiara |
| 2015 | ||
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| Dodging Bullets | Somersby | Special Tiara |
| 2014 | ||
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| Sire De Grugy | Somersby | Module |
| 2013 | ||
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| Sprinter Sacre | Sizing Europe | Wishfull Thinking |
| 2012 | ||
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| Finian's Rainbow | Sizing Europe | Big Zeb |
| 2011 | ||
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| Sizing Europe | Big Zeb | Captain Cee Bee |
| 2010–2001 | ||
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| 2010 | ||
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| Big Zeb | Forpadydeplasterer | Kalahari King |
| 2009 | ||
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| Master Minded | Well Chief | Petit Robin |
| 2008 | ||
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| Master Minded | Voy Por Ustedes | Fair Along |
| 2007 | ||
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| Voy Por Ustedes | Dempsey | River City |
| 2006 | ||
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| Newmill | Fota Island | Mister McGoldrick |
| 2005 | ||
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| Moscow Flyer | Well Chief | Azertyuiop |
| 2004 | ||
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| Azertyuiop | Flagship Uberalles | Tiutchev |
| 2003 | ||
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| Moscow Flyer | Native Upmanship | Cenkos |
| 2002 | ||
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| Flagship Uberalles | Native Upmanship | Cenkos |
| 2000–1991 | ||
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| 2000 | ||
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| Edredon Bleu | Direct Route | Flagship Uberalles |
| 1999 | ||
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| Call Equiname | Edredon Bleu | Direct Route |
| 1998 | ||
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| One Man | Or Royal | Lord Dorcet |
| 1997 | ||
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| Martha's Son | Ask Tom | Viking Flagship |
| 1996 | ||
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| Klairon Davis | Viking Flagship | Sound Man |
| 1995 | ||
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| Viking Flagship | Deep Sensation | Nakir |
| 1994 | ||
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| Viking Flagship | Travado | Deep Sensation |
| 1993 | ||
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| Deep Sensation | Cyphrate | Katabatic |
| 1992 | ||
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| Remittance Man | Katabatic | Waterloo Boy |
| 1991 | ||
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| Katabatic | Waterloo Boy | Nos Na Gaoithe |
| 1990–1981 | ||
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| 1990 | ||
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| Barnbrook Again | Waterloo Boy | Feroda |
| 1989 | ||
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| Barnbrook Again | Royal Stag | Beau Ranger |
| 1988 | ||
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| Pearlyman | Desert Orchid | Very Promising |
| 1987 | ||
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| Pearlyman | Very Promising | Desert Orchid |
| 1986 | ||
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| Buck House | Very Promising | Kathies Lad |
| 1985 | ||
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| Badsworth Boy | Far Bridge | Kyoto |
| 1984 | ||
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| Badsworth Boy | Little Bay | Artifice |
| 1983 | ||
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| Badsworth Boy | Artifice | News King |
| 1982 | ||
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| Rathgorman | Chinrullah | Drumgora |
| 1981 | ||
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| Drumgora | Anaglogs Daughter | Stopped |
| 1980–1978 | ||
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| 1980 | ||
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| Another Dolly | King Weasel | Hilly Way |
| 1979 | ||
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| Hilly Way | Dramatist | Young Arthur |
| 1978 | ||
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| Hilly Way | Menehall | Kilmakilloge |
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online betting company BetMGM, the race is now known as the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 199 yards, or 3,199 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
It is the leading minimum-distance chase in the National Hunt calendar, and it is the feature race on the second day of the Festival.
History
[edit]The event was established in 1959, and it was originally called the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase. It was given its present title in 1980 – the year of the Queen Mother's 80th birthday – in recognition of her support to jump racing. The Queen Mother was a successful owner of National Hunt horses, particularly chasers, and among these was Game Spirit – the runner-up in this race in 1976.
The Queen Mother Champion Chase was not sponsored before 2007, and between 2008 and 2010 it was backed by Seasons Holidays. The sponsor from 2011 until 2013 was online gambling firm Sportingbet. BetVictor held naming rights for the 2014 season before the current sponsor, sports betting company Betway, took over.[1]
Records
[edit]Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Badsworth Boy – 1983, 1984, 1985
Leading jockey (5 wins):
- Pat Taaffe – Fortria (1960, 1961), Ben Stack (1964), Flyingbolt (1966), Straight Fort (1970)
- Barry Geraghty – Moscow Flyer (2003, 2005), Big Zeb (2010), Finian's Rainbow (2012), Sprinter Sacre (2013)
Leading trainer (6 wins):
- Tom Dreaper – Fortria (1960, 1961), Ben Stack (1964), Flyingbolt (1966), Muir (1969), Straight Fort (1970)
- Nicky Henderson - Remittance Man (1992), Finian's Rainbow (2012), Sprinter Sacre (2013, 2016), Altior (2018, 2019)
- Paul Nicholls - Call Equiname (1999), Azertyuiop (2004), Master Minded (2008, 2009), Dodging Bullets (2015), Politologue (2020)
Leading owner (3 wins):
- George Ansley – Fortria (1960, 1961), Straight Fort (1970)
- Doug Armitage – Badsworth Boy (1983, 1984, 1985)
- John Hales - One Man (1998), Azertyuiop (2004), Politologue (2020)
Winners
[edit]- ^ amateur jockey
- ^ Chinrullah finished first in 1980, but he was subsequently disqualified after testing positive for a banned substance
- ^ The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis. A substitute race at Sandown was won by Edredon Bleu
See also
[edit]- Horse racing in Great Britain
- List of British National Hunt races
- Recurring sporting events established in 1959 – this race is included under its original title, National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase.
References
[edit]- bbc.co.uk – "Royalty absent and present" (2003).
- cheltenham.co.uk – Media information pack (2010).
- pedigreequery.com – Queen Mother Champion Chase – Cheltenham.
- The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. 1993. p. 231. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.
External links
[edit]- Race Recordings (1979-2011) youtube.com