National Hunt Racing – The Big Winners

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 race run at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, England. It is run every year at Cheltenham′s National Hunt Festival. The race distance of the Queen Mother Champion Chase is two miles and there are twelve fences to be jumped.

This race is regarded as the Championship of the top two mile steeplechaser′s.

There isn′t time for any messing about in this one, two miles over Cheltenham′s big fences in around four minutes at 30mph. One mistake and your chance is gone.

These are the real speed kings, fair enough they go quick in the Champion Hurdle but a Champion Chaser really has to operate. Jumping at speed is the name of the game.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase has been won by some real good horses over the years. A number of horses have won the race on more than one occasion including Badsworth Boy who won three times, Fortria twice, Drinny′s Double twice, Royal Relief twice, Skymas twice, Hilly Way twice, Pearlyman twice, Barnbrook Again twice, Viking Flagship twice and Moscow Flyer twice.

There have been some marvellous horses though who only won the Champion Chase once. Take Flyingbolt in 1966 as an example, the very day after winning the Champion Chase by fifteen lengths he ran in the Champion Hurdle and finished third to Salmon Spray beaten only three and three quarter lengths. Flyingbolt ended the 1966 National Hunt season with a win in the three mile five furlong Irish Grand National under 12 stone 7lb. A very versatile horse who was one of the highest rated chasers of all-time.

My Personal Experiences of The Queen Mother Champion Chase

Whilst I worked for David Nicholson I was lucky enough to look after Viking Flagship, this was in the 1994/95 National Hunt season. I lead him up when he won the 1995 Queen Mother Champion Chase when ridden by Charlie Swan.

1995 Champion Chase

We had a good day with two other winners besides, Putty Road in the Sun Alliance Novices Hurdle ridden by Norman Williamson and Kadi in the Mildmay Of Flete Challenge Cup Handicap Chase also ridden by Norman Williamson.

Another Champion Chase connection that I have (albeit a very small one) is from when I was kid and still at school. I used to go riding out with ex-jockey Roy “RF” Davies at Willie Jenks yard near Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Roy was a popular Midlands based rider who rode the best part of two hundred winners in the 1970′s and early 80′s and won good races on horses such as Casbah, Milliondollarman and Jo Colombo. Anyhow getting back to the story, we were in the string of horses walking to the gallop fields and I remember the horse I was riding was a horse called Pearly King. Roy was upsides me on a young horse that he had ridden a couple of times over hurdles, finishing second on once at Stratford on Avon Racecourse. It was a half brother to the horse that I was on and I can recall Roy telling me “This is the best horse I have ever ridden!” That horse was Pearlyman who went on to win the Champion Chase in 1987 and 1988 when trained by John Edwards.

Finally, my third Champion Chase link was when I worked for Captain Forster in the 1995/96 National Hunt season. The very first morning that I started working for him my first lot (only doing roadwork) was Martha′s Son who went on and won the 1997 Queen Mother Champion Chase. At least I can say I′ve ridden two different winners of the Champion Chase!

* Another Dolly finished second to Chinrullah, who was subsequently disqualified
after failing a post-race urine test