Foxhunter Chase

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 The Foxhunters Chase, currently run on the New Course over 3 miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards and 22 fences, was first staged in 1904 as the Foxhunters Plate given by the town, some 7 years before the first recognised Cheltenham Festival. It is traditionally known as the Amateurs Gold Cup as it is contested over the same distance as the Gold Cup. It has enjoyed sponsorship from a number of companies over the years, including Sun Alliance and London Insurance in 1972 and 1973, Christie’s between 1979 and 2012, and the Country Gentleman’s Association between 2013 and 2015, although its most recent sponsor is St James’s Place plc. Qualification into the event is limited to any horse which has finished in the first two in two hunter chases, or won 2 point-to-point races, or won a point-to-point and finished in the first 2 in a hunter chase.
Early history:-The inaugural running of the Foxhunters Chase, then called the Plate, was over 3 miles 2 furlongs on Thursday 10th March 1904 when won by Palmy Boy (6/4 fav) owned and trained by Mr J Widger and ridden by J W Widger, beating Randle (4/1) and Hollywood (4/1) by 6 lengths and 3 lengths.
Over the entire history of the race 35% of favourites have been successful, placing the race 6th of the 28 current races.
Over the entire history of the race a level stake bet of £10 on every favourite would have resulted in a £50 profit, placing the race 4th of the current 28 races.
Over the entire history of the race the Irish have been successful 11% of occasions, placing the race 26th of the 28 current races.
Foxhunter Chase Handicap 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1904 PALMY BOY Mr J Widger J Widger Mr J Widger 6/4 fav
1905 HILLS LOT Mr J Sharpe W Wilkinson Mr W H Wilkinson 4/1
1906 SEVEN Mr E M Munby E Munby Mr E M Munby 8/1
1907 Race not staged at Cheltenham
1908 COQUETTE Mr W Bulteel Bourke Mr H Bourke 5/2
1909 FAUX PAS II Mr S Murland W Murland Mr W Murland 6/1
1910 Race not staged due to the death of King Edward VII
1911 BALLINAGOUL Mr P Curtis Watson Mr W S Watson 4/1
1912 MERRY LAND Mr H Ussher Ussher Captain H C Higgin 10/1
1913 CHAPELIZOD Captain Paynter W Taylor Captain Paynter 5/2 fav
1914 CHARLBURY Mr J R Anthony F Hunt Mr R Trimmer 5/2 fav
1915 DENIS AUBURN Jack Anthony A Hastings Lady Bullough 4/7 fav
1916-19 Race not staged due to First World War
1920 BE CAREFUL Mr P Roberts Faulkner Colonel F Blacker 7/2
1921 BARCA Mr J Murphy Kenmare (Ire) Lord Kenmare 9/2
1922 CONNEMARA BLACK Mr Alexander Tyson (Ire) Mr Tyson 10/1
1923 FAIRY HILL Major Doyle Coulthwaite Major Wernher 2/1 fav
1924 FAIRY HILL Major Doyle Coulthwaite Major Wernher 4/5 fav
1925 FOXFOOT Mr Nugent Coulthwaite Mr Laidlaw 4/5 fav
1926 FAR FLIGHT Mr Brown Mr Brown Mr Brown 4/9 fav
1927 PIPPIN II Captain Dennis Woodland Captain Dennis 6/1
1928 RATHPATRICK S Dennis E Davey Mr John Johnstone 4/1 fav
1929 BLENNERHASSET Mr W Dutton Cockton Mr T Parke 100/8
1930 MELLERAY'S BELLE Mr G Owen Easterby Mr Wilson 100/6
Race not held due to severe frost causing postponment of entire Festival
1932 CHADDS FORD Mr Reg Hobbs Ivor Anthony Mr F A Clark 8/1
1933 MINSTREL BOY Mr G Bostwick Tom Rimell Major H P Rushton 10/1
1934 BALLYBRACK Mr R Tweedie Wight Lt-Col R W Tweedie 5/2 fav
1935 EMPIRE NIGHT Mr A Marsh Nicholson Mr Nicholson 4/1 jt fav
1936 HERODE BRIDGE MrA Marsh Straker Major Straker 5/2 fav
1937 Race not staged due to severe flooding
1938 WINTER KNIGHT Mr E Bailey Bailey Mrs E W Bailey 6/4 fav
1939 KILSHANNIG Mr L Lillington Paterson Mr J C Paterson 20/1
1940-42 A reduced Festival card meant that the Foxhunter Chase was not run
Race not held in 1943, 1944 or 1945 due to Second World War
1946 ILOILO Harry Freeman-Jackson Harry Freeman-Jackson Mr Freeman-Jackson 6/1
1947 LUCKY PURCHASE John Nichols Sidney Banks Mr S C Banks 7/1
1948 STATE CONTROL Harry Llewellyn Harry Llewellyn Mr H Llewellyn 7/2 fav
1949 Race was not staged due to frost
1950 GREENWOOD John Stuart-Evans J T Evans Mr J T Evans 100/7
1951 HALLOWEEN Dick Smalley Bill Wightman Captain R B Smalley 11/8 fav
1952 PARASOL II Ivor Kerwood A Walton Mr A Walton 8/1
1953 DUNBOY II Charlie Scott P Bruce Miss P Bruce 3/1 fav
MERRY Gay Kindersley Alec Kerr Mr J U Baillie 100/7
1954 HAPPYMINT Danny Moralee Stewart Wright Mr A H Moralee 7/1
1955 Race was not staged due to snow
1956 THE CALLANT John Scott-Aiton Stewart Wright Mr C Scott 11/8 fav
1957 THE CALLANT John Scott-Aiton Stewart Wright Mr C Scott 10/11 fav
1958 WHINSTONE HILL Bobby Brewis Bobby Brewis Mr R Brewis 7/1
1959 SOME BABY John Thorne Tim Rootes Mr T Rootes 100/8
1960 WHINSTONE HILL Bobby Brewis Bobby Brewis Mr R Brewis 11/8 fav
1961 COLLEGE MASTER Laurie Morgan Laurie Morgan Mr L R Morgan 7/2
1962 COLLEGE MASTER Laurie Morgan Laurie Morgan Mr L R Morgan 9/2
1963 GRAND MORN II R Bloomfield G Shepheard Mr G Shepheard 15/2
1964 FREDDIE Alan Mactaggart Reg Tweedie Mr Reg Tweedie 1/3 fav
1965 WOODSIDE TERRACE Dick Woodhouse Dick Woodhouse Mr R Woodhouse 33/1
1966 STRAIGHT LADY Richard Shepherd William Shepherd Mr W J Shepherd 100/8
1967 MULBARTON Nick Gaselee Ian Pattullo Mr I Pattullo Evens fav
1968 BRIGHT BEACH Charlie Macmillan Geordie Dun Mr G R Dun 5/1
1969 QUEENS GUIDE G Wade Willie Wade Mr W Wade 10/1
1970 HIGHWORTH Dick Woodhouse Dick Woodhouse Mr R Woodhouse 15/2
1971 HOPE AGAIN Richard Snith Denis Windell Mr D Windell 16/1
1972 CREDIT CALL Chris Collins Arthur Stephenson Mr Chris Collins 7/4 fav
1973 BULLOCKS HORN Lord Oaksey Bob Turnell Mrs E P Barker 5/1
1974 CORRIE BURN Ian Williams George Fairbairn Mrs G Fairbairn 20/1
1975 REAL RASCAL George Hyatt Barbara Surman Mrs B L Surman 8/1
1976 FALSE NOTE Bryan Smart John Horton Mr J Horton 11/4 fav
1977 LONG LANE Richard Shepherd Richard Shepherd Mr R Shepherd 9/4 fav
1978 TIMMIE'S BATTLE Peter Greenall Arthur Stephenson Mr G Deverell 7/2
1979 SPARTAN MISSILE John Thorne John Thorne Mr M J Thorne 9/4 fav
1980 ROLLS RAMBLER Oliver Sherwood Fred Winter Mr B Brazier 9/4
1981 GRITTAR Dick Saunders Frank Gilman Mr Frank Gilman 12/1
1982 THE DRUNKEN DUCK Brod Munro-Wilson Brod Munro-Wilson Mr Brod Munro-Wilson 12/1
1983 ELIOGARTY Caroline Beasley Barry Kelly Miss Caroline Beasley 3/1 fav
1984 VENTURE TO COGNAC Oliver Sherwood Fred Winter Mr N Sherwood 7/1
1985 ELMBOY Alan Hill Norman Mawle Mr W Mawle 10/1
1986 ATTITUDE ADJUSTER Ted Walsh Mouse Morris (Ire) Mrs John Magnier 10/1
1987 OBSERVE Charlie Brooks Fred Winter R E A Bott Ltd 14/1
1988 CERTAIN LIGHT Paul Hacking Jean Campbell Mrs Angus Campbell 9/1
1989 THREE COUNTIES Katie Rimell Mercy Rimell Miss Katie Rimell 6/1
1990 CALL COLLECT Ray Martin John Parkes Mrs James Clements 7/4 fav
1991 LOVELY CITIZEN Willie O'Sullivan Eugene O'Sullivan Mr E J O'Sullivan 14/1
1992 RUSHING WILD Justin Farthing Richard Barber Mr J A Keightley 9/1
1993 DOUBLESILK Ron Treloggen Reg Wilkins Mr R C Wilkins 12/1
1994 DOUBLE SILK Ron Treloggen Reg Wilkins Mr R C Wilkins 2/5 fav
1995 FANTUS Polly Curling Richard Barber Mr J A Keightley 8/1
1996 ELEGANT LORD Enda Bolger Enda Bolger (Ire) Mr John P McManus 3/1 fav
1997 FANTUS Tim Mitchell Richard Barber Mr J A Keightley 10/1
1998 EARTHMOVER Joe Tizzard Richard Barber Mr R M Penny 3/1
1999 CASTLE MANE Ben Pollock Caroline Bailey Mr Charles Dixey 9/2
2000 CAVALERO Alex Charles-Jones John Manners Mr H J Manners 16/1
2001

Race was not held due to foot & mouth crisis
2002 LAST OPTION Fiona Needham Robin Tate Mr R Tate 20/1
2003 KINGSCLIFF Richard Young Sally Alner Mr A J Sendell 11/4 fav
2004 EARTHMOVER Rilly Goschen Paul Nicholls Mr R M Penny 14/1
2005 SLEEPING NIGHT Colman Sweeney Paul Nicholls D J & F A Jackson 7/2 fav
2006 WHYSO MAYO Damien Murphy Raymond Hurley Mrs Kathleen O'Driscoll 20/1
2007 DROMBEAG J T McNamara Jonjo O'Neill Mr John P McManus 20/1
2008 AMICELLI Oliver Greenall Cherry Coward Lord Daresbury 33/1
2009 CAPPA BLEU Richard Burton Sheila Crow Mr & Mrs William Rucker 11/2
2010 BABY RUN Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies Mr John Goodman 9/2 jt fav
2011 ZEMSKY Derek O'Connor Ian Fergurson (Ire) Mr Ronnie A Bartlett 33/1
2012 SALSIFY Colman Sweeney Roger Sweeney (Ire) Mr J B Sweeney 7/1
2013 SALSIFY Colman Sweeney Roger Sweeney (Ire) Mr J B Sweeney 2/1 fav
2014 TAMMYS HILL James Smyth Liam Lennon (Ire) Mr Patrick J Smyth 15/2
2015 ON THE FRINGE Nina Carberry Enda Bolger (Ire) Mr John P McManus 6/1
2016 ON THE FRINGE Nina Carberry Enda Bolger (Ire) Mr John P McManus 13/8 fav
2017 PACHA DU POLDER Bryony Frost Paul Nicholls The Stewart Family 16/1
2018 PACHA DU POLDER Harriet Tucker Paul Nicholls The Stewart Family 25/1
2019 HAZEL HILL Alex Edwards Philip Rowley Mrs D Williams 7/2 fav
2020 IT CAME TO PASS Maxine O'Sullivan Eugene O'Sullivan Mrs Alurie O'Sullivan 66/1
2021 PORLOCK BAY Lorcan Williams Will Biddick Mr John Studd 16/1
2022 BILLAWAY Patrick Mullins Willie Mullins (Ire) Mr J Turner 13/8 fav
2023 PREMIER MAGIC Bradley Gibbs Bradley Gibbs Mr Julian Sherriff 66/1
2024 SINE NOMINE John Dawson Fiona Needham Mr R Tate 8/1