Festival Trophy Handicap Chase

Grade 3 race
Festival Trophy

Location	Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England
Race type	Chase
Website	Cheltenham
Race information
Distance	3m ½f (4,929 metres)
Track	Turf, left-handed
Qualification	Five-years-old and up
Weight	Handicap
Purse	£80,000 (2010) 1st: £45,608

The Festival Trophy is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 110 yards (4,929 metres), and during its running there are nineteen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The event was originally known as the National Hunt Handicap Chase, but its title has included the name of a sponsor from the early 1980s. It was backed by Ritz Club from 1981 until 1996, Astec Buzz Shop in 1997 and William Hill between 1998 and 2010. The latest sponsor is the Stewart family, headed by the businessman and racehorse owner Andy Stewart. Andy's son Paul suffered a spinal injury in 2008, and the race was run in 2011 as the Stewart Family Spinal Research Handicap Chase to raise awareness of, and highlight the work done by, the charity Spinal Research.

Winners of the race often take part in the Grand National, although not always in the same year. Horses to have achieved victory in both events include Royal Tan, Team Spirit, West Tip, Seagram and Rough Quest.

Records

Most successful horse since 1946 (2 wins):

• Sentina – 1957, 1958
• Scot Lane – 1982, 1983

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Leading jockey since 1946 (3 wins):

• Robert Thornton – Fork Lightning (2004), Kelami (2005), Bensalem (2011)

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Leading trainer since 1946 (4 wins):

• Fred Rimell – Cavaliero (1948), Frere Jacques II (1949), Land Fort (1951), Holly Bank (1954)
• Fulke Walwyn – Ravencroft (1961), Team Spirit (1963), Lord Jim (1971), Gay Vulgan (1977)

Winners since 1946

• Weights given in stones and pounds; Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".

Year	Winner	Age	Weight	Jockey	Trainer
1946	Dunshaughlin	8	10-10	Bobby O'Ryan	Charles Rogers
1947	no race 1947
1948	Cavaliero	7	11-10	Ted Vinall	Fred Rimell
1949	Frere Jacques II	7	10-06	Ted Vinall	Fred Rimell
1950	Silver Fame	11	12-07	Martin Molony	George Beeby
1951	Land Fort	7	11-08	Johnny Bullock	Fred Rimell
1952	Royal Tan	8	11-06	Mr Phonsie O'Brien	Vincent O'Brien
1953	Four Ten	7	10-07	Tommy Cusack	John Roberts
1954	Holly Bank	7	10-13	Mr Peter Brookshaw	Fred Rimell
1955	Limber Hill	8	11-02	Tim Molony	Bill Dutton
1956	Kerstin	6	10-05	George Milburn	Verly Bewicke
1957	Sentina	7	10-04	Pat Taaffe	Tom Dreaper
1958	Sentina	8	11-07	Tom Taaffe	Tom Dreaper
1959	Winning Coin	7	11-07	Dave Dick	George Beeby
1960	Isle of Skye	9	10-05	Tony Keen	Alec Kilpatrick
1961	Ravencroft	8	10-03	Fred Winter	Fulke Walwyn
1962	Longtail	7	11-00	Stan Mellor	Dick Curran
1963	Team Spirit	11	11-04	Willie Robinson	Fulke Walwyn
1964	Prudent Barney	10	10-11	Terry Biddlecombe	Bobby Renton
1965	Rondetto	9	11-10	Johnny Haine	Bob Turnell
1966	Arkloin	7	12-05	Pat Taaffe	Tom Dreaper
1967	Different Class	7	11-13	David Mould	Peter Cazalet
1968	Battledore	7	10-10	Kit Stobbs	Arthur Stephenson
1969	Chancer	7	11-00	Pat McCarron	Charlie Hall
1970	Charter Flight	8	11-09	Andrew Turnell	Bob Turnell
1971	Lord Jim	10	10-08	Johnny Haine	Fulke Walwyn
1972	Jomon	6	10-12	David Mould	Harry Thomson Jones
1973	The Chisler	7	10-10	Michael Dickinson	Tony Dickinson
1974	Cuckolder	9	10-13	Andrew Turnell	Bob Turnell
1975	King Flame	9	10-06	John Francome	Richard Head
1976	Barmer	8	10-03	Jimmy McNaught	Robin Blakeney
1977	Gay Vulgan	9	11-04	Bill Smith	Fulke Walwyn
1978	no race 1978
1979	Fair View	9	10-04	Ridley Lamb	George Fairbairn
1980	Again the Same	7	11-01	Mr Jim Wilson	John Edwards
1981	Current Gold	10	10-07	Neale Doughty	Gordon W. Richards
1982	Scot Lane	9	10-12	Craig Smith	Martin Tate
1983	Scot Lane	10	11-07	Craig Smith	Martin Tate
1984	Tracys Special	7	11-01	Steve Knight	Andrew Turnell
1985	West Tip	8	10-13	Richard Dunwoody	Michael Oliver
1986	Charter Party	8	10-10	Peter Scudamore	David Nicholson
1987	Gainsay	8	10-05	Ben de Haan	Jenny Pitman
1988	Aquilifer	8	10-12	Paul Croucher	David Murray Smith
1989	Dixton House	10	11-00	Tom Morgan	John Edwards
1990	Bigsun	9	10-11	Richard Dunwoody	David Nicholson
1991	Seagram	11	10-11	Nigel Hawke	David Barons
1992	Tipping Tim	7	10-00	Carl Llewellyn	Nigel Twiston-Davies
1993	Givus a Buck	10	10-08	Paul Holley	David Elsworth
1994	Antonin	6	11-05	John Burke	Sue Bramall
1995	Rough Quest	9	10-03	Mick Fitzgerald	Terry Casey
1996	Maamur	8	10-00	Andrew Thornton	Tim Forster
1997	Flyer's Nap	11	11-02	David Bridgwater	Robert Alner
1998	Unguided Missile	10	11-10	Paul Carberry	Gordon W. Richards
1999	Betty's Boy	10	10-02	Norman Williamson	Kim Bailey
2000	Marlborough	8	10-03	Mick Fitzgerald	Nicky Henderson
2001	no race 2001
2002	Frenchman's Creek	8	10-05	Paul Carberry	Hughie Morrison
2003	Youlneverwalkalone	9	10-11	Barry Geraghty	Christy Roche
2004	Fork Lightning	8	10-05	Robert Thornton	Alan King
2005	Kelami	7	10-02	Robert Thornton	François Doumen
2006	Dun Doire	7	10-09	Ruby Walsh	Tony Martin
2007	Joes Edge	10	10-06	Davy Russell	Ferdy Murphy
2008	An Accordion	7	10-12	Tom Scudamore	David Pipe
2009	Wichita Lineman	8	10-09	Tony McCoy	Jonjo O'Neill
2010	Chief Dan George	10	10-10	Paddy Aspell	James Moffatt
2011	Bensalem	8	11-02	Robert Thornton	Alan King

¹ The 1947 running was abandoned due to snow and frost.
² The 1978 edition was cancelled because of snow.
³ It was abandoned in 2001 because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.

References

• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
  • 2009, 2010, 2011

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• pedigreequery.com – William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase – Cheltenham.
• racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (February 21, 2008).
• Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 63. ISBN 1-871093-21-X. 

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British National Hunt races