The Desert Orchid Handicap Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late December during the course's Christmas Festival.
The race was first run on 27 December 2006. It is named in memory of Desert Orchid, a popular racehorse who died several weeks earlier. Desert Orchid won Kempton's most prestigious event, the King George VI Chase, four times between 1986 and 1990. His ashes were scattered at the racecourse on the day of this race's inaugural running. The event replaced the Castleford Chase in the National Hunt calendar as a Grade 2 chase over 2 miles. From 2006 to 2022 it was run as a conditions race.
In April 2023 the British Horseracing Authority announced that the race would become a Grade 2 Limited Handicap from the 2023/24 season.
Records Most successful horse (2 wins): Voy Por Ustedes – 2006, 2007 Special Tiara - 2014, 2016 Editeur Du Gite - 2022, 2023
Leading jockey (3 wins): Barry Geraghty – Petit Robin (2009), Finian's Rainbow (2011), Special Tiara (2014) Nico de Boinville - Sprinter Sacre (2015), Altior (2018), Shishkin (2021)
Leading trainer (5 wins): Nicky Henderson - Petit Robin (2009), Finian's Rainbow (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2015), Altior (2018), Shishkin (2021)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer 2006 Voy Por Ustedes 5 Robert Thornton Alan King 2007 Voy Por Ustedes 6 Robert Thornton Alan King 2008 Fiepes Shuffle 8 Jamie Moore Christian von der Recke 2009 Petit Robin 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson 2004 no race 2010 2011 Finian's Rainbow 8 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson 2012 Sanctuaire 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2013 Sire De Grugy 7 Jamie Moore Gary Moore 2014 Special Tiara 7 Barry Geraghty Henry De Bromhead 2015 Sprinter Sacre 9 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2016 Special Tiara 9 Noel Fehily Henry De Bromhead 2017 Politologue 6 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2018 Altior 8 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2019 Bun Doran 8 Jonathan Burke Tom George 2020 Nube Negra 6 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton 2021 Shishkin 7 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2022 Editeur Du Gite 8 Niall Houlihan Gary Moore 2023 Editeur Du Gite 9 Niall Houlihan Gary Moore 2024 Soul Icon 7 Harry Cobden Keiran Burke 2025 Thistle Ask 8 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References
Sources Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
pedigreequery.com – Desert Orchid Chase – Kempton.