The Lightning Novices' Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Lingfield 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 for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in January.
The race was first run in 1979 and was originally held at Ascot, contested over a distance of 2 miles. It was switched to alternative venues for a three-year period beginning in 2005, and it returned to Ascot with a distance of 2 miles and 1 furlong in 2008. The race was transferred to Doncaster in 2010, and at the same time its length was cut by 110 yards. It was run in late January or early February.
In April 2023 the British Horseracing Authority announced that the race would be moved to Lingfield Park and would be run one week earlier as part of a restructure of the 2023/24 programme.
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer1979Dramatist8Bill SmithFulke Walwyn1980Beacon Light9Bob TurnellAndy Turnell 1981Double Bluff8John FrancomeFred Winter1982Abandoned because of snow1983Starfen7Tim EasterbyPeter Easterby1984Norton Cross6Alan Brown Peter Easterby1985Abandoned because of snow and frost1986Pearlyman7Paul BartonJohn Edwards1987Abandoned because of snow and frost 1988 Saffron Lord 6 Richard Rowe Josh Gifford 1989 Sabin du Loir 10 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe 1990 Cashew King 7 Trevor Wall Bryan McMahon 1991 Uncle Ernie 6 Mark Dwyer Jimmy FitzGerald 1992 Deep Sensation 7 Declan Murphy Josh Gifford 1993 Valiant Boy 7 Russ Garritty Steve Kettlewell 1994Abandoned due to waterlogged state of course 1995 Gales Cavalier 7 Mark Dwyer David Gandolfo 1996 Certainly Strong 6 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson 1997Abandoned due to frost 1998 Wade Road 7 Jason Titley Henrietta Knight 1999Abandoned due to fog 2000 Bellator 7 Norman Williamson Venetia Williams 2001 Exit to Wave 5 Norman Williamson Paul Nicholls 2002 Il'Athou 6 Henry Oliver Simon Sherwood 2003 no race 2003 2004 Bal de Nuit 5 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2005 My Will 5 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2006 Foreman 8 Tony McCoy Thierry Doumen 2007 Another Promise 8 Graham Lee Ferdy Murphy 2008 Wee Robbie 8 Noel Fehily Nick Gifford 2009 Panjo Bere 6 Jamie Moore Gary L. Moore 2010 Woolcombe Folly 7 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2003 no race 2011 2012 Kid Cassidy 6 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson 2003 no race 2013 2014 Valdez 7 Robert Thornton Alan King 2015 Three Kingdoms 6 Tony McCoy John Ferguson 2016 Vaniteux 7 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2017 Forest Bihan 6 Aidan Coleman Brian Ellison 2018 Sceau Royal 6 Wayne Hutchinson Alan King 2019 Dynamite Dollars 6 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2020 Mister Fisher 6 James Bowen Nicky Henderson 2021 Shishkin 7 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2022 Third Time Lucki 7 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton 2023 Tommy's Oscar 8 Danny McMenamin Ann Hamilton 2024 JPR One 7 Brendan Powell Joe Tizzard 2025 Gidleigh Park 7 Bryan Carver Harry Fry 2026 No Questions Asked 8 Ben Jones Ben Pauling
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References
Sources Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
External links Race Recordings (1990-2006) youtube.com pedigreequery.com – Lightning Novices' Chase.