The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs (2 miles 4 furlongs and 127 yards, or 4,139 metres), and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

History The race was established in memory of the 2nd Baron Mildmay of Flete (1909–1950), an amateur National Hunt jockey who rode three winners at the Cheltenham Festival. The inaugural race took place in April 1951, because the planned running, in March, had to be abandoned, due to a waterlogged course. It was originally titled the Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase.

The Racing Post sponsored the race from 2006 to 2008, and during this period it was titled the Racing Post Plate. The 2009 running was named the Freddie Williams Festival Plate, in tribute to Freddie Williams (1942–2008), a popular Scottish bookmaker who owned a pitch at Cheltenham. The construction company Byrne Group supported the event from 2010 to 2014 and from 2015 to 2020 it was sponsored by Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable. The bookmaking firm Paddy Power sponsored in 2021. The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. took over the sponsorship from 2022 and the 2023 race was sponsored by Magners. The race held Grade 3 status until 2022 and was reclassified as a Premier Handicap from the 2023 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the British Horseracing Authority.

Records Most successful horse (2 wins): The Tsarevich – 1985, 1986 Elfast – 1992, 1994

Leading jockey (3 wins): Fred Winter – Slender (1951, dead-heat), Sy Oui (1953), Caesar's Helm (1958)

Leading trainer (4 wins): Bobby Renton – Tudor Line (1954), Caesar's Helm (1958), Siracusa (1959), Merry Court (1968) Nicky Henderson – The Tsarevich (1985, 1986), Liberthine (2005), Non So (2006) Martin Pipe – Terao (1997), Majadou (1999), Dark Stranger (2000), Blowing Wind (2002)

Winners Weights given in stones and pounds. Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer 1951 Canford (DH) 9 12-02 Glen Kelly Ivor Anthony 1951 Slender (DH) 9 10–11 Fred Winter Ryan Price 1952 Portarlington 7 10-08 Ken Mullins Willie Stephenson 1953 Sy Oui 8 10-03 Fred Winter Ryan Price 1954 Tudor Line 9 10–12 George Slack Bobby Renton 1955 Mont Tremblant 9 12-07 Dave Dick Fulke Walwyn 1956 Pondapatarri 7 11-00 René Emery George Beeby 1957 Madras 7 10-02 Johnny Bullock Michael Marsh 1958 Caesar's Helm 7 11-06 Fred Winter Bobby Renton 1959 Siracusa 6 10–12 Jumbo Wilkinson Bobby Renton 1960 Devon Customer 8 10-04 Joe Guest Syd Bowler 1961 Malting Barley 6 10-04 Owen McNally Toby Balding 1962 Spring Greeting 7 10–06 Johnny Lehane Verly Bewicke 1963 Milo 8 10-04 Josh Gifford Herbert Blagrave 1964 Take Plenty 8 10-01 Ron Vibert Tim Forster 1965 Snaigow 6 10-03 Johnny Lehane Verly Bewicke 1966 Tibidabo 6 10-04 Jeff King Arthur Freeman 1967 French March 7 09-09 Ben Hanbury Tom Hanbury 1968 Merry Court 7 10-03 Josh Gifford Bobby Renton 1969 Specify 7 11-02 Bob Davies Denis Rayson 1970 Verona Forest 7 11-00 Gerry Scott Neville Crump 1971 Hound Tor 7 10-02 Macer Gifford Guy Harwood 1972 Mocharabuice 9 10-07 Graham Thorner Tim Forster 1973 Vulgan Town 7 10-00 Johnny Haine Toby Balding 1974 Garnishee 10 10–10 David Mould Harry Thomson Jones 1975 Summerville 9 10–13 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell 1976 Broncho II 7 11-01 Michael Dickinson Tony Dickinson 1977 Uncle Bing 8 12-05 John Francome Richard Head 1978 King or Country 7 10-09 Paul Leach David Barons 1979 Brawny Scot 9 10-00 Ridley Lamb George Fairbairn 1980 Snowshill Sailor 8 10-04 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell 1981 Political Pop 7 10-00 Robert Earnshaw Michael Dickinson 1982 Doubleuagain 8 10-00 Frank Berry Andy Geraghty 1983 Mr Peapock 7 09-07 Leslie Bloomfield Trevor Hallett 1984 Half Free 8 11-06 Richard Linley Fred Winter 1985 The Tsarevich 9 11-07 John White Nicky Henderson 1986 The Tsarevich 10 11-05 John White Nicky Henderson 1987 Gee-A 8 09–10 Gee Armytage Geoff Hubbard 1988 Smart Tar 7 10-02 Carl Llewellyn Mark Wilkinson 1989 Paddyboro 11 10-07 Richard Rowe Josh Gifford 1990 New Halen 9 09-07 Eamon Tierney Paul James 1991 Foyle Fisherman 12 11-00 Eamon Murphy Josh Gifford 1992 Elfast 9 11-00 Martin Lynch John Webber 1993 Sacre d'Or 8 11-00 Graham McCourt Nigel Tinkler 1994 Elfast 11 11-04 Graham McCourt John Webber 1995 Kadi 6 10-04 Norman Williamson David Nicholson 1996 Old Bridge 8 09-07 Gary Crone Andrew Turnell 1997 Terao 11 10-07 Timmy Murphy Martin Pipe 1998 Super Coin 10 10-00 Norman Williamson Richard Lee 1999 Majadou 5 11-00 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe 2000 Dark Stranger 9 10-03 Richard Johnson Martin Pipe 2001 no race 2001 2002 Blowing Wind 9 10–09 Ruby Walsh Martin Pipe 2003 Young Spartacus 10 10-09 Richard Johnson Henry Daly 2004 Tikram 7 10-00 Timmy Murphy Gary L. Moore 2005 Liberthine 6 10-01 Sam Waley-Cohen Nicky Henderson 2006 Non So 8 11-03 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson 2007 Idole First 8 10-07 Alan O'Keeffe Venetia Williams 2008 Mister McGoldrick 11 11-07 Dominic Elsworth Sue Smith 2009 Something Wells 8 10-07 Will Biddick Venetia Williams 2010 Great Endeavour 6 10-01 Danny Cook David Pipe 2011 Holmwood Legend 10 10-09 Keiran Burke Patrick Rodford 2012 Salut Flo 7 10–10 Tom Scudamore David Pipe 2013 Carrickboy 9 10-05 Liam Treadwell Venetia Williams 2014 Ballynagour 8 10-09 Tom Scudamore David Pipe 2015 Darna 9 10–11 David Bass Kim Bailey 2016 Empire of Dirt 9 10–11 Bryan Cooper Colm Murphy 2017 Road to Respect 6 10–13 Bryan Cooper Noel Meade 2018 The Storyteller 7 11–04 Davy Russell Gordon Elliott 2019 Siruh Du Lac 6 10-08 Lizzie Kelly Nick Williams 2020 Simply The Betts 7 11-04 Gavin Sheehan Harry Whittington 2021 The Shunter 8 10-05 Jordan Gainford Emmet Mullins 2022 Coole Cody 11 11-02 Adam Wedge Evan Williams 2023 Seddon 10 10-09 Ben Harvey John McConnell 2024 Shakem Up'Arry 10 11-05 Ben Jones Ben Pauling 2025 Jagwar 6 10-10 Jonjo O'Neill Jr Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero 2026 Madara 7 11-00 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton

See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races

References

Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

pedigreequery.com – Freddie Williams Festival Plate – Cheltenham. racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (21 February 2008).