The Classic Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Warwick over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (3 miles 5 furlongs and 54 yards, or 5,883 metres), and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in January.
The present event was introduced in 2004, although a similar race, the Warwick (Brooke Bond Oxo) National Chase, had been previously staged until 2000. As with its predecessor, the Classic Chase is usually contested by several horses which subsequently compete in the Grand National. The 2017 winner, One For Arthur, went on to win the Grand National. It was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2023 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the British Horseracing Authority.
Winners Weights given in stones and pounds. Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer1973Princess Camilla89-13Martin Blackshaw Walter Wharton1974Clarification710-00Jeremy Glover Roddy Armytage1975Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course1976Jolly's Clump1010-06Ian WatkinsonHarry Thomson Jones1977Cornish Princess910-02Richard HoareW Turner1978Abandoned because of frost1979Abandoned because of snow and frost1980Abandoned because of frost1981Colonel Christy609–10Gerry GraceyHugh O'Neill1982Loving Words910-10Richard HoareJohn Thorne1983Bonum Omen910–13Kevin MooneyFulke Walwyn1984Abandoned because of frost1985Abandoned because of snow and frost1986Knock Hill1010-05Anthony WebberJohn Webber1987Abandoned because of snow and frost1988Abandoned because of snow 1989 Memberson 11 10-07 Guy Upton Peter Dufosee 1990 Midnight Madness 12 11-01 Rodi Greene Dai Bloomfield 1991 Aquilifer 11 11-07 Jonothon Lower Martin Pipe 1992 Woodgate 11 10-09 Carl Llewellyn Tim Forster 1993 Fiddlers Pike 12 10–11 Rosemary Henderson Rosemary Henderson 1994 Moorcroft Boy 9 10-10 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson 1995 Willsford 12 10-07 Warren Marston Jenny Pitman 1996 Full of Oats 10 09-07 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight1997Abandoned because of frost 1998 A N C Express 10 10–11 Tom Jenks Jeff King1999Abandoned because of frost 2000 Choisty 10 10-00 Paul W Flynn Ted Haynes 2001 Saxon Duke 10 09-07 A Bateman Philip Hobbs 2002 Choisty 12 09-13 Dave Crosse Ted Haynes2003Abandoned because of frost 2004 Southern Star 9 10-01 Graham Lee Henrietta Knight 2005 Baron Windrush 7 10-03 Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies 2006 Eurotrek 10 10-09 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2007 Ladalko 8 11-01 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2008 D'Argent 11 11-07 Robert Thornton Alan King no race 2009–10 2011 West End Rocker 9 10–11 Wayne Hutchinson Alan King 2012 Hey Big Spender 9 11–12 Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard 2013 Rigadin de Beauchene 8 10-03 Robbie Dunne Venetia Williams 2014 Shotgun Paddy 7 11-07 Leighton Aspell Emma Lavelle 2015 Hawkes Point 10 10–12 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2016 Russe Blanc 9 10-07 Charlie Poste Kerry Lee 2017 One For Arthur 8 10–11 Derek Fox Lucinda Russell 2018 Milansbar 11 11-02 Bryony Frost Neil King 2019 Impulsive Star 9 09-12 Sam Waley-Cohen Neil Mulholland 2020 Kimberlite Candy 8 11-04 Richie McLernon Tom Lacey 2021 Notachance 7 10-05 Tom Cannon Alan King 2022 Eclair Surf 8 11-03 Tom Bellamy Emma Lavelle 2023 Iwilldoit 10 11-10 Stan Sheppard Sam Thomas 2024 My Silver Lining 8 10-04 James Best Emma Lavelle
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
External links Race Recordings (1977, 1983, 1994-2011) youtube.com pedigreequery.com – Classic Handicap Chase – Warwick., – "Warwick National Chase" (2000). breakingnews.ie – "Warwick abandoned" (2009). bbc.co.uk – "Weather prospects for racing" (2010).