Queen Mother Champion Chase

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online betting company BetMGM, the race is now known as the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 199 yards, or 3,199 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

It is the leading minimum-distance chase in the National Hunt calendar, and it is the feature race on the second day of the Festival.

History The event was established in 1959, and it was originally called the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase. It was given its present title in 1980 – the year of the Queen Mother's 80th birthday – in recognition of her support to jump racing. The Queen Mother was a successful owner of National Hunt horses, particularly chasers, and among these was Game Spirit – the runner-up in this race in 1976.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase was not sponsored before 2007, and between 2008 and 2010 it was backed by Seasons Holidays. The sponsor from 2011 until 2013 was online gambling firm Sportingbet. BetVictor held naming rights for the 2014 season before the current sponsor, sports betting company Betway, took over.http://thebetwaygroup.com/media/press/?pressRelease=1

Records Most successful horse (3 wins): Badsworth Boy – 1983, 1984, 1985

Leading jockey (5 wins): Pat Taaffe – Fortria (1960, 1961), Ben Stack (1964), Flyingbolt (1966), Straight Fort (1970) Barry Geraghty – Moscow Flyer (2003, 2005), Big Zeb (2010), Finian's Rainbow (2012), Sprinter Sacre (2013)

Leading trainer (6 wins): Tom Dreaper – Fortria (1960, 1961), Ben Stack (1964), Flyingbolt (1966), Muir (1969), Straight Fort (1970) Nicky Henderson - Remittance Man (1992), Finian's Rainbow (2012), Sprinter Sacre (2013, 2016), Altior (2018, 2019) Paul Nicholls - Call Equiname (1999), Azertyuiop (2004), Master Minded (2008, 2009), Dodging Bullets (2015), Politologue (2020)

Leading owner (3 wins): George Ansley – Fortria (1960, 1961), Straight Fort (1970) Doug Armitage – Badsworth Boy (1983, 1984, 1985) John Hales - One Man (1998), Azertyuiop (2004), Politologue (2020)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner 1959 Quita Que 10 Bunny Cox Dan Moore Mrs D. R. Brand 1960 Fortria 8 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper George Ansley 1961 Fortria 9 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper George Ansley 1962 Piperton 8 Dave Dick Archie Thomlinson Archie Thomlinson 1963 Sandy Abbot 8 Stan Mellor George Owen Mrs J. D. McKechnie 1964 Ben Stack 7 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper The Duchess of Westminster 1965 Dunkirk 8 Dave Dick Peter Cazalet Bill Whitbread 1966 Flyingbolt 7 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper Jean Wilkinson 1967 Drinny's Double 9 Frank Nash Bob Turnell Paul Mellon 1968 Drinny's Double 10 Frank Nash Bob Turnell Paul Mellon 1969 Muir 10 Ben Hannon Tom Dreaper Waring Willis 1970 Straight Fort 7 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper George Ansley 1971 Crisp 8 Paul Kelleway Fred Winter Sir Chester Manifold 1972 Royal Relief 8 Bill Smith Edward Courage Edward Courage 1973 Inkslinger 6 Tommy Carberry Dan Moore Mrs M. Jenney 1974 Royal Relief 10 Bill Smith Edward Courage Edward Courage 1975 Lough Inagh 8 Sean Barker Jim Dreaper A. Martin 1976 Skymas 11 Mouse Morris Brian Lusk Matt Magee 1977 Skymas 12 Mouse Morris Brian Lusk Matt Magee 1978 Hilly Way 8 Tommy Carmody Peter McCreery J. W. Sweeney 1979 Hilly Way 9 Ted Walsh Peter McCreery J. W. Sweeney 1980 Another Dolly 10 Sam Morshead Fred Rimell Ian Urquhart 1981 Drumgora 9 Frank Berry Arthur Moore D. Monahan 1982 Rathgorman 10 Kevin Whyte Michael Dickinson J. Lilley 1983 Badsworth Boy 8 Robert Earnshaw Michael Dickinson Doug Armitage 1984 Badsworth Boy 9 Robert Earnshaw Michael Dickinson Doug Armitage 1985 Badsworth Boy 10 Robert Earnshaw Monica Dickinson Doug Armitage 1986 Buck House 8 Tommy Carmody Mouse Morris Mrs Phil Purcell 1987 Pearlyman 8 Peter Scudamore John Edwards Valerie Shaw 1988 Pearlyman 9 Tom Morgan John Edwards Valerie Shaw 1989 Barnbrook Again 8 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth Mel Davies 1990 Barnbrook Again 9 Hywel Davies David Elsworth Mel Davies 1991 Katabatic 8 Simon McNeill Andrew Turnell Pell-Mell Partners 1992 Remittance Man 8 Jamie Osborne Nicky Henderson Tim Collins 1993 Deep Sensation 8 Declan Murphy Josh Gifford Robin Eliot 1994 Viking Flagship 7 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson Roach Foods Ltd 1995 Viking Flagship 8 Charlie Swan David Nicholson Roach Foods Ltd 1996 Klairon Davis 7 Francis Woods Arthur Moore Chris Jones 1997 Martha's Son 10 Rodney Farrant Tim Forster Hartigan / Ward-Thomas 1998 One Man 10 Brian Harding Gordon W. Richards John Hales 1999 Call Equiname 9 Mick Fitzgerald Paul Nicholls Coburn / Barber / Lewis 2000 Edredon Bleu 8 Tony McCoy Henrietta Knight Jim Lewis 2001 no race 2001 2002 Flagship Uberalles 8 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs Gutner / Krysztofiak 2003 Moscow Flyer 9 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington Brian Kearney 2004 Azertyuiop 7 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls John Hales 2005 Moscow Flyer 11 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington Brian Kearney 2006 Newmill 8 Andrew McNamara John Joseph Murphy Mary Hayes 2007 Voy Por Ustedes 6 Robert Thornton Alan King Sir Robert Ogden 2008 Master Minded 5 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Clive D. Smith 2009 Master Minded 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Clive D. Smith 2010 Big Zeb 9 Barry Geraghty Colm Murphy Patrick Joseph Redmond 2011 Sizing Europe 9 Andrew Lynch Henry de Bromhead Ann & Alan Potts 2012 Finian's Rainbow 9 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson Michael Buckley 2013 Sprinter Sacre 7 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson Caroline Mould 2014 Sire De Grugy 8 Jamie Moore Gary Moore Preston Family & Friends 2015 Dodging Bullets 7 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls Martin Broughton & Friends 2016 Sprinter Sacre 10 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Caroline Mould 2017 Special Tiara 10 Noel Fehily Henry de Bromhead Sally Rowley-Williams 2018 Altior 8 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Patricia Pugh 2019 Altior 9 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson Patricia Pugh 2020 Politologue 9 Harry Skelton Paul Nicholls John Hales 2021 Put The Kettle On 7 Aidan Coleman Henry de Bromhead One For Luck Racing Syndicate 2022 Energumene 8 Paul Townend Willie Mullins Tony Bloom 2023 Energumene 9 Paul Townend Willie Mullins Tony Bloom 2024 Captain Guinness 9 Rachael Blackmore Henry de Bromhead Declan Landy 2025 Marine Nationale 8 Sean Flanagan Barry Connell Barry Connell 2026 Il Etait Temps 8 Paul Townend Willie Mullins Hollywood Racing & Barnane Stud

See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races Recurring sporting events established in 1959 – this race is included under its original title, National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase.

References

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

bbc.co.uk – "Royalty absent and present" (2003). cheltenham.co.uk – Media information pack (2010). pedigreequery.com – Queen Mother Champion Chase – Cheltenham.

External links Race Recordings (1979-2011) youtube.com