Celebration Chase
Encyclopedia
The Celebration Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt
chase in Great Britain
which is open to horses
aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late April.
was cancelled due to a foot-and-mouth crisis. Replacements for some of the Festival's races were held at Sandown in late April, and the equivalent of the Queen Mother Champion Chase
was a Grade 1 event called the Championship Chase.
The following year the race returned as the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase, in memory of the Queen Mother
(1900–2002), who frequently attended racing at Sandown. The event was downgraded to Class B level, but it continued to attract high quality chasers. It was promoted to Grade 2 status in 2005, and at this point its title was shortened to the Celebration Chase.
The race is currently sponsored by Bet365
, and it takes place at a meeting which features both jump and flat races. Other events at this meeting include the Bet365 Gold Cup
, the Gordon Richards Stakes
and the Sandown Mile
.
Most successful horse (2 wins):
----
Leading jockey
(3 wins):
----
Leading trainer
(4 wins):
Recurring sporting events established in 2001 – this race is included under its original title, Championship Chase.
National Hunt racing
National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...
chase in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
which is open to horses
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late April.
History
The event has its origins in 2001, when the Cheltenham FestivalCheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
was cancelled due to a foot-and-mouth crisis. Replacements for some of the Festival's races were held at Sandown in late April, and the equivalent of the Queen Mother Champion Chase
Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
was a Grade 1 event called the Championship Chase.
The following year the race returned as the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase, in memory of the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(1900–2002), who frequently attended racing at Sandown. The event was downgraded to Class B level, but it continued to attract high quality chasers. It was promoted to Grade 2 status in 2005, and at this point its title was shortened to the Celebration Chase.
The race is currently sponsored by Bet365
Bet365
bet365 Group Limited, is a United Kingdom based gambling company. bet365 is one of the world’s leading online gambling groups with over 6 million customers in 200 different countries...
, and it takes place at a meeting which features both jump and flat races. Other events at this meeting include the Bet365 Gold Cup
Bet365 Gold Cup
The Bet365 Gold Cup is a Grade 3 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 3 miles and 5½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-four fences to be jumped...
, the Gordon Richards Stakes
Gordon Richards Stakes
The Gordon Richards Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 7 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.The event was established in 1963, and...
and the Sandown Mile
Sandown Mile
The Sandown Mile is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile and 14 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April....
.
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
- Cenkos – 2002, 2004
----
Leading jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
(3 wins):
- Tony McCoyTony McCoyAnthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....
– Edredon Bleu (2001), Seebald (2003), French Opera (2011)
----
Leading trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
(4 wins):
- Paul NichollsPaul Nicholls (horse racing)Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money...
– Cenkos (2002, 2004), Andreas (2008), Twist Magic (2009)
Winners
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 2001 | Edredon Bleu Edredon Bleu Edredon Bleu was a popular National Hunt racehorse trained by Henrietta Knight in Great Britain. In 2000, he won the Queen Mother Champion Chase while ridden by 15-time champion jockey Tony McCoy. He also won the 2003 King George VI Chase and four renewals of the Peterborough Chase from 1998 to 2001.... |
9 | Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey.... |
Henrietta Knight |
| 2002 | Cenkos | 8 | Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in... |
Paul Nicholls Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money... |
| 2003 | Seebald | 8 | Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey.... |
Martin Pipe Martin Pipe Martin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England.... |
| 2004 | Cenkos | 10 | Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in... |
Paul Nicholls Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money... |
| 2005 | Well Chief Well Chief Well Chief is a race horse currently trained in Britain by David Pipe and owned by David Johnson.-Early life:He started his racing career as a Flat horse in Germany trained by Ralf Suerland and made his debut in a Listed race at Dortmund, which he won... |
6 | Timmy Murphy Timmy Murphy Timothy James Murphy , commonly known as Timmy Murphy, is a National Hunt jockey who overcame difficult personal problems to win the 2008 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on the horse Comply or Die. He recorded his 1,000th winner at Taunton on 21 January 2010.- References :... |
Martin Pipe Martin Pipe Martin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England.... |
| 2006 | River City | 9 | Tom Doyle | Noel Chance Noel Chance Noel Chance is an Irish racehorse trainer based at Upper Lambourn, Berkshire.He has trained two winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Mr Mulligan in 1997 and Looks Like Trouble in 2000.-References:*... |
| 2007 | Dempsey | 9 | Timmy Murphy Timmy Murphy Timothy James Murphy , commonly known as Timmy Murphy, is a National Hunt jockey who overcame difficult personal problems to win the 2008 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on the horse Comply or Die. He recorded his 1,000th winner at Taunton on 21 January 2010.- References :... |
Carl Llewellyn |
| 2008 | Andreas | 8 | Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:... |
Paul Nicholls Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money... |
| 2009 | Twist Magic | 7 | Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:... |
Paul Nicholls Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money... |
| 2010 | I'm So Lucky | 8 | Tom Scudamore Tom Scudamore Tom Scudamore is a third-generation British flat and steeplechase jockey. He is the son of eight-time champion jockey Peter Scudamore; his grandfather Michael won the Grand National on Oxo in 1959.-Background:... |
David Pipe David Pipe (racehorse trainer) The son of the prolific horseracing trainer Martin Pipe David Pipe is the trainer of the David Johnson owned Comply or Die, who ridden by Timmy Murphy won the 2008 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree racecourse.... |
| 2011 | French Opera | 8 | Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey.... |
Nicky Henderson Nicky Henderson Nicky Henderson is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer twice.Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn, Berkshire... |
See also
- Horseracing in Great Britain
- List of British National Hunt races
Recurring sporting events established in 2001 – this race is included under its original title, Championship Chase.