Stats Guide: St James Place Festival Hunter Chase

Image © Healy Racing

The St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase is one of the oldest races at the Cheltenham Festival. The first running in 1904 was won by the 6-4 favourite Palmy Boy, owned and ridden by Mr J Widger.

It is now the richest and most prestigious hunter chase of the season. The contest is restricted to horses which have run in hunter chases in Great Britain or Ireland or have won point-to-points. Usually restricted to amateur jockeys, it was ridden by professionals in 2021 due to COVID-19 regulations.

FIELD SIZE

The current maximum field is 24. Double Silk beat just four rivals in 1993, while 38 horses lined up in 1948.

MULTIPLE WINNERS

Since 1946 nine horses have won the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase twice, although no horse has won the race three times. The Callant won in 1956 and 1957, Whinstone Hill in 1958 and 1960, Colledge Master in 1961 and 1962, Double Silk in 1993 and 1994, Fantus in 1995 and 1997, Earthmover in 1998 and 2004, Salsify in 2012 and 2013, On The Fringe in 2015 and 2016, and Pacha Du Polder in 2017 and 2018.

MOST SUCCESSFUL TRAINER

Richard Barber, brother of Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning owner Paul, sent out four winners – Rushing Wild (1992), Fantus (1995 and 1997) and Earthmover (1998). Paul Nicholls, who trained Earthmover to his second victory in 2004, has also had four winners of the race thanks to Sleeping Night (2005) and Pacha Du Polder (2017 and 2018).

MOST SUCCESSFUL JOCKEY

Colman Sweeney is the most successful jockey in the post-war period with three wins – Sleeping Night (2005) and Salsify (2012 and 2013).

AGE

Three of the five 13-year-olds to have been successful at The Festival since 1946 have come in the St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase - Earthmover in 2004, Merry, who dead-heated in 1953, and Greenwood in 1950.

The other two 13-year-olds to have won at The Festival were Approval in the 1959 County Handicap Hurdle and Willie Wumpkins in the 1981 Pertemps Network Final.

Halloween (1951), Attitude Adjuster (1986) and Kingscliff (2003) were six-year-olds and youngest horses to win this race in the same period.

BETTING

Freddie won at odds of 1-3 in 1964, while Double Silk was sent off at odds of 2-5 for his second success in 1994.
The 2020 winner It Came To Pass and 2023 victor Premier Magic caused the biggest shocks, with both scoring at 66-1.

IRISH-TRAINED WINNERS

There have been 13 Irish-trained winners since 1946 - Eliogarty (1983), Attitude Adjuster (1986), Lovely Citizen (1991), Elegant Lord (1996), Whyso Mayo (2006), Zemsky (2011), Salsify (2012 and 2013), Tammys Hill (2014), On The Fringe (2015 and 2016), It Came To Pass (2020) and Billaway (2022).

DID YOU KNOW?

Caroline Beasley became the first female rider to win any race at The Festival when successful on Eliogarty in the 1983 running. Since then the race has been won nine more times by women - Katie Rimell on Three Counties in 1989, Polly Curling on Fantus in 1995, Fiona Needham in 2002 on Last Option, Rilly Goschen on Earthmover in 2004, Nina Carberry with On The Fringe in 2015 and 2016, Bryony Frost on Pacha Du Polder in 2017, Harriet Tucker on Pacha Du Polder in 2018 and Maxine O’Sullivan on It Came To Pass in 2020.

2025

This year's renewal goes to post at the slightly later time of 4.40pm, but it remains in it's position directly after the Gold Cup.

The race will be shown live on Virgin Media One and Racing TV.