National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup
| Grade 2 race | |
| Location |
Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1860 |
| Race type | Chase |
| Website | Cheltenham |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 4 mi (6.4 km) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 4 lb (158 lb; 72 kg) (5yo); 11 st 6 lb (160 lb; 73 kg) (6yo+) Allowances 7 lb (3.2 kg) for mares |
| Purse | £100,000 (2016) 1st: £59,960 |
The National Hunt Challenge Cup is a Grade 2 National Hunt chase in Great Britain for amateur riders which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 4 miles (6.4 km), and during its running there are twenty-four fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Now in its 158th year, the National Hunt Chase has been run more times than any other event at the Cheltenham Festival. The Grand Annual is older, but that race was absent for much of the late 19th century.
During the early part of its history it was held at various venues, including its present home in 1904 and 1905. It was transferred more permanently to Cheltenham in 1911, when it became part of the new two-day National Hunt Meeting. Until the 1930s it was the second most important jumps race in the calendar after the Grand National.
At 4 miles, the distance of the National Hunt Chase is longer than that of any other event at the Festival. The race was contested on Cheltenham's New Course from 2005 to 2007, and during this period its length was 4 miles and 1 furlong (6.6 km). The 2008 running was titled the Peter O'Sullevan National Hunt Chase in celebration of the 90th birthday of Peter O'Sullevan, a retired racing commentator and the 2012 running was titled the Diamond Jubilee National Hunt Chase to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The 2013 race was run as the John Oaksey National Hunt Chase in memory of John Oaksey, a notable amateur National Hunt jockey and racing journalist who died in September 2012. The National Hunt Chase was given Listed status by the British Horseracing Board from its 2014 running and included the name of former champion jockey Terry Biddlecombe, who died in January 2014, in its title. The 2015 race name commemorated trainer Toby Balding. The race was upgraded to Grade 2 status from the 2017 running.
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