| Location | Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
|---|---|
| Race type | Chase |
| Website | Cheltenham |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3m ½f (4,929 metres) |
| Track | Turf, left-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse | £80,000 (2010) 1st: £45,608 |
The Festival Trophy is a Grade 3 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 3 miles and 110 yards (4,929 metres), and during its running there are nineteen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The event was originally known as the National Hunt Handicap Chase, but its title has included the name of a sponsor from the early 1980s. It was backed by Ritz Club from 1981 until 1996, Astec Buzz Shop in 1997 and William Hill between 1998 and 2010. The latest sponsor is the Stewart family, headed by the businessman and racehorse owner Andy Stewart. Andy's son Paul suffered a spinal injury in 2008, and the race was run in 2011 as the Stewart Family Spinal Research Handicap Chase to raise awareness of, and highlight the work done by, the charity Spinal Research.
Winners of the race often take part in the Grand National, although not always in the same year. Horses to have achieved victory in both events include Royal Tan, Team Spirit, West Tip, Seagram and Rough Quest.
Contents |
Most successful horse since 1946 (2 wins):
Leading jockey since 1946 (3 wins):
Leading trainer since 1946 (4 wins):
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1946 | Dunshaughlin | 8 | 10-10 | Bobby O'Ryan | Charles Rogers |
| no race 1947 [1] | |||||
| 1948 | Cavaliero | 7 | 11-10 | Ted Vinall | Fred Rimell |
| 1949 | Frere Jacques II | 7 | 10-06 | Ted Vinall | Fred Rimell |
| 1950 | Silver Fame | 11 | 12-07 | Martin Molony | George Beeby |
| 1951 | Land Fort | 7 | 11-08 | Johnny Bullock | Fred Rimell |
| 1952 | Royal Tan | 8 | 11-06 | Mr Phonsie O'Brien | Vincent O'Brien |
| 1953 | Four Ten | 7 | 10-07 | Tommy Cusack | John Roberts |
| 1954 | Holly Bank | 7 | 10-13 | Mr Peter Brookshaw | Fred Rimell |
| 1955 | Limber Hill | 8 | 11-02 | Tim Molony | Bill Dutton |
| 1956 | Kerstin | 6 | 10-05 | George Milburn | Verly Bewicke |
| 1957 | Sentina | 7 | 10-04 | Pat Taaffe | Tom Dreaper |
| 1958 | Sentina | 8 | 11-07 | Tom Taaffe | Tom Dreaper |
| 1959 | Winning Coin | 7 | 11-07 | Dave Dick | George Beeby |
| 1960 | Isle of Skye | 9 | 10-05 | Tony Keen | Alec Kilpatrick |
| 1961 | Ravencroft | 8 | 10-03 | Fred Winter | Fulke Walwyn |
| 1962 | Longtail | 7 | 11-00 | Stan Mellor | Dick Curran |
| 1963 | Team Spirit | 11 | 11-04 | Willie Robinson | Fulke Walwyn |
| 1964 | Prudent Barney | 10 | 10-11 | Terry Biddlecombe | Bobby Renton |
| 1965 | Rondetto | 9 | 11-10 | Johnny Haine | Bob Turnell |
| 1966 | Arkloin | 7 | 12-05 | Pat Taaffe | Tom Dreaper |
| 1967 | Different Class | 7 | 11-13 | David Mould | Peter Cazalet |
| 1968 | Battledore | 7 | 10-10 | Kit Stobbs | Arthur Stephenson |
| 1969 | Chancer | 7 | 11-00 | Pat McCarron | Charlie Hall |
| 1970 | Charter Flight | 8 | 11-09 | Andrew Turnell | Bob Turnell |
| 1971 | Lord Jim | 10 | 10-08 | Johnny Haine | Fulke Walwyn |
| 1972 | Jomon | 6 | 10-12 | David Mould | Harry Thomson Jones |
| 1973 | The Chisler | 7 | 10-10 | Michael Dickinson | Tony Dickinson |
| 1974 | Cuckolder | 9 | 10-13 | Andrew Turnell | Bob Turnell |
| 1975 | King Flame | 9 | 10-06 | John Francome | Richard Head |
| 1976 | Barmer | 8 | 10-03 | Jimmy McNaught | Robin Blakeney |
| 1977 | Gay Vulgan | 9 | 11-04 | Bill Smith | Fulke Walwyn |
| no race 1978 [2] | |||||
| 1979 | Fair View | 9 | 10-04 | Ridley Lamb | George Fairbairn |
| 1980 | Again the Same | 7 | 11-01 | Mr Jim Wilson | John Edwards |
| 1981 | Current Gold | 10 | 10-07 | Neale Doughty | Gordon W. Richards |
| 1982 | Scot Lane | 9 | 10-12 | Craig Smith | Martin Tate |
| 1983 | Scot Lane | 10 | 11-07 | Craig Smith | Martin Tate |
| 1984 | Tracys Special | 7 | 11-01 | Steve Knight | Andrew Turnell |
| 1985 | West Tip | 8 | 10-13 | Richard Dunwoody | Michael Oliver |
| 1986 | Charter Party | 8 | 10-10 | Peter Scudamore | David Nicholson |
| 1987 | Gainsay | 8 | 10-05 | Ben de Haan | Jenny Pitman |
| 1988 | Aquilifer | 8 | 10-12 | Paul Croucher | David Murray Smith |
| 1989 | Dixton House | 10 | 11-00 | Tom Morgan | John Edwards |
| 1990 | Bigsun | 9 | 10-11 | Richard Dunwoody | David Nicholson |
| 1991 | Seagram | 11 | 10-11 | Nigel Hawke | David Barons |
| 1992 | Tipping Tim | 7 | 10-00 | Carl Llewellyn | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 1993 | Givus a Buck | 10 | 10-08 | Paul Holley | David Elsworth |
| 1994 | Antonin | 6 | 11-05 | John Burke | Sue Bramall |
| 1995 | Rough Quest | 9 | 10-03 | Mick Fitzgerald | Terry Casey |
| 1996 | Maamur | 8 | 10-00 | Andrew Thornton | Tim Forster |
| 1997 | Flyer's Nap | 11 | 11-02 | David Bridgwater | Robert Alner |
| 1998 | Unguided Missile | 10 | 11-10 | Paul Carberry | Gordon W. Richards |
| 1999 | Betty's Boy | 10 | 10-02 | Norman Williamson | Kim Bailey |
| 2000 | Marlborough | 8 | 10-03 | Mick Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson |
| no race 2001 [3] | |||||
| 2002 | Frenchman's Creek | 8 | 10-05 | Paul Carberry | Hughie Morrison |
| 2003 | Youlneverwalkalone | 9 | 10-11 | Barry Geraghty | Christy Roche |
| 2004 | Fork Lightning | 8 | 10-05 | Robert Thornton | Alan King |
| 2005 | Kelami | 7 | 10-02 | Robert Thornton | François Doumen |
| 2006 | Dun Doire | 7 | 10-09 | Ruby Walsh | Tony Martin |
| 2007 | Joes Edge | 10 | 10-06 | Davy Russell | Ferdy Murphy |
| 2008 | An Accordion | 7 | 10-12 | Tom Scudamore | David Pipe |
| 2009 | Wichita Lineman | 8 | 10-09 | Tony McCoy | Jonjo O'Neill |
| 2010 | Chief Dan George | 10 | 10-10 | Paddy Aspell | James Moffatt |
| 2011 | Bensalem | 8 | 11-02 | Robert Thornton | Alan King |
1 The 1947 running was abandoned due to snow and frost.
2 The 1978 edition was cancelled because of snow.
3 It was abandoned in 2001 because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.
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