Christie's Foxhunter Chase
| Ungraded race | |
| Location |
Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1904 |
| Race type | Hunter chase |
| Sponsor | St. James's Place |
| Website | Cheltenham |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3m 2½f (5,331 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 12 lb (5yo); 12 st 0 lb (6yo+) Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse |
£40,000 (2014) 1st: £23,984 |
The St James's Place Foxhunter Chase is a National Hunt chase in Great Britain for amateur riders which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs (5,331 metres), and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped. It is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The event is contested over the same course and distance as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and it is sometimes referred to as the "amateur Gold Cup". It was established in 1904, and the inaugural running was won by Palmy Boy. It was backed by the insurance company Sun Alliance and London in 1972 and 1973, and for the following five years it was run without a sponsor. The art auctioneers Christie's supported the race from 1979 to 2012 and from 2013 to 2015 it was sponsored by the Country Gentleman's Association. Since 2016 it has been sponsored by St. James's Place plc.
Qualification for entry in the Foxhunter Chase is based on a horse's previous performances in certain types of race within a specific period. To be eligible a horse must have finished first or second twice in hunter chases, or have won two open point-to-point races, or have won one open point-to-point race and finished first or second in a hunter chase.
Most successful horse since 1946 (2 wins):
Leading jockey since 1946 (3 wins):
Leading trainer since 1946 (4 wins):
1 The race was abandoned in 1949 due to frost, and in 1955 due to snow.
2 The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.
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