Queen Mothers Champion Chase Top Ten Facts

James Cameron - 17 Feb 2008

Here are our Queen Mothers Champion Chase Top Ten Facts

  1. The National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase was first run in 1959 and the Queen Mother’s name was added to the race title in 1980, the year of her 80th birthday.
  2. The race’s roll of honour includes plenty of multiple winners. Badsworth Boy (1983-85) is the only three time winner. The double winners are Fortria (1960 and 1961), Drinny’s Double (1967 and 1968), Royal Relief (1972 and 1974), Skymas (1976 and 1977), Hilly Way (1978 and 1979), Pearlyman (1987 and 1988), Barnbrook Again (1989 and 1990), Viking Flagship (1994 and 1995) and Moscow Flyer (2003 and 2005).
  3. Irish-trained runners have a good record in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase, winning 19 of the 48 runnings. Newmill, trained by John Murphy and ridden by Andrew McNamara, was the most recent Irish-trained scorer in 2006.
  4. Tom Dreaper has the best record of any trainer in the race, winning six runnings with Fortria (1960 and 1961), Ben Stack (1964), Flyingbolt (1966), Muir (1969), and Straight Fort (1970). Of current trainers, Arthur Moore (Drumgora 1981 and Klairon Davis 1996), Paul Nicholls (1999 Call Equiname and Azertyuiop 2004) and Jessica Harrington (Moscow Flyer 2003 and 2005) have the best record.
  5. Flyingbolt was the shortest-priced winner when succeeding at 1/5 in 1966, while Another Dolly, who was awarded the 1980 race at odds of 33/1, provided the biggest upset.
  6. Pat Taaffe is the most successful rider with five wins, while Moscow Flyer’s partner Barry Geraghty is the only current jockey to have landed more than one Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase. The oldest horse to have triumphed was the 12-year-old Skymas in 1977, while the youngest victors were the six-year-olds Inkslinger in 1973 and Voy Por Ustedes in 2007.
  7. A small but select field usually lines up for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase. The largest field was in 1999 when 13 runners went to post, one while only five runners lined up in 1985, 1972, 1968, 1964, 1963 and 1961.
  8. The most successful owners are George Ansley, who enjoyed three wins with Fortria (1960 and 1961) and Straight Fort (1970), and Doug Armitage who had three victories with Badsworth Boy (1983, 1984 and 1985).
  9. Michael Dickinson trained the winner for three consecutive years with Rathgorman (1982) and Badsworth Boy (1983 & 1984). His mother Monica had taken charge of the training operation for Badsworth Boy’s final success in 1985.
  10. The Irish Independent Arkle Chase is a good guide for future success in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase. Voy Por Ustedes (2007), Azertyuiop (2004), Moscow Flyer (2003 and 2005), Flagship Uberalles (2002), Klairon Davis (1996) and Remittance Man (1992) all won the novices’ event before their Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase victory.

 





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