The Celebration Chase is a Grade One National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs (1 mile, 7 furlongs and 119 yards, or 3,126 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late April.
| Grade One race | |
| Location | Sandown Park Esher, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2001 |
| Race type | Steeplechase |
| Sponsor | Bet365 |
| Website | Sandown Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1m 7f 119yd (3,126 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 7 lb Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | £115,000 (2021) 1st: £65,493 |
| 2024 | ||
 |  |  |
| Jonbon | El Fabiolo | Edwardstone |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ||
|  |  |
| Jonbon | Captain Guinness | Greaneteen |
| 2022 | ||
|  |  |
| Greaneteen | Sceau Royal | Nube Negra |
| 2021 | ||
|  | |
| Greaneteen | Altior | Sceau Royal |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | ||
| |  |
| Altior | Sceau Royal | God's Own |
| 2018 | ||
|  | |
| Altior | San Benedeto | God's Own |
| 2017 | ||
|  | |
| Altior | Special Tiara | San Benedeto |
| 2016 | ||
 |  |  |
| Sprinter Sacre | Un De Sceaux | Dodging Bullets |
| 2015 | ||
| | |
| Special Tiara | Sprinter Sacre | Mr Mole |
| 2014 | ||
 |  | |
| Sire De Grugy | Pepite Rose | Special Tiara |
| 2013 | ||
|  |  |
| Sire De Grugy | Finian's Rainbow | Wishfull Thinking |
| 2012 | ||
 |  |  |
| Sanctuaire | Somersby | Dan Breen |
| 2011 | ||
 |  |  |
| French Opera | Chaninbar | Cornas |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
 |  |  |
| I'm So Lucky | Oiseau de Nuit | Twist Magic |
| 2009 | ||
 |  |  |
| Twist Magic | Kalahari King | Mahogany Blaze |
| 2008 | ||
 |  |  |
| Andreas | Lord Henry | Fiepes Shuffle |
| 2007 | ||
 |  |  |
| Dempsey | Hoo La Baloo | Tysou |
| 2006 | ||
|  |  |
| River City | Nyrche | Contraband |
| 2005 | ||
|  | |
| Well Chief | Azertyuiop | Contraband |
| 2004 | ||
|  |  |
| Cenkos | Impek | Got One Too |
| 2003 | ||
 | | |
| Seebald | Cenkos | Wahiba Sands |
| 2002 | ||
|  | |
| Cenkos | Flagship Uberalles | Edredon Bleu |
| 2001 | ||
|  |  |
| Edredon Bleu | Fadalko | Desert Mountain |
History
The event has its origins in 2001, when the Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to a foot-and-mouth crisis. Replacements for some of the Festival's races were held at Sandown in late April, and the equivalent of the Queen Mother Champion Chase was a Grade 1 event called the Championship Chase.
The following year the race returned as the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase, in memory of the Queen Mother (1900–2002), who frequently attended racing at Sandown. The event was downgraded to Class B level, but it continued to attract high quality chasers. It was promoted to Grade Two status in 2005, and at this point its title was shortened to the Celebration Chase.
The race is currently sponsored by Bet365, and it takes place at a meeting which features both jump and flat races. Other events at this meeting include the Bet365 Gold Cup, the Gordon Richards Stakes and the Sandown Mile. The Celebration Chase was upgraded to Grade One by the British Horseracing Board from its 2014 running.[1]
Records
Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Altior - 2017, 2018, 2019
Leading jockey (5 wins):
- Nico de Boinville - Sprinter Sacre (2016), Altior (2017, 2018, 2019), Jonbon (2024)
Leading trainer (7 wins):
- Paul Nicholls – Cenkos (2002, 2004), Andreas (2008), Twist Magic (2009), Sanctuaire (2012), Greaneteen (2021,2022)
- Nicky Henderson - French Opera (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2016), Altior (2017, 2018, 2019), Jonbon (2023, 2024)
Winners
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Edredon Bleu | 9 | Tony McCoy | Henrietta Knight |
| 2002 | Cenkos | 8 | Barry Geraghty | Paul Nicholls |
| 2003 | Seebald | 8 | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe |
| 2004 | Cenkos | 10 | Barry Geraghty | Paul Nicholls |
| 2005 | Well Chief | 6 | Timmy Murphy | Martin Pipe |
| 2006 | River City | 9 | Tom Doyle | Noel Chance |
| 2007 | Dempsey | 9 | Timmy Murphy | Carl Llewellyn |
| 2008 | Andreas | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2009 | Twist Magic | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2010 | I'm So Lucky | 8 | Tom Scudamore | David Pipe |
| 2011 | French Opera | 8 | Tony McCoy | Nicky Henderson |
| 2012 | Sanctuaire | 6 | Daryl Jacob | Paul Nicholls |
| 2013 | Sire De Grugy | 7 | Jamie Moore | Gary Moore |
| 2014 | Sire De Grugy | 8 | Jamie Moore | Gary Moore |
| 2015 | Special Tiara | 8 | Noel Fehily | Henry De Bromhead |
| 2016 | Sprinter Sacre | 10 | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson |
| 2017 | Altior | 7 | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson |
| 2018 | Altior | 8 | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson |
| 2019 | Altior | 9 | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson |
| no race 2020 [a] | ||||
| 2021 | Greaneteen | 7 | Bryony Frost | Paul Nicholls |
| 2022 | Greaneteen | 8 | Harry Cobden | Paul Nicholls |
| 2023 | Jonbon | 7 | Aidan Coleman | Nicky Henderson |
| 2024 | Jonbon | 8 | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson |
See also
- Horse racing in Great Britain
- List of British National Hunt races
- Recurring sporting events established in 2001 – this race is included under its original title, Championship Chase.
References
- pedigreequery.com – Celebration Chase – Sandown.