Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase
The Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase, known for sponsorship purposes as the Paddy's Reward Club Novices' Handicap Chase, is a Listed 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 2 miles and 4 furlongs (2 miles 4 furlongs and 10 yards, or 4,033 metres), and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. It was a handicap race for novice chasers with a handicap rating between 0 and 145, and it takes place each year in March.
| Premier Handicap race | |
| Location | Sandown Park Racecourse Esher, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2005 |
| Race type | Steeplechase |
| Sponsor | Paddy Power |
| Website | Sandown Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2m 4f 10y (4,033 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse | £40,000 (2021) 1st: £22,584 |
| 2023 | ||
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| Hudson De Grugy | Quel Destin | No Risk Des Flos |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ||
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| Killer Kane | Flic Ou Voyou | Dorking Lad |
| 2021 | ||
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| Farinet | Up The Straight | Lust For Glory |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ||
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| Imperial Aura | Galvin | Hold The Note |
| 2019 | ||
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| A Plus Tard | Tower Bridge | Ben Dundee |
| 2018 | ||
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| Mister Whitaker | Rather Be | Rocklander |
| 2017 | ||
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| Tully East | Gold Present | Two Taffs |
| 2016 | ||
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| Ballyalton | Bouvreuil | Double Shuffle |
| 2015 | ||
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| Irish Cavalier | Thomas Crapper | Generous Ransom |
| 2014 | ||
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| Present View | Attaglance | Pendra |
| 2013 | ||
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| Rajdhani Express | Ackertac | Ohio Gold |
| 2012 | ||
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| Hunt Ball | White Star Line | Owen Glendower |
| 2011 | ||
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| Divers | Quantitativeeasing | Tullamore Dew |
| 2010-2005 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
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| Copper Bleu | Othermix | The Midnight Club |
| 2009 | ||
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| Chapoturgeon | Isn't That Lucky | Crescent Island |
| 2008 | ||
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| Finger Onthe Pulse | Barbers Shop | Possol |
| 2007 | ||
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|
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| L'Antartique | Bob Hall | Wee Robbie |
| 2006 | ||
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| Reveillez | Copsale Lad | Tumbling Dice |
| 2005 | ||
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| King Harald | Lacdoudal | See You Sometime |
The event was originally run at Cheltenham Racecourse and was established when a fourth day was added to the Cheltenham Festival in 2005. The winning ride by Mattie Batchelor in the inaugural edition subsequently won the Lester Award for Jump Ride of the Year. The race was sponsored by Jewson from 2005 to 2010 and run as the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase on the third day of the Festival. Jewson transferred their sponsorship to a new race at the 2011 Festival, the Jewson Novices' Chase, which remained on the third day while the Novices' Handicap Chase was moved to become the final race on the opening day of the Festival. The race title commemorated the centenary of the Cheltenham Festival in 2011. In 2012 the race was sponsored by Pulteney Land Investments and from 2013 to 2014 by Rewards4Racing. In 2015 it was sponsored by Chaps Restaurants Barbados and from 2016 to 2019 the race was sponsored by Close Brothers Group. The race's sponsors in 2020 were Northern Trust and since 2021 it has been sponsored by Paddy Power.
The Centenary Novices' Chase was removed from the Festival programme in 2021 to make way for a new steeplechase for mares, the Liberthine Mares' Chase[1] and was transferred to the meeting which takes place at Sandown Park a few days before the Cheltenham Festival.[2] The race held Listed status until 2022 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2023 running when Listed status was removed from handicap races.[3]
Records
Leading jockey (2 wins):
- Graham Lee - L'Antartique (2007), Divers (2011)
- Brian Hughes – Ballyalton (2016), Mister Whitaker (2018)
- Brendan Powell jnr - Present View (2014), Killer Kane (2022)
Leading trainer (2 wins):
- Ferdy Murphy - L'Antartique (2007), Divers (2011)
Winners
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | King Harald | 7 | 10-04 | Mattie Batchelor | Mark Bradstock |
| 2006 | Reveillez | 7 | 10-11 | Tony McCoy | James Fanshawe |
| 2007 | L'Antartique | 7 | 10-11 | Graham Lee | Ferdy Murphy |
| 2008 | Finger Onthe Pulse | 7 | 10-12 | Barry Geraghty | Tom Taaffe |
| 2009 | Chapoturgeon | 5 | 10-11 | Timmy Murphy | Paul Nicholls |
| 2010 | Copper Bleu | 8 | 11-01 | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs |
| 2011 | Divers | 7 | 11-04 | Graham Lee | Ferdy Murphy |
| 2012 | Hunt Ball | 7 | 12-00 | Nick Scholfield | Keiran Burke |
| 2013 | Rajdhani Express | 6 | 11-12 | Sam Waley-Cohen[lower-alpha 1] | Nicky Henderson |
| 2014 | Present View | 6 | 11-07 | Brendan Powell Jnr | Jamie Snowden |
| 2015 | Irish Cavalier | 6 | 11-07 | Paul Townend | Rebecca Curtis |
| 2016 | Ballyalton | 9 | 11-10 | Brian Hughes | Ian Williams |
| 2017 | Tully East | 7 | 11-08 | Denis O'Regan | Alan Fleming |
| 2018 | Mister Whitaker | 6 | 11-02 | Brian Hughes | Mick Channon |
| 2019 | A Plus Tard | 5 | 11-07 | Rachael Blackmore | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2020 | Imperial Aura | 7 | 11-05 | David Bass | Kim Bailey |
| 2021 | Farinet | 6 | 10-05 | Charlie Deutsch | Venetia Williams |
| 2022 | Killer Kane | 7 | 11-01 | Brendan Powell Jnr | Colin Tizzard |
| 2023 | Hudson De Grugy | 6 | 10-05 | Jamie Moore | Gary Moore |
- amateur jockey
References
- Dietz, Andrew (7 October 2020). "Nicholls and Walsh back introduction of new mares' chase at Cheltenham Festival". Racing Post. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- "Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase to replace Novices' Handicap Chase at The Festival". British Horseracing Authority. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- "Jump Pattern Committee update 22/23 season". British Horseracing Authority. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (February 21, 2008).