St. James's Place Foxhunters Chase Race Card

The St James’ Place Foxhuntes Chase is the fifth race on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

The race is another race in the week that is specifically for amateur jockeys and is ran on the new Cheltenham course over 3 miles and 2 furlongs, with 22 fences for the runners to contend with. It is the same course and distance as the Gold Cup, which leads it to being referred to as the Gold Cup for the amateur riders.

The event is open to horses five and older to horses that have either placed at least twice in hunter chases, have won two point to points or won one point to point and placed at least once in a hunter’s chase.

There is prize money of £27,000 on offer to the winner.

The race was established all the way back in 1904 and has been a running part of the festival ever since.

The race received sponsorship for the first time in 1972 from the Sun Alliance and London however that only lasted for two years and then it went back to being run without a sponsor.

The art auctioneers Christie's then took over to sponsor the race in 1979 and were long term supporters of the event, naming the race right the way through till 2012. Following them, in 2013 the race was sponsored by the Country Gentleman's Association, who named the race through until 2015. In 2016, St James’ Palace took over the naming rights and will continue to do so for 2020.

2019 saw a new combination of jockey and trainer win the race as Hazel Hill crossed the line in front for Alex Edwards and trainer Phillip Rowley.

Prior to that, Paul Nicholls had won the race two years running and before that, Irish trainer Edna Bolger also has two consecutive victories in the race.

Nicholls won the race in 2017 and then in 2018 with Pacha du Polder. The 2018 victory was Nicholls’ fourth in the race overall, which makes him the join most successful trainer in the race’s history, with his first winner coming back in 2004 and back then, he also won the race two years running, following up in 2005. Nicholls’ successes have come with the following horses:

Paul Nicholls:
Earthmover (2004)

Sleeping Night (2005)

Pacha du Polder (2017, 2018)

Richard Barber also has four wins to his name in the race, the last of which in 1998. Barber won the race with the following:

Richard Barber:

Rushing Wild (1992)

Fantus (1995, 1997)

Earthmover (1998)

Nina Carberry won the race back to back in 2015 and 2016 on, On the Fringe but her two victories weren’t enough to make her the most successful jockey in the race. Colman Sweeney won the race in 2012 and then in 2013 on Salsify and rode Nicholls’ Sleeping night to success in 2005, his three wins make him the most successful jockey.

Colman Sweeney:

Sleeping Night (2005)

Salsify (2012, 2013),