BetVictor Champion Chase
Steeplechase horse race in Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The BetVictor Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Down Royal over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are fifteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November.
| Class | Grade 1 |
|---|---|
| Location | DOwn Royal, County Down Northern Ireland |
| Inaugurated | 1999 |
| Race type | Chase |
| Sponsor | BetVictor |
| Website | Down Royal |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 3 miles (4,828 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Five-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 10 lb Allowances 7 lb for mares |
| Purse | €125,000 (2020) 1st: €73,750 |
| 2025 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Envoi Allen | Affordale Fury | Western Fold |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
|
 |
 |
| Envoi Allen | Hewick | Gerri Colombe |
| 2023 | ||
|
|
 |
| Gerri Colombe | Envoi Allen | Conflated |
| 2022 | ||
|
 |
 |
| Envoi Allen | Kemboy | Conflated |
| 2021 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Frodon | Galvin | Minella Indo |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ||
 |
|
 |
| The Storyteller | Chris's Dream | Tout Est Permis |
| 2019 | ||
 |
 |
|
| Road To Respect | Clan Des Obeaux | Alpha Des Obeaux |
| 2018 | ||
|
 |
|
| Road To Respect | Woodland Opera | Outlander |
| 2017 | ||
|
|
 |
| Outlander | Road To Respect | Zabana |
| 2016 | ||
|
 |
|
| Valseur Lido | Silviniaco Conti | Lord Scoundrel |
| 2015 | ||
|
 |
|
| Don Cossack | Rocky Creek | Roi Du Mee |
| 2014 | ||
|
|
 |
| Road To Riches | Rocky Creek | Boston Bob |
| 2013 | ||
|
 |
|
| Roi Du Mee | Sizing Europe | Prince De Beauchene |
| 2012 | ||
 |
|
|
| Kauto Stone | First Lieutenant | Quito De La Roque |
| 2011 | ||
|
|
 |
| Quito De La Roque | Sizing Europe | The Nightingale |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
 |
|
 |
| Kauto Star | Sizing Europe | China Rock |
| 2009 | ||
 |
 |
|
| The Listener | My Will | War Of Attrition |
| 2008 | ||
|
 |
 |
| Kauto Star | Light On The Broom | Knight Legend |
| 2007 | ||
 |
 |
|
| Taranis | Justified | Light On The Broom |
| 2006 | ||
 |
|
|
| Beef Or Salmon | War Of Attrition | Justified |
| 2004 | ||
|
 |
 |
| Beef Or Salmon | Kicking King | Cloudy Bays |
| 2003 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Glenelly Gale | Arctic Copper | Barrow Drive |
| 2002 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| More Than A Stroll | See More Business | Give Over |
| 2001 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Foxchapel King | Wicked Crack | Florida Pearl |
| 2000-1999 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Looks Like Trouble | Dorans Pride | Inis Cara |
| 1999 | ||
|
|
 |
| Florida Pearl | Dorans Pride | Ferbet Junior |
The event was established in 1999, and it was initially contested over 3 miles and 1 furlong. It was cut to its present distance in 2000, and given Grade 1 status in 2002.
The BetVictor Champion Chase is now the first Grade 1 event of the Irish National Hunt season. It was sponsored by JNwine.com (James Nicholson Wine Merchant) from its inception until the 2018 running. Ladbrokes took over the sponsorship in 2019.[1] The race has been sponsored by BetVictor since 2025.
Records
Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Envoi Allen - 2022, 2024, 2025
Leading jockey (4 wins):
- Ruby Walsh – Taranis (2007), Kauto Star (2008, 2010), Valseur Lido (2016)
Leading trainer (5 wins):
- Paul Nicholls – Taranis (2007), Kauto Star (2008, 2010), Kauto Stone (2012), Frodon (2021)
- Gordon Elliott - Roi du Mee (2013), Don Cossack (2015), Outlander (2017), The Storyteller (2020), Gerri Colombe (2023)
Winners
| Winner |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Florida Pearl | 7 | Paul Carberry | Willie Mullins |
| 2000 | Looks Like Trouble | 8 | Richard Johnson | Noel Chance |
| 2001 | Foxchapel King | 8 | David Casey | Mouse Morris |
| 2002 | More Than a Stroll | 10 | Conor O'Dwyer | Arthur Moore |
| 2003 | Glenelly Gale | 9 | Conor O'Dwyer | Arthur Moore |
| 2004 | Beef Or Salmon | 8 | Timmy Murphy | Michael Hourigan |
| no race 2005 [a] | ||||
| 2006 | Beef Or Salmon | 10 | Andrew McNamara | Michael Hourigan |
| 2007 | Taranis | 6 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2008 | Kauto Star | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2009 | The Listener | 10 | Andrew McNamara | Nick Mitchell |
| 2010 | Kauto Star | 10 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
| 2011 | Quito de la Roque | 7 | Davy Russell | Colm Murphy |
| 2012 | Kauto Stone | 6 | Daryl Jacob | Paul Nicholls |
| 2013 | Roi du Mee | 8 | Bryan Cooper | Gordon Elliott |
| 2014 | Road to Riches | 7 | Paul Carberry | Noel Meade |
| 2015 | Don Cossack | 8 | Bryan Cooper | Gordon Elliott |
| 2016 | Valseur Lido | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2017 | Outlander | 9 | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott |
| 2018 | Road to Respect | 7 | Sean Flanagan | Noel Meade |
| 2019 | Road to Respect | 8 | Sean Flanagan | Noel Meade |
| 2020 | The Storyteller | 9 | Keith Donoghue | Gordon Elliott |
| 2021 | Frodon | 9 | Bryony Frost | Paul Nicholls |
| 2022 | Envoi Allen | 8 | Rachael Blackmore | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2023 | Gerri Colombe | 7 | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott |
| 2024 | Envoi Allen | 10 | Darragh O'Keeffe | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2025 | Envoi Allen | 11 | Darragh O'Keeffe | Henry de Bromhead |