Punchestown Champion Chase

The Punchestown Champion Chase, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the William Hill Champion Chase, is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres) and during its running there are eleven fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April.

Punchestown Champion Chase
Grade 1 race
LocationPunchestown
Co. Kildare, Ireland
Race typeSteeplechase
SponsorWilliam Hill
WebsitePunchestown
Race information
Distance2 miles (3,219 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackRight-handed
QualificationFive-years-old and up
Weight11 st 11 lb (5yo);
12 st 0 lb (6yo+)
Allowances
7 lb for mares
Purse€250,000 (2021)
1st: €147,500
Boylesports.com Champion Chase
2022
Energumene Chacun Pour Soi Envoi Allen
Previous years
2021
Chacun Pour Soi Allaho Nube Negra
2020-2011
2019
Un De Sceaux Min Castlegrace Paddy
2018
Un De Sceaux Douvan A Toi Phil
2017
Fox Norton Un De Sceaux God's Own
2016
God's Own Vautour Simonsig
2015
Felix Yonger Baily Green Hidden Cyclone
2014
Sizing Europe Ballynagour Savello
2013
Sprinter Sacre Sizing Europe Days Hotel
2012
Sizing Europe Realt Dubh Big Zeb
2011
Big Zeb Sizing Europe Captain Cee Bee
2010-2003
2010
Golden Silver Forpadydeplasterer Sizing Europe
2009
Master Minded Big Zeb Conna Castle
2008
Twist Magic Natal Mansony
2007
Mansony Justified Steel Band
2006
Newmill Fota Island Central House
2005
Rathgar Beau Moscow Flyer Native Upmanship
2004
Moscow Flyer Rathgar Beau Strong Run
2003
Flagship Uberalles Arctic Copper Killultagh Storm
 

It was formerly a handicap race, and for much of the 1990s and early 2000s it was usually sponsored by BMW. It became a conditions race in 1999, and it was subsequently backed by Betdaq (2004) and Kerrygold (2005–09) and Boylesports (2010–19). The present sponsor, William Hill, began to support the event in 2021.

The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the last to win both races in the same year was Energumene in 2022.

Records

Most successful horse since 1950 (2 wins):

  • Shower of Silver – 1955, 1956
  • Muir – 1969, 1970
  • Skymas – 1972, 1973
  • Light the Wad – 1981, 1982
  • Klairon Davis – 1996, 1997
  • Sizing Europe - 2012, 2014
  • Un de Sceaux - 2018, 2019

Leading jockey since 1950 (5 wins):

  • Pat Taaffe – Third Estate (1951), Tumble Weed (1953), Nas Na Riogh (1954), Fortria (1961), Dicky May (1966)

Leading trainer since 1950 (7 wins):

  • Willie Mullins - Micko's Dream (2001), Golden Silver (2010), Felix Yonger (2015), Un de Sceaux (2018,2019), Chacun Pour Soi (2021), Energumene (2022)

Winners since 1980
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
1980 Paddy Bouler 7 S. Lynch Pat Rooney
1981 Light the Wad 8 Frank Leavy Dessie Hughes
1982 Light the Wad 9 Tom Morgan Dessie Hughes
1983 Turloughmore Lad 8 Pat Leech Paddy Norris
1984 Travelowen 7 Tom Costello[lower-alpha 1] Tom Costello
1985 Buck House 7 Tommy Carmody Mouse Morris
1986 Another Brownie 7 Joe Byrne M. J. McGrath
1987 Eddie Wee 11 Conor O'Dwyer Billy Rock
1988 Flying Ferret 7 Brendan Powell Tony Redmond
1989 Super Furrow 9 Padge Gill Jerry O'Neill
1990 Rust Never Sleeps 6 Gerry O'Neill Augustine Leahy
1991 Good for a Laugh 7 Charlie Swan Arthur Moore
1992 The Musical Priest 10 Jason Titley Michael Purcell
1993 Viking Flagship 6 Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson
1994 Saraemma 8 Kevin O'Brien Homer Scott
1995 Strong Platinum 7 Conor O'Dwyer Paddy Burke
1996 Klairon Davis 7 Francis Woods Arthur Moore
1997 Klairon Davis 8 Francis Woods Arthur Moore
1998 Big Matt 10 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson
1999 Celibate 8 Richard Dunwoody Charlie Mann
2000 Get Real 9 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson
2001 Micko's Dream [lower-alpha 2] 9 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
2002 Strong Run 9 Paul Carberry Noel Meade
2003 Flagship Uberalles 9 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2004 Moscow Flyer 10 Barry Geraghty Jessica Harrington
2005 Rathgar Beau 9 Shay Barry Dusty Sheehy
2006 Newmill 8 Andrew McNamara John Joseph Murphy
2007 Mansony 8 Davy Russell Arthur Moore
2008 Twist Magic 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2009 Master Minded 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2010 Golden Silver 8 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
2011 Big Zeb 10 Barry Geraghty Colm Murphy
2012 Sizing Europe 10 Andrew Lynch Henry de Bromhead
2013 Sprinter Sacre 7 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2014 Sizing Europe 12 Andrew Lynch Henry de Bromhead
2015 Felix Yonger 9 Danny Mullins Willie Mullins
2016 God's Own 8 Paddy Brennan Tom George
2017 Fox Norton 7 Robbie Power Colin Tizzard
2018 Un de Sceaux 10 Patrick Mullins[lower-alpha 1] Willie Mullins
2019 Un de Sceaux 11 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
no race 2020 [lower-alpha 3]
2021 Chacun Pour Soi 9 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
2022 Energumene 8 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
  1. amateur rider
  2. The 2001 running took place at Fairyhouse
  3. The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland

Earlier winners
  • 1950 – Melman
  • 1951 – Third Estate
  • 1952 – Clonfert
  • 1953 – Tumble Weed
  • 1954 – Nas Na Riogh
  • 1955 – Shower of Silver
  • 1956 – Shower of Silver
  • 1957 – Jack's the Boy
  • 1958 – Hern's Gift
  • 1959 – Marchioness Bay
  • 1960 – Some Other Day
  • 1961 – Fortria
  • 1962 – Highfield Lad
  • 1963 – Scottish Memories
  • 1964 – Flying Wind
  • 1965 – Belle Artiste
  • 1966 – Dicky May
  • 1967 – Ronan
  • 1968 – Black Ice
  • 1969 – Muir
  • 1970 – Muir
  • 1971 – East Bound
  • 1972 – Skymas
  • 1973 – Skymas
  • 1974 – Tingle Creek
  • 1975 – Our Albert
  • 1976 – High School
  • 1977 – Simaroon
  • 1978 – Shining Flame
  • 1979 – Scottish Maid

See also

References
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