The 2025 St James's Place Open Hunters' Chase: Stats and trends

All you need to know about the St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Steeple Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 14.

When and where can I watch it? 4.40pm on Friday March 14, live on Racing TV.

What Grade? Class 2. What course? New Course.

What distance? 3m 2½f (22 fences).

Prize-money? £50,000. Ages: For 5yo+. 

Weights and Allowances: 12st; 7lb allowance for mares.

Sponsor: St. James’s Place Wealth Management.

Perhaps appropriately, 31 of the past 36 winners began their careers in point-to-points or hunter chases. Porlock Boy was an exception in 2021 as he started his career over hurdles in France.

Only five of the past 34 winners were aged older than ten - Cavalero (2000), Earthmover (2004), On The Fringe (2016), Pacha Du Polder (2018) and Hazel Hill (2020). 

Irish-trained runners have won 12 of the past 18 renewals.

A dozen of the past 16 winners had won at least two races under Rules - including Porlock Bay, who had nor won under Rules in Britain but had won five races in France. Premier Magic was an exception in 2023.

Six of the past 14 winners had won, or finished in the first five, the previous year.

The classier individual tends to win, with 15 of the past 19 winners having an official rating of 124 or higher. 

Race history:

The St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (formerly the Foxhunter Chase until 2021) is one of the oldest races at the Festival.

It is now the richest and most prestigious hunter chase of the season, worth £50,000. Christie’s, the international auctioneers and valuation experts, backed the race for 34 years until 2012. The race is now sponsored by St. James’s Place Wealth Management.

Since 1946, nine horses have won the St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase twice, although no horse has won the race three times.

It's the only race at The Festival open to trainers who are not full-time professionals or hold a permit to train their family’s horses.

Richard Barber, brother of Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning owner Paul, has been the leading trainer with four wins – Rushing Wild (1992), Fantus (1995 and 1997) and Earthmover (1998). Paul Nicholls trained Earthmover to his second victory in 2004.

The race is usually one of three races exclusively for amateur riders at The Festival – the others being the National Hunt Chase and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Chase.

Caroline Beasley became the first female rider to win a race at The Festival when successful on Eliogarty in the 1983 St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase. Since then the race has been won seven more times by women.

There was a winner for the north as Fiona Needham’s Sine Nomine (8-1) and John Dawson edged out 11-8 favourite Its On The Line in a thrilling finish.

The market leader’s jockey Derek O’Connor was attempting to enter the record books by winning all three amateur rider events in the same week, but it was Catterick clerk of the course Needham who added herself to the race’s roll of honour for a second time.

Needham rode Last Option to victory in 2002 for her father Robin Tate and Sine Nomine, who cost just £2,400 as a three-year-old, sported the same Tate colours here. Needham was delighted to secure top honours for her father and hailed Dawson's effort in the saddle.

She said: "This is a dream come true and what a ride by John. I told him to try to save a bit for the final hill and boy did she pick up. She's a star.

"I was screaming my head off and making it very embarrassing for myself, but it means so much to me and my father Robin. I thought if she was third she'd have run a very good race, and that was where I thought she was going to finish, but then she picked up. It's a long way from Catterick to Cheltenham but the decision to train and then bring her here has paid off. You don't get highs like this at Catterick!"

Prolific point-to-point winner Premier Magic, trained and ridden by Bradley Gibbs, sprang a 66-1 shock to run out the biggest-priced Festival winner of the week.

Rocky’s Howya had made much of the running and was still upsides jumping the second last as Gibbs made his move. Though looking booked for minor honours, he was hampered by a loose horse and as Premier Magic started to empty, Its On The Line (28-1) stayed on late under Derek O’Connor.

Yet the winner just had enough in reserve to fend off the challenge and win by a length and three-quarters, with Shantou Flyer (50-1) finishing third. For Gibbs, who equipped the gelding with cheekpieces, it was a career-high moment, yet it was also slightly bittersweet.

He said: “The worst part about it is my partner and my son aren’t here today. We couldn’t get a babysitter and my dad’s in hospital having a heart operation today. It’s really special but I just wish they could have been here. It was unbelievable, my fiancee’s father owns him and we came here last year thinking we had a chance."

Billaway produced a devastating late finish to snatch victory in the 2022 St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase.

The 10-year-old, completing a remarkable four-timer for trainer Willie Mullins on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival, got up in the shadow of the post in the hands of his son Patrick to deny Winged Leader.

Billaway made it third time lucky in this race after being second in the last two runnings – but it looked unlikely as Winged Leader led into the straight after overpowering Mighty Stowaway.

Winged Leader jumped the last several lengths clear, but he could not quite last home as Billaway (13-8 favourite) came from the clouds to snatch the spoils by a neck. Mighty Stowaway was 12 lengths away in third place.

Mullins said: “Patrick kidded Billaway around there and the aim has been to win this race with him for three years. He’s come close twice and now he’s done it.

“Patrick never gave up and it’s unfortunate for David Christie (trainer of Winged Love) as it would have been a huge victory for him. As much as I love winning, I’m sorry for David because I know what it’s like losing in the last stride and it’s his Gold Cup as a big pointing man.

“We went for the cheekpieces as he’s idle. I’m delighted for Patrick and John and Michelle Turner (owners), it’s a race we’ve both been desperate to win. Although it might cost John a bit to fill the trophy as it’s the biggest one of them all!”

Porlock Bay just denied hot favbourite Billaway and b a short head in a driving and thrilling finish to the St James's Place Open Hunters' Chase.

Trained by Will Biddick, he would have ridden the horse under usual cirucmstances but amatewur riders were barred from competing at this Cheltenham Festival because of coronavirus restrictions.

Biddick is a former Festival winner and the most prolific winner of point-to-points in the UK and said: "I just can't tell you what's gone through my body in the last five minutes! I was in tears and in bits watching that."

"It's not just me, it's a big team in the yard and we're just grateful to be here today. It's just phenomenal."

It Came To Pass caused a mighty 66-1 upset. It was a family affair, as the winner is trained in County Cork by Eugene O’Sullivan, who sent out Lovely Citizen to take this prized hunter chase in 1991, and was ridden by his daughter, Maxine.

Marcle Ridge made the running and soon had the runners stretched out before he came back to the field and was headed three out.

Shantou Flyer went on under his owner David Maxwell, but it was not long before It Came To Pass came on the scene with a well-timed challenge.

The winning trainer said: "I've been trying to win this race for 29 years - I won it when I was very young and I'm a lot older now. I just hope I don't have to wait another 29 years to win it again.

"I was like a Jack-in-the-Box the whole way, feeling nervous for Maxine and nervous for the horse. I expected a big run from the horse, but I've been disappointed here in the past. No, I didn't back him!"

The prolific Hazel Hill landed 14 of his 15 previous starts before his first Cheltenham assignment and the 7-2 favourite stayed on best under Alex Edwards for trainer Philip Rowley in a popular success.

Positioned in midfield, the 11-year-old creeped closer throughout in a race run at a strong gallop and Edwards timed his mount to lead at the last before running on gamely to land the spoils by four lengths from Shantou Flyer (7-1) in second and Top Wood (33-1) in third.

“It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it’s happened,” said Rowley.

“We always liked the horse and thought he had a massive chance. I noticed here we actually went off favourite; it was a lot of pressure and it gives me a totally different perspective on the race.

“Alex gave him a great ride, very patient and he’s won very easily in the end. I was too busy screaming and jumping up and down!”

Harriet Tucker performed an amazing feat in the saddle as she overcame a dislocated shoulder to guide Pacha Du Polder to a repeat success.

The 11-year-old, trained by Paul Nicholls, jumped into the lead at the final fence, but Tucker - who was having just her second ride under Rules - appeared in some trouble up the run-in and she confirmed on dismounting she had been forced to pop her shoulder back into place at the same time as striving for victory.

Long-time leader Top Wood rallied close home, but Pacha Du Polder would not be denied as he stuck on stoutly to score by a neck.

Barrel Of Laughs and Cousin Pete dead-heated for third place, three and a quarter lengths away.

Tucker said: "My shoulder half-dislocates sometimes when I reach it too high and coming up to the second-last, it half-dislocated and I couldn't push it back in, so I couldn't slap him down the shoulder to get him to go forward.

"I was pushing and praying that no one was going to beat me because I couldn't hit him any more with my right hand, so I just had to keep pushing and screaming at him and he just got there."

2017 – Pacha Du Polder:

Pacha Du Polder was given a bit too much to do by cyclist Victoria Pendleton a year earlier but, with stamina for the trip assured, the ten-year-old was ridden closer to the pace by Bryony Frost in 2017.

In front at the last, the pair toughed it out up the hill to edge out stablemate Wonderful Charm in a thrilling result for trainer Paul Nicholls, who said afterwards:

“It was a huge relief to have a brilliant one-two and it must have given young Bryony (Frost) an amazing buzz to give him a ride like that.

“I kept saying to myself that after his great effort last year he could win this, and Bryony has given the horse a wonderful ride.”

2016 – On The Fringe:

Nina Carberry and Enda Bolger teamed up for the second year running to land the Foxhunter Chase with On The Fringe, who was sent off the well-backed 13-8 favourite.

It looked far from certain that he was going to justify his market position two out, where he was under a drive with around four/five lengths to find on the leader but he made the ground up quickly and jumped to the front over the last before staying on strongly to complete back-to-back successes.

Much of the pre-race hype had centred around Victoria Pendleton and Pacha Du Polder, who stayed on well from off the pace to finish fifth. The delighted winning trainer Enda Bolger said afterwards:

“It’s exciting, and it’s got a bit of everything – we’re not only clapping Nina on the back, but Victoria also. It was a brilliant performance by both women and it gives the [St James’s Place] Foxhunter Chase a great lift.”

2015 – On The Fringe:

The 2015 renewal was turned into a complete procession by On The Fringe, who cantered all over his rivals before he stormed up the Cheltenham hill to post a sensational 17-length success.

Fourth in 2011 and third in 2014, he was a horse with a renewed confidence and his jumping was a joy to behold when on song. Winning rider Nina Carberry said:

“He was properly right today. Last year there was something wrong with him and he finished very tired. I always knew he’d be able to stay and I was disappointed last year, but Enda (Bolger, who trained him) had him spot-on today.

“The start was a bit messy. It’s hard – everyone wants to get a good break.”

This success was the first leg of a brilliant Spring treble as he went on to score readily at Aintree the following month and Punchestown in May. He was head and shoulders the best Hunter Chaser in training at that time.

2014 – Tammys Hill:

Tammys Hill had been re-routed to Cheltenham when the ground began to dry out, having been earmarked originally for the Ulster National at Downpatrick.

He bounced off the ground and had still to be asked for maximum effort approaching the last where he edged to his left. Once James Smyth got into the drive position, however, the nine-year-old responded gamely and surged ahead to win by an emphatic three-and-a-quarter lengths at the line.

“He jumped to the front at the top of the hill and I took a hold of him coming down to the last three – he won the race anyway," Smyth said.

"He got in close but got himself out of trouble and did everything good. He went long when I needed him like a good horse does.

“It couldn’t get much better than this. I am happy enough riding around Cheltenham, never mind winning.”

Tammys Hill had won the Raymond Smith Memorial at Leopardstown the previous month which was traditionally a good guide to this contest, but further success was thin on the ground, with just a short-head handicap hurdle victory to show from four subsequent runs after his big day in the sun at Cheltenham.

2013 – Salsify:

Salsify became the first back-to-back winner of this race since Double Silk in 1994 when running out a 20-length winner in 2013, but that is only half the story.

It turned into such an attritional contest that, remarkably, only four of the 23 runners completed the course and the race looked set to go Oscar Delta's way until he hit the rail and unseated Jane Mangan after the last, leaving Salsify, who was around two lengths down at the time, clear to run out a fortunate winner.

It was the most dramatic of contests and winning jockey Colman Sweeney thought his chance was gone going over the last. He said:

"I wouldn't have got there. He can be very, very keen. I dropped him right out and when I jumped into it he started taking me there. What this fella does is he rallies, and he stays.”