Cheltenham Festival: National Hunt Chase named in honour of HRH Princess Royal

Cheltenham Racecourse has announced that the has been permanently named in honour of HRH The Princess Royal.

The oldest contest staged at the will now be known as The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase. In 2025 it will take place on day one of The Festival - Champion Day - on Tuesday March 11th.

The daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal is an accomplished horsewoman who won individual Gold at the 1971 European Eventing Championships staged at Burghley. She was also part of the British Eventing team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and in the 1980s rode as an amateur jockey, successfully partnering winners both on the Flat and over jumps. Since 1985, The Princess Royal has been President of the Riding For The Disabled Association.

The Princess Royal is a frequent visitor to Cheltenham Racecourse. On the first day of The November Meeting at Cheltenham in 2015, The Princess Royal opened The Princess Royal Stand, which was constructed as part of the racecourse’s £45 million redevelopment. The Princess Royal’s daughter, Zara Tindall, has been a member of the Racecourse Committee at Cheltenham since 2019.

The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase is the second race at The Festival to be named in honour of a member of The Royal Family. The two-mile Champion Chase was renamed the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1980 – the year of the 80th birthday of The Queen Mother.

Guy Lavender, CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: "It is a tremendous privilege for us to announce today that the National Hunt Chase will now honour HRH The Princess Royal in its title.

“As an outstanding all-round equestrian, it is appropriate that The Princess Royal will be associated with such a historic contest - one which goes right back to the establishment of organised Jump racing.

“All of us at Cheltenham Racecourse look forward to the 2025 running of The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase.”