John Hales remembered with Sandown award

John Hales will be posthumously awarded the Sandown Park Special Award for 2025 this Saturday at the bet365 Jump Finale.

The popular racehorse owner sadly passed away in January this year at the age of 85. While John owned 10 winners at the Cheltenham Festival as well as the 2012 hero Neptune Collonges, his horses were also very much at home when competing at Sandown Park.

His first great horse, One Man, won the first of his two King George VI Chases at the Esher venue in January 1996 following the contest’s abandonment at Kempton Park the previous month. John’s familiar yellow silks were also twice carried to Sandown Park glory by Politologue in the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase (2017, 2020).

Further Grade One success at Sandown Park for John also came in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase courtesy of Al Ferof (2011) and L’Eau Du Sud (2024) as well in the Tolworth Hurdle with Noland (2006).

In celebration of John’s tremendous contribution to Jump racing, five of his horses will be parading on bet365 Jump Finale - Neptune Collonges, Kalif Du Berlais, Politologue, Protektorat, L’Eau Du Sud and Caldwell Potter.

Lisa Hales, John’s daughter who was a part-owner of many of her father’s great horses, commented: “Dad loved Jump racing and he loved Sandown Park, so it is very touching that he will be remembered with the Sandown Park Special Award on bet365 Jump Finale this year.

“From the days of the great One Man right up to L’Eau Du Sud’s success in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at the end of last year, there were many great occasions for us at Sandown Park over years and it is a huge for the Hales family that dad is honoured in this way.”