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Six appeal as Peterborough Chase marks 50 years

Liam

Six appeal as Peterborough Chase marks 50 years

The last two winners of the Fitzdares Peterborough Chase take each other on this weekend as Huntingdon Racecourse marks 50 years of its showpiece race.

Charbel, the victor 12 months ago for trainer Kim Bailey, heads a field of six horses who will contest Sunday's Grade 2 contest at the Cambridgeshire track, along with Top Notch who took the honours in 2017.

The £65,000 two-and-a-half mile race is set to be a competitive affair with the mare La Bague Au Roi, trained by Warren Greatrex and ridden by the champion jump jockey Richard Johnson, set to be favourite. The horse already has Huntingdon victories to her name in a National Hunt Flat race and over hurdles.

Trainer Venetia Williams will saddle Aso, a narrow runner-up in the Ryanair Chase at this year's Cheltenham Festival. Completing the half dozen are Born Survivor from the Midlands stables of Dan Skelton and Kauto Riko who makes his seasonal debut.

Liam Johnson, General Manager, Huntingdon Racecourse, said:

"We are set for a vintage running of the Fitzdares Peterborough Chase. Sunday is going to be a very special occasion for us as we mark 50 years of the race most famously associated with Huntingdon Racecourse.

"Some of the most well-known racehorses of the last 50 years have contested the race, including the legendary Desert Orchid, Edredon Bleu, Best Mate, Wayward Lad and One Man.

"We are also delighted to welcome a new sponsor - luxury bookmaker Fitzdares - in 2019 for our most showpiece race of the year."

If the winner of this year's race goes on to victory in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, a £500,000 bonus courtesy of new sponsor Fitzdares will be triggered. That feat has been achieved once before - by Best Mate in the 2002/3 jumps season.

Racing begins at 12.30pm on Sunday. The Fitzdares Peterborough Chase is at 2pm. Gates open at 10.30am.

A special Family Festive Package is available for purchase. For £19, there are two adult tickets - with up to four children admitted free of charge - two sweet bag vouchers and a racecard voucher. Regular advance admission for adults is £19. Tickets can be bought at https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/huntingdon or on 0844 579 3007.

On all racing days, accompanied children aged 17 years and under are admitted free of charge. Young adults, aged 18 to 24 years, can get half-price admission by registering at RacePass18to24.co.uk to receive a free RacePass membership card. Senior citizens receive £5 discounted admission on the day.

The famous Peterborough Chase

This month witnesses the 50th anniversary of the most famous steeplechase run at Huntingdon Racecourse.

The inaugural Peterborough Handicap Chase took place in December 1969 and, since then, some of the most famous names in jump racing have been victors.

Edredon Bleu was the most successful horse - with four triumphs in total. The leading trainer in the two-and-a-half mile contest remains Henrietta Knight, who saddled the winner eight times. Former jockeys Richard Dunwoody and Jim Culloty enjoyed four victories apiece.

The race meeting was a new one after Huntingdon's fixtures had been increased from six to nine for the 1969/70 season. The contest remained a three-mile handicap chase until 1977, after which it became a conditions chase over two-and-a-half miles. The race became known as the Peterborough Chase in 1979.

From 1969 until 1997 the race was run on a Tuesday. From 1998 to 2007 that became a Saturday. A move to Thursday was made in 2008, and its current position in the week on Sunday happened on 2014.

The Grade 2 chase remains one of the most sought-after prizes in jump racing and is always a showpiece occasion in the jumps calendar at Huntingdon.

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