The Magners Plate Handicap Chase is a Premier Handicap
National Hunt steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:
* Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles
* Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs (2 miles 4 furlongs and 127 yards, or 4,139 metres), and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. It is a
handicap race, and is scheduled to take place each year during the
Cheltenham Festival in March.
History
The race was established in memory of the
2nd Baron Mildmay of Flete (1909–1950), an amateur National Hunt jockey who rode three winners at the Cheltenham Festival. The inaugural race took place in April 1951, because the planned running, in March, had to be abandoned, due to a waterlogged course. It was originally titled the Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase.
The
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
sponsored the race from 2006 to 2008, and during this period it was titled the Racing Post Plate. The 2009 running was named the Freddie Williams Festival Plate, in tribute to
Freddie Williams (1942–2008), a popular Scottish
bookmaker who owned a pitch at Cheltenham. The construction company Byrne Group supported the event from 2010 to 2014 and from 2015 to 2020 it was sponsored by Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable. The bookmaking firm Paddy Power sponsored in 2021. The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. took over the sponsorship from 2022 and the 2023 race was sponsored by
Magners. The race held Grade 3 status until 2022 and was reclassified as a Premier Handicap from the 2023 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the
British Horseracing Authority.
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
* The Tsarevich – ''1985, 1986''
* Elfast – ''1992, 1994''
Leading jockey (3 wins):
*
Fred Winter – ''Slender (1951, dead-heat), Sy Oui (1953), Caesar's Helm (1958)''
Leading
trainer (4 wins):
* Bobby Renton – ''Tudor Line (1954), Caesar's Helm (1958), Siracusa (1959), Merry Court (1968)''
*
Nicky Henderson – ''The Tsarevich (1985, 1986), Liberthine (2005), Non So (2006)''
*
Martin Pipe – ''Terao (1997), Majadou (1999), Dark Stranger (2000), Blowing Wind (2002)''
Winners
* ''Weights given in
stones and
pound
Pound or Pounds may refer to:
Units
* Pound (currency), a unit of currency
* Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom
* Pound (mass), a unit of mass
* Pound (force), a unit of force
* Rail pound, in rail profile
Symbols
* Po ...
s.''
See also
*
Horse racing in Great Britain
*
List of British National Hunt races
References
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*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
:
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** , , ,
pedigreequery.com– ''Freddie Williams Festival Plate – Cheltenham.''
– ''Racenews Archive (21 February 2008).''
*
{{Cheltenham Festival
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Cheltenham Racecourse
National Hunt chases
Recurring sporting events established in 1951
1951 establishments in England