Becher Chase

The Becher Chase is a Grade Three National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged six years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 2 furlongs (3 miles 1 furlong and 188 yards, or 5,201 metres), and during its running there are twenty-one fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in November or December.

Becher Handicap Chase
Grade 3 race
LocationAintree Racecourse
Merseyside, England
Race typeSteeplechase
SponsorWilliam Hill
WebsiteAintree Becher Chase
Race information
Distance3 miles 1 furlong 188 yards (5,201 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationSix-years-old and up
WeightHandicap
Purse£120,000 (2020)
1st: £67,356
Becher Handicap Chase
2020
Vieux Lion Rouge Kimberlite Candy Le Breuil

It is run over the same fences as Aintree's most famous race, the Grand National, and it serves as an early-season trial for that event. Two winners have gone on to win the Grand National; Amberleigh House and Silver Birch. Earth Summit won the race in 1998 following his Grand National win the previous April.

One of the obstacles jumped is Becher's Brook, which is named in memory of Martin Becher (1799–1864). The Becher Chase was established in 1992, when a new race meeting was introduced at Aintree. For the twenty years prior to this, the Grand National meeting had been the venue's only horse racing fixture of the year. The Becher Chase was upgraded to Grade Three by the British Horseracing Board from its 2014 running.[1]

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

  • Into The Red – 1994, 1996
  • Hello Bud - 2010, 2012
  • Walk In The Mill - 2018, 2019
  • Vieux Lion Rouge - 2016, 2020

Most successful jockey (2 wins):

  • Chris Maude - Indian Tonic (1993), Young Hustler (1995)
  • Tony Dobbin - Into The Red (1996), Feels Like Gold (1999)
  • Sam Twiston-Davies - Hello Bud (2010, 2012)
  • James Best - Walk In The Mill (2018, 2019)

Most successful trainer (6 wins):

  • Nigel Twiston-Davies - Indian Tonic (1993), Young Hustler (1995), Earth Summit (1998), Hello Bud (2010, 2012), Blaklion (2017)

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Weight
 Jockey
 Trainer
1992 Kildimo 12 10-03 Lorcan Wyer Sue Smith
1993 Indian Tonic 7 10-06 Chris Maude Nigel Twiston-Davies
1994 Into the Red 10 10-04 Richard Guest John White
1995 Young Hustler 8 12-00 Chris Maude Nigel Twiston-Davies
1996 Into the Red 12 10-00 Tony Dobbin Mary Reveley
1997 Samlee 8 10-00 Rodney Farrant Philip Hobbs
1998 Earth Summit 10 12-00 Tom Jenks Nigel Twiston-Davies
1999 Feels Like Gold 11 10-00 Tony Dobbin Nicky Richards
2000 Young Kenny 9 12-00 Russ Garritty Peter Beaumont
2001 Amberleigh House 9 10-09 Warren Marston Ginger McCain
2002 Ardent Scout 10 09-11 Dominic Elsworth Sue Smith
2003 Clan Royal 8 10–12 Liam Cooper Jonjo O'Neill
2004 Silver Birch 7 10-01 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2005 Garvivonnian 10 10-04 Garrett Cotter Ned Mitchell
2006 Eurotrek 10 11-07 Liam Heard Paul Nicholls
2007 Mr Pointment 8 11-05 Sam Thomas Paul Nicholls
2008 Black Apalachi 9 10-05 Denis O'Regan Dessie Hughes
2009 Vic Venturi 9 11–12 Paddy Flood Dessie Hughes
2010 Hello Bud 12 10-05 Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies
2011 West End Rocker 9 10–10 Wayne Hutchinson Alan King
2012 Hello Bud 14 10-00 Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies
2013 Chance du Roy 9 10-06 Tom O'Brien Philip Hobbs
2014 Oscar Time 13 10–12 Sam Waley-Cohen[lower-alpha 1] Robert Waley-Cohen
2015 Highland Lodge 9 10-00 Henry Brooke James Moffatt
2016 Vieux Lion Rouge 7 10-09 Tom Scudamore David Pipe
2017 Blaklion 8 11-06 Gavin Sheehan Nigel Twiston-Davies
2018 Walk In The Mill 8 10-03 James Best Robert Walford
2019 Walk In The Mill 9 10-08 James Best Robert Walford
2020 Vieux Lion Rouge 11 10-07 Conor O'Farrell David Pipe
  1. amateur rider

See also

References
  1. "British Horseracing Authority Announces Upgrades to Jump Pattern Races for 2013/14". Archived from the original on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  • Race Recordings
  • Official Site of the Becher Chase
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