The Jewson Novices Chase (1:30pm) is a Grade 2 listed weight-for-age chase run over two and a half miles. The total prize-pool in 2011 was £90,000.
The race is a new event for the 2011 Cheltenham Festival, not to be confused with the old Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase which has been renamed the Centenary Novices' Chase, that has now become Tuesday's seventh race.
This new contest gives the leading novice chasers an additional middle distance opportunity between the Grade 1 Arkle Chase (run over two miles) and the Grade 1 RSA Chase (run over an extended three miles).
Cheltenham’s Director of Racing, Simon Claisse said: “We have always maintained that we would extend the number of races at The Festival if the right contest could be identified which would not diminish the overall quality of the meeting, and would get the support of trainers, owners and breeders.
“A weight for age novices’ chase over two and a half miles has been at the top of the list for some time and we have agreed with the British Horseracing Authority that it will be introduced in 2011.
“An additional race at The Festival is good news for the industry. It gives another winning opportunity for jockeys, trainers, owners and stable staff; it gives our customers at Cheltenham better value and it is bound to produce more betting turnover, which means more Levy."
Bradley Moore, Marketing Services Director of Jewson, the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable timber and building materials, added: "We are delighted to be renewing our association with Cheltenham for a further three years by moving our backing to the Grade 2 Jewson Novices’ Chase at The Festival.
“We are proud that our support of the Novices’ Handicap Chase over the last few years has helped prove the case for this new Grade 2 race for two and a half mile novice chasers."
