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William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase
Race Conditions
The William Hill Trophy (2:40pm) is the first big handicap of the meeting and is, therefore, a very popular betting heat. It is a Class A Grade 3 chase run over three miles and about half a furlong. It is open to horses aged five years old and upwards. The total prize fund is £80,000.
Recent Winners
As with all the handicaps run at the Festival, the race often features a large field and is fiercely competitive. Antonin, in 1994, was the last favourite to justify his position at the head of the market, and it is crucial to find an improving well handicapped sort.
Stamina is often also a key characteristic to look for in potential winners as another fast gallop ensures that that runners need to get every inch of the three mile trip. Not surprisingly, therefore, the race has become a steeping stone to the Grand National, although only Rough Quest has done the double in recent years.
| Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Chief Dan George | 10 | J Moffatt | 33/1 |
| 2009 | Wichita Lineman | 8 | Jonjo O'Neill | 5/1F |
| 2008 | An Accordion | 7 | D Pipe | 7/1 |
| 2007 | Joes Edge | 10 | F Murphy | 50/1 |
| 2006 | Dun Doire | 7 | A Martin | 7/1 |
| 2005 | Kelami | 7 | F Doumen | 8/1 |
| 2004 | Fork Lightening | 8 | A King | 7/1 |
| 2003 | Youlneverwalkalone | 9 | C Roche | 7/1 |
| 2002 | Frenchman’s Creek | 8 | H Morrison | 8/1 |
| 2000 | Marlborough | 8 | N Henderson | 11/2 |
| 1999 | Betty’s Boy | 10 | K Bailey | 25/1 |
| 1998 | Unguided Missile | 10 | G Richards | 10/1 |
| 1997 | Flyer’s Nap | 11 | R Alner | 20/1 |
| 1996 | Maamur | 8 | T Forster | 13/2 |
| 1995 | Rough Quest | 9 | T Casey | 16/1 |
| 1994 | Antonin | 6 | Mrs S Bramall | 4/1F |
Key Trends (including 2010 Festival)
Only two winning favourites have won since 1977.
The last 11 winners carried less than 11 stone.
No winner rated 150+ for 28 years.
No horse aged 11+ has been placed since 1997 - from 34 runners.
6 of the last 8 winners won on their previous outing (in fact in 2010 the 1-2-3 all won last time out, from only 5 of the 24 runners who had - including the 33/1 winner).
2010 William Hill Chase Review
Another good result for the bookmakers as 33/1 outsider CHIEF DAN GEORGE held on to deny the well-supported 9/2 favourite The Package in a thrilling photo finish.
Jimmy Moffatt's 10-year-old was always in the front rank while The Package was held up last as stablemate and former Grand National winner Comply Or Die took them along. He faded under a big weight as the race began to unfold, with Ogee and Bensalem travelling ominously well behind the eventual winner.
Bensalem must have been trading short in-running approaching the second last but he fell at that fence allowing Ogee and Chief Dan George to battle on towards the last. The Package came inching closer under a strong drive from Timmy Murphy and after overtaking Ogee he closed on Chief Dan George with every stride but the post came just in time.
Offshore Account would have been a closer fourth but for a late blunder while The Tother One stayed on for fifth in first-time blinkers under Ruby Walsh.
2009 William Hill Chase Review
A race that will live long in the memory thanks to a sensational riding performance from Tony McCoy on board the previous Festival winner, WICHITA LINEMAN. Running in snatches, and jumping poorly, throughout, JP McManus’ gelding looked anything but the likely winner three out. However, McCoy refused to give in and the winner stormed up the run in to deny the gallant Maljimar in the shadow of the winning post.
Wichita Lineman became only the second novice to win this fiercely competitive handicap and on this evidence his future surely lies over extreme distances.
Maljimar did everything right, travelling well throughout and looking the likely winner running down the hill for the final time. By the time he turned into the straight, it appeared that the final fence was his only danger, but having been four or five lengths up on the run in he appeared to idle in front and was caught close home. He is ultra consistent and deserves to win another big race.
The fact the Nenuphar Collonges finished third suggests that this turned into something of a stamina test – a fact that was emphasised by how well strung out the field was when the winner crossed the line. Nenuphar Collonges was also closing fast at the finish and could be a threat in this race again next year.
Dear Villez put up a solid performance to finish fourth under a big weight. He was well in contention until losing ground with a poor jump two out.
The Sawyer, in fifth, usually runs well here and he deserves plenty of credit for sticking to his task after being headed after the second last.
Ollie Magern (eighth) also ran creditably as he isn’t getting any younger and has had plenty of tough battles in his time.
Of the rest, Millennium Royal, (seventeenth), probably needs softer ground, whilst Patsy Hall might have had a say in the finish had he not come to grief at the penultimate flight.
Tony McCoy celebrates aboard 2009 William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase winner Wichita Lineman.
2008 William Hill Chase Review
A smaller field than usual for this ultra competitive handicap and one packed full of experienced, top class chasers.
One of those, Ollie Magern, set a fierce early gallop which meant that the field was well strung out by the death and there was an even greater emphasis on stamina than usual.
The effort of eventual winner, AN ACCORDION, was even more impressive, therefore, given that he had been lying just off the pace throughout.
He battled on gamely up the straight after looking likely to be swamped by a series of rivals after jumping the second last and it may be that he idles in front. Clearly he has benefited from the fitting of blinkers, which not only helped him to win here but also at Doncaster in the Skybet Chase on his previous start. The Grand National would seem like an ideal long term target.
New Alco had been freshened up for this race and the break seemed to do the trick as he ran right up to his best after some disappointing early season efforts. He always seems to perform well here and deserves a big prize.
L’Ami (fourth in the 2006 Gold Cup) had slipped to an attractive handicap mark and almost made it pay. However, having been scrubbed along by Tony McCoy from some way out, he was never quite able to reach the leaders and faded in the shadow of the post to just lose out on second place.
Patsy Hall and Abragante had appeared to be the two travelling best of all turning for home. However, neither found much when push came to shove and whilst the former possibly didn’t stay in the rain softened ground (a mistake at the last certainly didn’t aid his cause), the latter seems to be a bit of a thinker and possibly saves plenty for himself.
There was a yawning gap back to the rest, although Ollie Magern ran with credit for a long way under his big weight.
2007 William Hill Chase Review
Ferdy Murphy’s remarkable run with staying chasers at recent Festivals continued in thrilling fashion in the William Hill Trophy as formerly top class novice, JOES EDGE, returned to form with a bang in a dramatic finale to this valuable handicap.
The first three home were separated by less than a neck, with the winner coming from well off the pace to get his head in front on the line. Both the runner up and the third, Juveingeur and Distant Thunder, had looked the likely winner at different times on the run in, but neither could quite resist the powerful late surge of the winner.
Joe Edge’s return to form could probably best be explained by the drying ground, as decent underfoot conditions have always suited this horse and whilst he has been in the doldrums somewhat since his victory in the 2005 Scottish National, a lot of his runs since then have been on unfavourable going. He is also very much a spring horse
Juveingeur is becoming something of a Cheltenham specialist in general and Festival specialist in particular. He won the Kim Muir in 2005 and was second in this race in 2006. Given that the margin of defeat was so small, his mistake at the last probably cost him dear. He is ultra consistent in these big races, but that may be his downfall as the handicapper is unlikely to relent.
Distant Thunder looked to have stolen the race when kicking clear of the field after being left in front two out by the departure of Heltornic. However, he just couldn’t quite sustain his effort up the punishing Cheltenham hill, although he finished well clear of the fourth. The move to Noel Chance has clearly reinvigorated the horse and compensation surely awaits.
Heltornic was the unlucky horse of the race as she was still travelling well when making a terrible hash of the notorious second last. She has been in such good form recently that it would be hard to say with any confidence that she wouldn’t have been able to hang on to her lead.
New Alco was a much more fancied stablemate of the winner, but could never get in a blow on ground that was probably quicker than he likes.
Very sadly, another of the fancied runners, Little Brick fractured a shoulder when making a bad mistake at the final ditch. He was still very much in contention at the time.
2006 William Hill Chase Review
A typical renewal of this competitive handicap, with a fierce end to end gallop and a well strung out field by the end of the stamina sapping trip.
DUN DOIRE has had another incredible season by any standards, having gone up 50lbs since his first win of the year, and this was an amazing performance. His cause looked hopeless as the field turned to race downhill for the final time. He was over 20 lengths off the pace, with only a couple of horses behind him, and it appeared that his trainer’s concerns over the quickness of the ground were going to be realised.
However, he virtually sprouted wings after the home turn, and having passed thirteen rivals in the process, he flew up the hill to win going away.
The jockeys aboard Juveigneur (second) and Irish Hussar (third) must have thought they had the race between them after the last and they were surely horrified when the winner, with Ruby Walsh on board, left them for dead on the agonising run to the line. Both ran well, however, and Juveigneur, being lightly raced, could still be improving.
Given the fierce gallop throughout the contest, it probably did DUN DORIE no harm to come from off pace, but very few other horses managed to make up ground from the back to get into a challenging position. Those out with the washing from an early stage included the well supported Moulin Riche (who was let down by his jumping) and Korelo (from the out of form Pipe yard). Both were pulled up.
Novices Model Son (fourth), Bob The Builder (fifth) and Alderburn (seventh) all ran well, although they were all also let down by their jumping to some degree or another. Model Son also looked as though he would be better suited by further.
Veterans Desailly and Seebald both plugged on gamely, and whilst neither ever really threatened to land a blow, they both suggested that they may still have a race or two in them.