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Royal & SunAlliance Chase
Race Conditions
The Royal & Sun Alliance Chase (2:35pm) is a Class A Grade 1 chase run over three miles and about half a furlong. It is open to novices aged five years old and upwards. The total prize fund is £170,000.
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Recent Winners
Until recently, shocks were often a feature of this event. Cheltenham is always a tough place for novice chasers, and the quicker pace of Festival races and the stamina sapping trip have all probably contributed to this statistic.
They may also be the reasons why only Looks Like Trouble and Denman have gone on in recent years to win the Gold Cup. Indeed, some trainers prefer to avoid the race altogether and target their best staying novices at other festivals later in the year.
However, the last 2 winners were both favourites.
| Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Albertas Run | 7 | Jonjo O´Neill | 4/1F |
| 2007 | Denman | 7 | P F Nicholls | 6/5F |
| 2006 | Star De Mohaison | 5 | P Nicholls | 14/1 |
| 2005 | Trabolgan | 7 | N Henderson | 5/1 |
| 2004 | Rule Supreme | 8 | W Mullins | 25/1 |
| 2003 | One Knight | 7 | P Hobbs | 15/2 |
| 2002 | Hussard Collonges | 7 | P Beaumont | 33/1 |
| 2000 | Lord Noelie | 7 | Miss H Knight | 9/2 |
| 1999 | Looks Like Trouble | 7 | N Chance | 16/1 |
| 1998 | Florida Pearl | 6 | W Mullins | 11/8F |
| 1997 | Hanakham | 8 | R Hodges | 13/2 |
| 1996 | Nahthen Lad | 7 | J Pitman | 7/1 |
| 1995 | Brief Gale | 8 | J Gifford | 13/2 |
| 1994 | Monsieur Le Cure | 8 | J Edwards | 15/2 |
Key Trends
31 of the last 34 winners finished 1st or 2nd last time out.
12 of the last 14 winners were aged 7 or 8.
Just two 6 year olds have won since 1978.
Watch the 2008 Royal and SunAlliance Chase:
2007 Review
One of the bankers of the meeting put up one of the performances of the meeting as DENMAN routed a top class field of staying novice chasers to win the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase in scintillating fashion.
There were very few scares for his legion of supporters as the winner was up with the leaders from the off and jumped well throughout. He is a relentless galloper and his only blemish was to run wide on the bend after the enclosure, forfeiting his lead to Aces Four in the process. However, that rival made a hash of the third last and from then on it was one way traffic as Denman simply ran his rivals ragged. He even seemed to idle on the run in, otherwise the victory margin would have been greater.
He is a great prospect for next season and a clash with My Way De Solzen, Exotic Dancer and, of course, Kauto Star already has national hunt fans wishing away the days until next year’s Festival.
Snowy Morning was the one to emerge from the pack to chase the winner home. He was being pushed along vigorously at the top of the hill and just didn’t have the pace to go with the leaders when it really mattered. However, he wasn’t helped by losing his place when he was hampered by the fall of Cailin Alainn. He would surely have finished closer to the winner had he been able to be ridden nearer to the pace. He is improving fast and is still lightly raced.
According To John ran a cracker in third, bouncing back to form on decent ground that clearly suits him. This was more like the horse who won his first six starts under rules. He was up with the pace for much of the race, as was the fourth Aces Four who was one of the few horses to mix it with the winner at the head of the field for any length of time.
As already mentioned, Aces Four made a terrible mistake three out, losing any chance he had in the process. It appeared that the mistake was a sign of tiredness and of him cracking under the immense pressure Denman was putting on his rivals. However, after also blundering at the second last, he stayed on remarkably well and was unlucky to lose third on the line. Aside from the winner, his was probably the most noteworthy performance of the race.
Gazza’s Girl (who’d prefer softer ground) and Ungaro (who travelled well for a long way but could never get to the leaders), both ran respectably, without ever threatening the winner. However, Dom D’Orgeval and Royal Rosa were both disappointing – both seem very one paced and probably need a thorough test of stamina to be at their best.
2006 Review
STAR DE MOHAISON’S victory in the Sun Alliance Chase meant that owner Sir Robert Ogden landed the second leg of a rare novice chase double after Voy Por Ustedes won the Irish Independent Arkle Chase 24 hours earlier.
What was so impressive about this performance was the five year old’s spectacular jumping, which meant that, unlike many of his rivals, he was able to stay on the bridle, travelling well within himself, for much of the three mile plus trip. Given his tender years, the winner can only improve again next season, and he seemed to relish the step up in trip and better ground here, all of which bodes well for a crack at next year’s Gold Cup. He was given a quote of 20-1 for that race immediately after his success here.
They were well strung out behind the winner with Idle Talk (second), Darkness (third) and Lord Killeshanra (fourth) all looking one paced and in need of an even stiffer test of stamina. The runner up looks a future National horse in the making, whereas Darkness spoilt his chance with some sloppy jumping – he did well to finish as close to the leaders as he did.
Perhaps not surprisingly, there were a number of casualties in the race including the well fancied Our Ben who got no further than the third. Three horses also fell two out. The Listener was outpaced and not making any impression on the leaders when coming to grief. However, Bold Bishop and, in particular, Back In Front were much more unlucky and could well have been involved in the finish.
Back In Front was joint favourite for last year's Champion Hurdle so he clearly had the requisite ability to run a big race if his stamina held out. He was upsides the winner three out, looking a real threat, but was being ridden and the best part of two lengths down, when he sprawled badly on landing and lost his rider at the next. Compensation surely awaits, albeit possibly over a shorter trip.
AP McCoy was unseated from Bold Bishop when his mount swerved to try to avoid the melee at the same fence. He was staying on well at the time and would probably have been placed. The horse seems to run well at Cheltenham.
Of the rest, Bewleys Berry ran better than his finishing position suggests, whilst Commercial Flyer was a huge disappointment and another horse from the Martin Pipe stable to run poorly. This quickly became a Festival to forget for the champion trainer.