Cheltenham Festival Foxhunter Chase 2006

The highlight of the season for the hunter chase brigade. The major stables are usually represented and are fiercely contested between the Irish and UK based trainers. Usually the contest is won by an experienced horse over the age of 10. This contest is run over, three miles about two and a half furlongs and a premium is put on the jumping and this is why experience nearly always plays a factor. In 2003 a young pretender by the name of Kingscliff took on the establish hunters and came out well on top. Later it became clear that this young horse had potential to take on the grade 1 thoroughbreds.

Cheltenham Festival Odds - Day Four Friday
2.00pm	JCB Triumph Hurdle Betting Odds	Free Bets
2.35pm	Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle Odds	Free Bets
3.15pm	Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Odds	Free Bets
4.00pm	Foxhunter Steeple Chase Odds	Free Bets
4.35pm	Cheltenham Grand Annual Betting Odds	Free Bets
5.10pm	David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle	Free Bets
5.45pm	County Handicap Hurdle Betting Odds	Free Bets

While the Cheltenham Racecourse fences take some jumping it could be fair to say only the very bravest go onto contest the Aintree equivalent a couple of weeks later.

Following the Foxhunter comes the Grand Annual.

Foxhunter Chase 2008 Results

Agus a Vic went off the favourite as they went off at a very strong pace, with Artic Times at the head of matters. Climae control joint him in the straight first time round as they went out into the country with everything still on their hooves. Drombeag moved into third place but there was no change up front with the favourite struggling. Climate Control was looking strong coming down the hill with Amicelli came to take it up into the straight and went clear two out and jumped the last and went away up the hill from Bon Accord with Artic Times in third and Climate Control in fourth. .

Foxhunters Chase Result 2008
1. Amicelli (Mr O Greenall) 33/1
2. Bon Accord (Mr J Tudor) 15/2
3. Artic Times (Mr D Murphy) 40/1
23 ran

Foxhunter Chase 2007 Results

24 went to post for the Foxhunters with last years winner Whyso Mayo sent off favourite but made a mistake at the first and was held out the back giving it time to recover. Drombeag led the field along with Sonevafushi. Patches came down on the first circuit one of the leading fancies. With a circuit to run there was little change up front with Drombeag taking them out into the country for the final time, Whyso Mayo began to make up ground on the outside and came to take it up going down the hill but made mistakes at the last couple of fences and this left Drombeag to take it up coming up the hill and win by a half a length from the favourite with Ned Kelly in third.

1. Drombeag (Mr JT McNamara) 20-1
2. Whyso Mayo (Mr D Murphy) 2-1f
3. Ned Kelly (Mr KE Power) 20-1
24 ran. Dist: ½, 15

Foxhunter Chase 2006 Results

The joy of the National Hunt festival is that it offers everyone from the National Hunt arena an opportunity to have their day and the Foxhunters is a very competitive and special race on the final day card. The Irish had all first five home and the winner Whyso Mayo was kept wide to get a good sight of his fences he travelled strongly into the lead running downhill to the third-last he flew the last and was always holding First Down Jets and Joe Blake.

1. Whyso Mayo (Mr D Murphy) 20-1
2. First Down Jets (Mr C J Sweeney) 66-1
3. Joe Blake (Mr M J O'Hare) 14-1
23 ran. Dist: 1, 1

Foxhunter Chase 2005 Results

Who says a blind horse can not win a race at Cheltenham! Well Sleeping Night is blind in one eye but he was a class above his rivals in every other aspect and got home to land this great race.

1st Sleeping Night (Mr CJ Sweeney) 7-2f
2nd Foly Pleasant (Mr R Burton) 20-1
3rd Placid Man (Ms A Embiricos) 14-1

Foxhunter Chase 2004 Results

Only a handful of promising new names in this line-up, with last year's second, fourth, fifth and sixth back to try again. Experience triumphed over youth as Earthmover, who won this six years ago and would probably have been second last year but for a bad mistake, showed he retains plenty of ability at the age of 13. He is still not a perfect jumper but after leading before 4 out he showed great resolution to fight off the runner-up over the last two fences. He is an admirable hunter and shows absolutely no sign of entering his dotage just.

Irish raider Never Compromise lived up to his reputation as a fine hunter in the making, handling these stiff fences well and coming clear with the winner, just unable to reel him in over the last two fences.