Amateur chief unhappy with National Hunt Chase alteration

Amateur Jockeys Association chief executive Sarah Oliver said the decision to allow professionals to ride in the National Hunt Chase is “bitterly disappointing”.

One of three races at the Cheltenham Festival which had been restricted to amateurs, along with the Fulke Walwyn and Kim Muir Challenge Cup and the St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase, the National Hunt Chase will now be run as a novice handicap chase for horses rated 0-145.

The three-mile-six-furlong contest has held Grade Two status in recent years and already underwent a significant change in 2020, when the distance was cut from four miles after only four of the 18 runners had finished the previous year.

Oliver expressed her dismay at not only the removal of amateur status, but also a lack of direct consultation with Cheltenham’s owner the Jockey Club ahead of the alteration.

“Obviously the change of race conditions announced today of the National Hunt Chase is bitterly disappointing for amateur jockeys, particularly as we only learned of this change earlier this morning without a chance to defend its retention,” said Oliver in a statement.

“It feels especially harsh to see our racing heritage suffer such change and, with the rich variety of backgrounds of our amateur jockeys, for them to be deprived of participating in this historic race.

“We have some top-class amateur jump jockeys in this country and it is vital that their talents are given the opportunity to be showcased in such races, especially with the amateur route chosen by most professional National Hunt jockeys to gain invaluable experience before turning pro.

“In view of this race now being omitted from our amateur calendar, (Cheltenham clerk of the course) Jon Pullin has agreed that a compensatory additional race can be added to the programme within the season and we look forward to discussing this in the near future.”

Since 2015, the race has been dominated by leading Irish-based amateurs Patrick Mullins, Jamie Codd and Derek O’Connor, with the first-named pair each winning three times and O’Connor scoring twice.

Codd told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s hugely disappointing from an amateur’s perspective.

“I suppose with the new conditions with it changing to a handicap, they could still have left it an amateur race.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win it three times and when it was raised to a Grade Two, it is the highlight of an amateur’s week, winning the National Hunt Chase because of its status, but even dropping back to a handicap, I can’t understand taking it off the amateurs.

“We need amateurs in this sport, we need new people coming in with the dream of riding a Cheltenham winner and there is still the Kim Muir and the Hunter Chase, but there has to be something to encourage the young people.

“Taking away races like this, it won’t happen overnight, but you’ll see a serious lack of people wanting to become amateurs at working yards.”

Following the last review of the race in 2019, amateurs were only eligible to ride if they had taken part in at least 20 races and won five times over fences, a condition some trainers were reported to have found difficult to fulfil and meant they had not run their horse in the race.

Seven horses went to post for the race this year, with 10 lining up in 2023, and a Jockey Club spokesperson pointed to field sizes as a factor in the decision as well as wider changes to the Festival programme, which has seen the Turners Novices’ Chase change to a Grade Two limited handicap from Grade One status.

The spokesperson continued: “The race will now be run as a class two novice handicap chase in the hope it will increase the field size. Following the rider experience restrictions that were introduced in 2019, the data shows that there is a limited pool of amateur jockeys available to ride in the race, so this looks the right opportunity to open it up to professionals as well.

“Amateur jockeys are a key part of the Festival and we are keen to ensure they continue to have opportunities to ride over the four days. Both the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase and St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase will continue to be restricted to amateurs only.”