Closing date for Cheltenham Foxhunters

Entries for the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters Chase at Cheltenham close on Tuesday 28th February at 12 noon.

Entries to be confirmed by Saturday 11th March at 12 noon.

Declarations to run must be made by 10am Wednesday 15th March.

For further information please visit the BHA.

THE ST. JAMES’S PLACE FESTIVAL CHALLENGE CUP OPEN HUNTERS’ STEEPLE CHASE (CLASS 2)
Total prize fund £50000
Distributed in accordance with the Stakes and Prize Money Code, £24445 to the winning horse, The second to receive £12220, the third £6110, the fourth £3055, the fifth £1530 and the sixth £765

For five yrs old and upwards, which, are qualified to run in Hunters’ Steeple Chases under the Running Requirements Code and which, since October 1st, 2020, and before February 28th, 2023, have been placed FIRST OR SECOND ON TWO OCCASIONS in a hunters’ steeple chase in Great Britain or Ireland OR have WON TWO OPEN STEEPLE CHASES at Point-to-Point Meetings (i.e. Gentlemens, Ladies or Mixed Open Races) in Great Britain or Ireland OR have WON ONE OPEN STEEPLE CHASE at a Point-to-Point Meeting in Great Britain or Ireland and have been placed FIRST or SECOND in a hunters’ steeple chase

THREE MILES ABOUT TWO AND A HALF FURLONGS (3m 2f 70yds)
Enter by noon, February 28th and pay £60 stake - Confirm by noon, March 11th and pay £190
Declare by 10.00 a.m. March 15th
Weights: 5-y-o............11st 10lb;
6-y-o and up...............12st
Mares allowed............7lb

To be ridden by Amateur Jockeys
The Amateur Riders referred to above shall be Category B’ Amateur Jockeys or ‘Category C’ Qualified Riders

ST. JAMES’S PLACE WEALTH MANAGEMENT has generously sponsored this race.

The Challenge Cup is to be held by the winning owner until February 1st, 2024.
Presentations will be made to the winning owner, trainer, jockey and stable employee responsible for the winning horse, and a £200 award given to the stable employee in charge of the best turned out horse in this race.

All number cloths to be carried in this race have been sponsored and will carry the name/logo of
ST. JAMES’S PLACE.

The sponsorship payment of £500 will be distributed equally amongst all horses starting in this race in accordance with paragraphs 24 to 27 of the Stakes and Prize Money Code.
PLEASE NOTE: Any horse for whom a confirmation of entry has been submitted will not be permitted to declare to run if, at the time fixed for declaration, it has been declared to run in any other race at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, which has yet to take place.
(This will apply whether or not the horse is subsequently declared a non-runner, unless the horse has been eliminated from a race, or declared as a reserve and not been made a non-runner.)

The British Horseracing Authority has modified paragraph 16 of the Running Requirements Code for the purposes of this race to provide that horses will be qualified to run if they are qualified in Ireland and have a Hunters Certificate currently registered by the Stewards of the Irish National Hunt Steeple Chase Committee and which has not been cancelled.

The British Horseracing Authority has modified Rule (I) 10 and the Elimination and Balloting Procedures (contained in the Race Administration Code) of the Rules of Racing to provide that, if it is necessary to do so, elimination of horses from this race will be determined by the BHA Handicapper.

PLEASE NOTE: If more than 24 horses are declared to run in this race and elimination is necessary, priority will be given to horses which have run in Steeple Chases and Hunters’ Steeple Chases under the Rules of Racing. With this in mind, it is strongly recommended that horses qualifying to run in this race through Point-to-Points should also run in a Steeple Chase or Hunters’ Steeple Chase prior to Confirmation (March 11th, 2023) in order to avoid elimination. The BHA Handicapper will, however, reserve the right to guarantee a place in the line-up for a maximum of one ‘wild card’ runner, should he wish to do so. The decision of the BHA Head Handicapper shall be final.

PLEASE NOTE: Any horse for whom a confirmation of entry has been submitted will not be permitted to declare to run if, at the time fixed for declaration, it has been declared to run in any other race at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, which has yet to take place. (This will apply whether subsequently declared a non-runner or not, unless the horse has been eliminated from a race, or declared as a reserve and not been made a non-runner.)

A Confirmation of Entry under will not be accepted for any horse for whom a Medication Declaration Form A is not submitted to the BHA via cheltenham-meds@britishhorseracing.com by 7th March, 2023.