The Red Rum Handicap Chase is a Grade 3
National Hunt
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:
* Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles
* Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Mildmay course at
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England.
It i ...
over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile, 7
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...
s and 176 yards, or ), and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped. It is a
handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in early April.
The event is named in memory of
Red Rum
Red Rum (3 May 1965 – 18 October 1995) was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 and ...
, a three-time winner of the
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
in the 1970s. It was formerly known as the Aintree Chase, and it was retitled the Red Rum Chase in 1997.
The race used to be contested as a limited handicap (a race where a restricted weight range is specified), and it was given Grade 2 status in 1991. It became a standard handicap in 2001, and since then it has been called the Red Rum Handicap Chase. This version was initially classed at Listed level, and it was promoted to Grade 3 status in 2004.
Winners since 1976
* ''Weights given in
stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
s and
pounds.''
See also
*
Horse racing in Great Britain
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total di ...
*
List of British National Hunt races
A list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority, including all races which currently hold Grade 1, 2 or 3 status.
History of the National Hunt Patter ...
References
*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
:
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*
thejockeyclub.co.uk/aintree/– ''2010 John Smith's Grand National Media Guide''.
pedigreequery.com– ''Red Rum Chase – Aintree.''
*
{{Race Meeting, Grand National Meeting, Turf
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Aintree Racecourse
National Hunt chases