The Cathcart Challenge Cup was a Grade 2
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: ...
chase in Great Britain which was open to horses aged five years or older. It was run on the New Course at
Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs (4,225 metres), and during its running there were seventeen fences to be jumped. The race was for first and second-season chasers, and it was scheduled to take place each year during the
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Ra ...
in March.
The event was established in 1938, and it was named in honour of
Frederick Cathcart, the
clerk of the course and chairman at Cheltenham from 1908 to 1934. During its history the race had various formats, including a brief period as a
hunter chase in the late 1970s.
The Cathcart Challenge Cup was last run in 2004, and it was replaced the following year by what is now known as the
Ryanair Chase
The Ryanair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs ...
. Unlike the last version of the "Cathcart", the latter race is open to horses beyond their second year of chasing.
Records
Most successful horse since 1946 (2 wins):
* Quita Que – ''1958, 1961''
* Half Free – ''1986, 1987''
* Stormyfairweather – ''1999, 2000''
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Leading jockey since 1946 (4 wins):
* Bryan Marshall – ''Leap Man (1946), Jack Tatters (1948), Semeur (1951), Coolrock (1952)''
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Leading
trainer since 1946 (7 wins):
*
Fred Winter
Frederick Thomas Winter, (20 September 1926 – 5 April 2004) was a British National Hunt racing racehorse jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Jockey four times and British jump racing Champion Trainer eight times. He is th ...
– ''Soloning (1972), Soothsayer (1974), Roller Coaster (1979), Dramatist (1982), Observe (1983), Half Free (1986, 1987)''
Winners 1946–2004
* ''Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".''
The 1947 edition was abandoned because of
snow and frost.
It was cancelled in 1949 due to frost, and in 1955 due to snow.
The race was abandoned in 1975 due to waterlogging, and in 1978 because of snow.
The 2001 running was cancelled because of a
foot-and-mouth
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or hoof-and-mouth disease (HMD) is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever lasting two to six days, follow ...
crisis.
See also
*
Horseracing in Great Britain
*
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:
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** , , , , ,
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racenewsonline.co.uk– ''Racenews Archive (8 March 2004).''
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{{Cheltenham Festival
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Cheltenham Racecourse
National Hunt chases
Recurring sporting events established in 1938
Discontinued horse races