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Desert Orchid Handicap Chase

Steeplechase horse race in Britain

Desert Orchid Chase
2025
Thistle Ask Saint Segal Boothill
Previous years
2024
Soul Icon Edwardstone Martator
2023
Editeur Du Gite Nube Negra Elixir De Nutz
2022
Editeur Du Gite Nube Negra Dolos
2021
Shishkin Greaneteen Sky Pirate
2020-2011
2020
Nube Negra Altior Duc Des Genievres
2019
Bun Doran Duc Des Genievres Sceau Royal
2018
Altior Diego Du Charmil Special Tiara
2017
Politologue Vaniteux Forest Bihan
2016
Special Tiara Sir Valentino Savello
2015
Sprinter Sacre Sire De Grugy Vibrato Valtat
2014
Special Tiara Balder Succes Third Intention
2013
Sire De Grugy Oiseau de Nuit Astracad
2012
Sanctuaire Kumbeshwar His Excellency
2011
Finian's Rainbow Wishfull Thinking Oiseau de Nuit
2010-2006
2009
Petit Robin Well Chief I'msingingtheblues
2008
Fiepes Shuffle Petit Robin Pablo Du Charmil
2007
Voy Por Ustedes Hoo La Baloo Mister Quasimodo
2006
Voy Por Ustedes Oneway Foreman
 

The Desert Orchid Handicap Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late December during the course's Christmas Festival.

The race was first run on 27 December 2006. It is named in memory of Desert Orchid, a popular racehorse who died several weeks earlier. Desert Orchid won Kempton's most prestigious event, the King George VI Chase, four times between 1986 and 1990. His ashes were scattered at the racecourse on the day of this race's inaugural running. The event replaced the Castleford Chase in the National Hunt calendar as a Grade 2 chase over 2 miles. From 2006 to 2022 it was run as a conditions race.

In April 2023 the British Horseracing Authority announced that the race would become a Grade 2 Limited Handicap from the 2023/24 season.

01Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

Leading jockey (3 wins):

  • Barry Geraghty, Petit Robin (2009), Finian's Rainbow (2011), Special Tiara (2014)
  • Nico de Boinville - Sprinter Sacre (2015), Altior (2018), Shishkin (2021)

Leading trainer (5 wins):

  • Nicky Henderson - Petit Robin (2009), Finian's Rainbow (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2015), Altior (2018), Shishkin (2021)

02Winners

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
2006 Voy Por Ustedes 5 Robert Thornton Alan King
2007 Voy Por Ustedes 6 Robert Thornton Alan King
2008 Fiepes Shuffle 8 Jamie Moore Christian von der Recke
2009 Petit Robin 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2004 no race 2010
2011 Finian's Rainbow 8 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2012 Sanctuaire 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2013 Sire De Grugy 7 Jamie Moore Gary Moore
2014 Special Tiara 7 Barry Geraghty Henry De Bromhead
2015 Sprinter Sacre 9 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson
2016 Special Tiara 9 Noel Fehily Henry De Bromhead
2017 Politologue 6 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls
2018 Altior 8 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson
2019 Bun Doran 8 Jonathan Burke Tom George
2020 Nube Negra 6 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton
2021 Shishkin 7 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson
2022 Editeur Du Gite 8 Niall Houlihan Gary Moore
2023 Editeur Du Gite 9 Niall Houlihan Gary Moore
2024 Soul Icon 7 Harry Cobden Keiran Burke
2025 Thistle Ask 8 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton
Watch videos about Desert Orchid Handicap ChaseExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Desert Orchid Handicap Chase, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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