The Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon is all the rage ahead of Saturday’s Clarence House Chase at Ascot as he continues his preparation for the Cheltenham Festival – but just how many Clarence House Chase winners have gone onto land the Queen Mother Champion Chase?
There Have Been SEVEN Clarence House Chase Winners To Follow-up In The Champion Chase
Jonbon will head into the Clarence House Chase at the weekend at Ascot as the clear market leader for the Champion Chase with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK – a contest that also has a top record of producing the winner of the day two Cheltenham Festival feature.
Since this Ascot Grade One Chase was first run in 1989, we’ve seen SEVEN Clarence House Chase winners follow up that same season in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Meaning, if Jonbon can land Saturday’s contest he’ll be set up to add his name to some of the best two-mile chasers in recent times.
So, just who are the other Clarence House Chase winners that the successful horse at Ascot at the weekend will trying to emulate?
Past Clarence House Chases Winners To Have Also Won The Queen Mother Champion Chase
It’s worth noting that this race didn’t become a grade one until 2006 and up till 2002 was a limited handicap. But, still, here are the seven horses to have managed to win both races in the same campaign.
Viking Flagship (1994)
The first Clarence House Chase winner to complete the double was Viking Flagship in 1994.
Trained by David ‘The Duke’ Nicholson, the horse was aged 7 when he landed both races in what was a golden era for the two-mile chase division that included the likes of Travado, Martha’s Son, Waterloo Boy, Deep Sensation and Egypt Mill Prince.
That year, the 1994 Clarence House Chase was staged at Warwick, where Viking Flagship beat only three rivals – Egypt Mill Prince, Billy Bathgate and Waterloo Boy.
Two months later the ultra-tough Viking Flagship got the better of Travado and Deep Sensation in a titanic battle in the Champion Chase (watch below).
Viking Flagship went onto also defend his Champion Chase crown the following year at the Cheltenham Festival in 1995.
Call Equiname (1999)
Next up was a horse by the name of Call Equiname, who was giving trainer Paul Nicholls his first Clarence House Chase win in 1999.
Back then the race was known as the Victor Chandler Chase and run at Kempton Park.
He landed the prize by just a neck – beating the Nicky Henderson-trained Get Real I, with the useful Celibate back in third.
Call Equiname added the Champion Chase to his CV later that season. When ITV Racing’s Mick Fitzgerald guided him past former King George VI Chase winner Edredon Bleu and AP McCoy.
This Champion Chase win was also the first for trainer Paul Nicholls, who has now won six in total.
Master Minded (2009)
Trainer Paul Nicholls didn’t have to wait long for his next Clarence House Chase winner, who doubled up in the Champion Chase. Step forward Master Minded.
Owned by Clive Smith of Kauto Star fame this talented two-mile chaser won both races in 2009. Ridden on each occasion by Ruby Walsh.
His Ascot win was a facile 16 length success came against yet another Nicky Henderson runner called Petit Robin. While his Champion Chase win saw him slam the useful Wel Chief by seven lengths.
Master Minded was also the current Champion Chaser that season, having also won the Cheltenham race in 2008.
Sprinter Sacre (2013)
Nicky Henderson had already won the Clarence House Chase three times, but in 2013 Sprinter Sacre this was his first to also add the Champion Chase.
This super-classy two-mile chaser is considered one of the best in the modern day in this division and under jockey Barry Geraghty put in a masterclass performance to win the Victor Chandler Chase in 2013.
The race was run at Cheltenham that year too, but with Sprinter Sacre frightening off the rest was sent off as the 1/5 favourite. He won by 14 lengths.
It was a similar story in the Champion Chase a few months later. When Sprinter Sacre beat Sizing John by 19 lengths.
He added his second Champion Chase in 2016 at the age of 10 after a few troubled seasons with injury.
Sire De Grugy (2014)
Sire De Grugy provided trainer Gary Moore with his biggest winner during the 2014 season when he guided the horse to the Clarence House Chase/Champion Chase double. With son Jamie doing the steering both times.
He landed the Clarence House at Ascot by 11 lengths that year and carried that form to Cheltenham to take the Champion Chase by six lengths from the Mick Channon-trained Somersby.
Dodging Bullets (2015)
It was that man Paul Nicholls again in 2015 as the Ditcheat hander saw his Dodging Bullets land a shock win over the odds-on Sprinter Sacre by three lengths.
That victory provided Nicholls with his fifth Clarence House Chase success and remains his most recent. He was ridden by Noel Fehily here.
Dodging Bullets proved that wasn’t a fluke a few months later when adding the Champion Chase at Cheltenham. Beating Somersby by 1 1/4 lengths under Sam Twiston-Davies.
Altior (2019)
The final Clarence House Chase winner to do the Champion Chase double is Altior. Taking both races in 2019 for trainer Nicky Henderson.
Altior was guided home at Ascot by jockey Nico de Boinville as the long odds-on 1/10 favourite with the best betting sites in the UK.
He was sent off another short price in the Champion Chase a few months later when seeing off Politologue by 1 3/4 lengths.
Altior was also the 2018 Champion Chase winner heading into the 2019 season.
Clarence House Chase 2025 Details
📅Date: Saturday 18th January 2025
⌚Time: 3:25pm
🏇Racecourse: Ascot
🔄Trip: 2m 1f
💷Winning Purse: £98,473
📺 TV: ITV / Sky Sports
Clarence House Chase Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2024 – Elixir De Nutz (22/1)
- 2023 – Editeur Du Gite (14/1)
- 2022 – Shishkin (5/6 fav)
- 2021 – First Flow (14/1)
- 2020 – Defi Du Seuil (11/10 fav)
- 2019 – Alitor (1/10 fav)
- 2018 – Un De Sceaux (4/9 fav)
- 2017 – Un De Sceaux (1/2 fav)
- 2016 – Un De Sceaux (1/2 fav)
- 2015 – Dodging Bullets (7/2)
- 2014 – Sire De Grugy (5/4 fav)
