Desert Orchid Handicap Chase

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Jockey colours header Template:Jockey colours row |} Template:Jockey colours collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours no footer Template:Jockey colours named collapsible header Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours row Template:Jockey colours footer 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.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

• Voy Por Ustedes – 2006, 2007
• Special Tiara - 2014, 2016
• Editeur Du Gite - 2022, 2023

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)

Winners

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 Template:Efn
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

See also

• Horse racing in Great Britain
• List of British National Hunt races

Sources

• Racing Post:
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• pedigreequery.com – Desert Orchid Chase – Kempton.