The Dipper Novices’ Chase was a Grade 2 National Hunt race for novice chasers that was staged at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.
The race was discontinued after the 2023 renewal as part of changes to the British Jump Pattern programme. It therefore no longer forms part of Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day meeting.
The Dipper was first run in 1980 and spent much of its history at Newcastle before moving to Cheltenham in 2005. At Cheltenham it was run on the New Course over approximately two miles and four and a half furlongs.
Little Owl won the inaugural running before going on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while later winners included Barton, My Way de Solzen, Oscar Whisky, Whisper, Yanworth, Lostintranslation and L’Homme Presse.
The Real Whacker won the final Dipper Novices’ Chase in 2023 and subsequently won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Is the Dipper Novices’ Chase Still Run?
No. The Dipper Novices’ Chase was removed from the British Jump Pattern programme from the 2023/24 National Hunt season.
The British Horseracing Authority reviewed the Pattern and Listed programme with the aim of improving competitiveness and the spacing of higher-quality races.
As part of those changes, several novice chases were removed from the programme.
The Grade 2 Dipper at Cheltenham was one of them.
This means there was no Dipper Novices’ Chase in 2024, 2025 or 2026, and bettors looking at Cheltenham’s current New Year’s Day programme should not expect to find the race.
British Racecourses retains this page because the Dipper has a significant place in National Hunt racing history and remains relevant when researching horses including Little Owl, My Way de Solzen, L’Homme Presse and The Real Whacker.
Dipper Novices’ Chase Race Facts
| Race Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Race name | Dipper Novices’ Chase |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Final classification | Grade 2 |
| Race type | Novice chase |
| Final racecourse | Cheltenham |
| Previous racecourse | Newcastle |
| Cheltenham course | New Course |
| Cheltenham distance | Approximately 2m4½f |
| Cheltenham fences | 17 |
| Eligibility | Five-year-olds and older |
| First running | 1980 |
| Moved to Cheltenham | 2005 |
| Final running | 2023 |
| Final winner | The Real Whacker |
Why Was the Dipper Novices’ Chase Discontinued?
The Dipper was removed following a wider review of Britain’s Jump Pattern and Listed programme.
The changes were designed to improve the competitiveness of top-level British jump racing and create better spacing between important races.
The Dipper sat within the two-and-a-half-mile novice chase division.
The review concluded that there were enough similar opportunities within that part of the programme for some races to be removed.
The Grade 2 Dipper at Cheltenham, Future Champion Novices’ Chase at Ayr and Altcar Novices’ Chase at Haydock were consequently removed.
It was a programme change rather than the Dipper simply losing its Grade 2 status or moving to another racecourse.
This distinction is important.
Unlike the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle, which moved to Aintree and continued as the Formby Novices’ Hurdle, the Dipper was discontinued.
When Was the Dipper Novices’ Chase Run?
During its Cheltenham years, the Dipper was traditionally staged on New Year’s Day.
That gave high-class novice chasers an important mid-season target before connections began finalising plans for the Cheltenham Festival.
The timing also made the race a useful test of horses being considered for the leading novice chases at the Festival.
Before moving to Cheltenham, the Dipper spent most of its history at Newcastle.
At Newcastle it was generally staged in January, although earlier editions were held in November.
The change of racecourse therefore needs to be considered when analysing the Dipper’s historical record.
Dipper Novices’ Chase Course and Distance
The final version of the Dipper was run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Its distance was approximately two miles, four furlongs and 127 yards, commonly described as about two miles and four and a half furlongs.
Seventeen fences were jumped.
Cheltenham’s New Course is left-handed, undulating and places a strong emphasis on stamina.
The uphill finish can expose a novice that has travelled comfortably through the race without conserving enough energy for the closing stages.
Jumping also matters.
Novice chasers are still learning their trade, and Cheltenham can punish repeated mistakes more severely than easier tracks.
The race was different during its Newcastle era.
At Newcastle it was staged over approximately two miles and four furlongs and involved 16 fences.
Historic Dipper statistics should therefore be interpreted with the change of racecourse in mind.
History of the Dipper Novices’ Chase
The Dipper Novices’ Chase was first run in 1980.
Its inaugural winner could hardly have provided a stronger start to the race’s history.
Little Owl won for trainer Peter Easterby before going on to become one of the leading staying chasers of his generation.
The race remained at Newcastle for most of its first 25 years.
It moved to Cheltenham in 2005 and became part of the racecourse’s New Year’s Day programme.
That move increased its connection with the Cheltenham Festival.
A strong performance over the New Course provided useful evidence about a novice chaser’s ability to handle Cheltenham before returning for one of the major Festival targets.
The final renewal took place on 1 January 2023.
The Real Whacker defeated Monmiral and Thunder Rock before returning to Cheltenham in March and winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
That provided an appropriate conclusion to a race that had repeatedly produced high-class chasers.
Famous Dipper Novices’ Chase Winners
The Dipper’s winners include horses who subsequently succeeded at the highest level over fences and hurdles.
Little Owl
Little Owl won the inaugural Dipper in 1980.
Trained by Peter Easterby, he developed into an outstanding staying chaser and won the 1981 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
His success immediately gave the new novice chase credibility.
Little Owl ultimately won 16 races under Rules, although injuries restricted the later stages of his career.
Barton
Barton won the Dipper in 2002 during its Newcastle era.
Trained by Tim Easterby, he was unusual in being a high-class performer over both hurdles and fences.
Barton had already won at the Cheltenham Festival over hurdles and also captured the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
His Dipper victory came after his switch to chasing.
My Way de Solzen
My Way de Solzen won the Dipper in 2007 for Alan King.
He was already a Grade 1 winner over hurdles, having won the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
His novice chase campaign subsequently produced an even more significant victory when he returned to the Cheltenham Festival and won the Arkle Challenge Trophy.
That demonstrated the versatility of a horse capable of succeeding over staying distances as a hurdler before developing into a high-class novice chaser over shorter trips.
Oscar Whisky
Oscar Whisky won the Dipper in 2014 for Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty.
He had already established himself as a top-class hurdler before switching to fences and was considerably more experienced than the typical young novice chaser.
His victory illustrated how novice status does not necessarily mean a horse lacks racing experience.
Whisper
Nicky Henderson won another Dipper with Whisper in 2017.
Like Oscar Whisky, Whisper had already achieved a high level over hurdles before going chasing.
He subsequently finished second in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and later developed into a high-class staying chaser.
Yanworth
Yanworth won in 2018 for Alan King and Barry Geraghty.
He was another Dipper winner with substantial hurdling ability, having previously competed at the highest level over the smaller obstacles.
His victory reinforced the importance of considering previous hurdle class when analysing novice chases.
Lostintranslation
Lostintranslation won the 2019 Dipper for Colin Tizzard and Robbie Power.
He went on to establish himself among Britain’s leading staying chasers.
Later in his career he won the Betfair Chase at Haydock and finished third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
L’Homme Presse
L’Homme Presse won the 2022 Dipper for Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch.
His novice chase campaign developed into an outstanding one.
He subsequently won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, confirming his position among the leading staying novice chasers of that season.
The Real Whacker
The Real Whacker became the final Dipper winner in 2023.
Trained by Patrick Neville and ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies, he jumped strongly and made the running to defeat Monmiral by three and a quarter lengths.
He returned to Cheltenham in March for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
The Real Whacker defeated Gerri Colombe by a short head in one of the Festival’s most memorable finishes of the season.
His achievements gave the Dipper a final winner worthy of its history.
Recent Dipper Novices’ Chase Winners
| Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Real Whacker | Patrick Neville | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 2022 | L’Homme Presse | Venetia Williams | Charlie Deutsch |
| 2021 | Messire Des Obeaux | Alan King | Daryl Jacob |
| 2020 | Midnight Shadow | Sue Smith | Danny Cook |
| 2019 | Lostintranslation | Colin Tizzard | Robbie Power |
| 2018 | Yanworth | Alan King | Barry Geraghty |
| 2017 | Whisper | Nicky Henderson | Davy Russell |
| 2016 | Seeyouatmidnight | Sandy Thomson | Brian Hughes |
| 2015 | Ptit Zig | Paul Nicholls | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 2014 | Oscar Whisky | Nicky Henderson | Barry Geraghty |
| 2013 | No race | — | — |
The 2013 renewal was abandoned.
The 2021 race was transferred to Wincanton after Cheltenham’s meeting was abandoned.
Those exceptions are important when using historical statistics because not every renewal in the period was staged under identical conditions at Cheltenham.
Dipper Novices’ Chase and the Cheltenham Festival
The Dipper’s position on New Year’s Day made it a natural stepping stone towards the Cheltenham Festival.
However, a Dipper winner did not have one automatic Festival destination.
The appropriate target depended on the horse’s speed, stamina, jumping and the structure of the novice chase programme at the time.
Several winners subsequently contested Festival novice chases.
L’Homme Presse and The Real Whacker provide the clearest recent examples.
Both won the Dipper before returning to Cheltenham and winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
That connection enhanced the Dipper’s reputation as a test of novice chasers capable of progressing to Grade 1 level.
Dipper Novices’ Chase and the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase
The Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown was another important race in the intermediate-distance novice chase programme.
Several Dipper winners subsequently ran there.
Oscar Whisky completed the double in 2014, while L’Homme Presse also won both races in 2022.
Lostintranslation and Midnight Shadow were among the Dipper winners who subsequently finished second in the Scilly Isles.
That route demonstrated the options that once existed for high-class British novice chasers around two and a half miles.
The subsequent restructuring of the novice chase programme was one of the reasons races such as the Dipper were reviewed.
What Made a Good Dipper Novices’ Chase Horse?
The Dipper required more than raw ability.
At Cheltenham, novice chasers needed to combine jumping, tactical position and stamina around the New Course.
Jumping
Jumping efficiency was fundamental.
A horse could possess considerable ability but lose too much ground through repeated novice errors.
The best Dipper performances often came from horses capable of maintaining their rhythm over Cheltenham’s fences.
The Real Whacker demonstrated this particularly well in the final renewal.
Stamina
The Dipper was run over an intermediate distance, but Cheltenham’s New Course and uphill finish placed an additional demand on stamina.
Horses capable of travelling strongly without seeing out the trip could be exposed late.
That also explains why several successful Dipper runners later developed into three-mile chasers.
Previous Hurdle Ability
Many Dipper winners had already demonstrated considerable ability over hurdles.
Barton, My Way de Solzen, Oscar Whisky, Whisper and Yanworth are obvious examples.
Hurdle ratings cannot simply be transferred to fences, but established class can provide evidence that a novice possesses the engine required for Graded company.
The remaining question is whether that ability can be expressed efficiently over fences.
Cheltenham Experience
Experience at Cheltenham could be useful because the track presents distinctive demands.
However, the old claim that a particular percentage of recent Dipper winners had raced at Cheltenham should not be treated as a permanent betting rule.
Small samples quickly become misleading.
Assess how a horse actually handled Cheltenham rather than simply counting previous appearances at the course.
Should Historic Dipper Betting Trends Still Be Used?
Dipper trends can now only be historical.
There is no forthcoming renewal to bet on.
Older versions of this page concentrated heavily on statistics such as favourite records, ages, official ratings and the previous races used by winners.
Those figures become increasingly misleading when presented without context.
The race changed venue during its history, one renewal was staged at Wincanton, other renewals were abandoned and the race itself has now been discontinued.
The more useful legacy is what the Dipper tells us about individual horses.
A high-quality Dipper performance can still be relevant when studying the careers of L’Homme Presse, Lostintranslation, The Real Whacker or another former runner.
It should not be presented as a betting system for a race that is no longer staged.
Leading Dipper Novices’ Chase Trainers
Peter Easterby won three editions during the earlier years of the race.
His winners were Little Owl, Jimbrook and Dawson City.
Alan King later matched that total through My Way de Solzen, Yanworth and Messire Des Obeaux.
Nicky Henderson won with Oscar Whisky and Whisper, while Colin Tizzard trained Hell’s Bay and Lostintranslation.
Those records illustrate the calibre of trainers who targeted the Dipper during its history.
They no longer represent an active trainer trend because there is no current Dipper to target.
Leading Dipper Novices’ Chase Jockeys
Several leading National Hunt jockeys appear on the Dipper roll of honour.
Chris Grant won aboard Blazing Walker and Gale Again.
Barry Geraghty won the race with Oscar Whisky and Yanworth.
Other winning riders included Tony McCoy, Ruby Walsh, Davy Russell, Brian Hughes, Robbie Power, Charlie Deutsch and Sam Twiston-Davies.
Sam Twiston-Davies holds the distinction of riding the final winner aboard The Real Whacker in 2023.
The Dipper’s Place in British Jump Racing
The disappearance of the Dipper illustrates how the British Jump programme evolves.
Historic races are not guaranteed permanent positions simply because they have Graded status or a strong roll of honour.
The BHA’s review sought to create a more competitive programme by reducing duplication and improving the spacing between higher-quality races.
That meant some established races were moved, some had their conditions changed and others disappeared.
The Dipper fell into the final category.
Its removal does not diminish the quality of its history.
A race won by a future Gold Cup winner in its inaugural year and by a future Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winner in its final year left a substantial legacy.
Dipper Novices’ Chase FAQs
Is the Dipper Novices’ Chase still run?
No. The Dipper Novices’ Chase was removed from the British Jump Pattern programme from the 2023/24 season and is no longer staged.
When was the final Dipper Novices’ Chase?
The final Dipper Novices’ Chase was run at Cheltenham on 1 January 2023.
Who won the final Dipper Novices’ Chase?
The Real Whacker won the final renewal for trainer Patrick Neville and jockey Sam Twiston-Davies.
Why was the Dipper Novices’ Chase discontinued?
The race was removed following a review of the British Jump Pattern programme designed to improve competitiveness and the spacing of high-quality races. The Dipper was one of several novice chases removed where similar opportunities existed elsewhere in the programme.
Was the Dipper Novices’ Chase a Grade 2?
Yes. The Dipper was a Grade 2 National Hunt novice chase.
Where was the Dipper Novices’ Chase run?
The race was staged at Newcastle for most of its earlier history before moving to Cheltenham in 2005.
Which Cheltenham course was used for the Dipper?
The Dipper was run on Cheltenham’s New Course during its Cheltenham era.
How far was the Dipper Novices’ Chase?
At Cheltenham the race was run over approximately two miles and four and a half furlongs.
How many fences were jumped in the Dipper?
There were 17 fences during the Cheltenham version of the race.
When was the first Dipper Novices’ Chase?
The inaugural Dipper was staged in 1980.
Who won the first Dipper Novices’ Chase?
Little Owl won the first running in 1980. He subsequently won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1981.
Did L’Homme Presse win the Dipper?
Yes. L’Homme Presse won the 2022 Dipper before winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Did The Real Whacker win the Dipper?
Yes. The Real Whacker won the final Dipper in 2023 and subsequently won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Has the Dipper Novices’ Chase been renamed?
No. The race was discontinued rather than renamed.
This differs from races such as the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle, which moved to Aintree and continued under the Formby Novices’ Hurdle name.
What replaced the Dipper Novices’ Chase?
There is no direct replacement carrying on the Dipper’s history. The race was removed as part of a wider restructuring of the novice chase programme.
Dipper Novices’ Chase Summary
The Dipper Novices’ Chase was a Grade 2 race that played an important role in British novice chasing from 1980 until 2023.
It began at Newcastle before moving to Cheltenham, where it became a familiar part of the New Year’s Day fixture over approximately two miles and four and a half furlongs.
Its winners included Little Owl, Barton, My Way de Solzen, Oscar Whisky, Whisper, Yanworth, Lostintranslation and L’Homme Presse.
The Real Whacker won the final renewal in 2023 before returning to Cheltenham to win the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
The British Horseracing Authority removed the Dipper from the programme from the 2023/24 season as part of a wider restructuring designed to improve the competitiveness of Britain’s Jump Pattern races.
The Dipper is therefore now a historic race rather than a current Cheltenham contest.
Its established URL remains useful for researching the race, its winners and its role in the development of some outstanding National Hunt horses.
