Henry VIII Novices’ Chase

The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase is a Grade 1 race over two miles at Sandown Park in early December.

The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase takes place on Saturday 9th December 2023.

The race often features possible contenders for the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Notable past winners include Direct Route (1997), Fondmort (2001), Al Ferof (2011), Altior (2016) and Edwardstone (2021).

Find out more about the Henry VIII Novices Chase:

Henry VIII Novices’ Chase

Race Overview – Henry VIII Novices Chase

Horses must be four years old or older to compete in the Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase, the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase .

Thirteen fences must be jumped during the course of the race, which is raced at Sandown Park over a distance of around 2 miles (1 mile, 7 furlongs, and 119 yards, or 3,126 metres). The race happens every year in December.

Henry VIII Novices’ Chase 2023 Odds

The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase odds are listed below:

Unable to find data for event

Henry VIII Novices’ Chase 2023 Tips

The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase tips are below:

  • 2 points to win for TBC at odds of TBC
  • 1 point each way for TBC at odds of TBC

Many Henry VIII Novices’ Chase horses will race in more races throughout the years. Stay updated on the horses and place ante-post bets if you want to wager on them.

Henry VIII Novices’ Chase Previous Winners

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
1987Ballyhane6Richard RoweJosh Gifford
1988The Dragon Master6George MernaghRobert Waley-Cohen
1989Deep Flash6Tom MorganJohn Edwards
1990Acre Hill6Richard DunwoodyNicky Henderson
1991Peanuts Pet6Trevor WallBryan McMahon
1992Wonder Man7Richard DunwoodyDavid Nicholson
1993Baydon Star6Adrian MaguireDavid Nicholson
1994Sound Reveille6Graham BradleyCharlie Brooks
1995Certainly Strong5Richard DunwoodyDavid Nicholson
1996Mulligan6Adrian MaguireDavid Nicholson
1997Direct Route6Tony McCoyHoward Johnson
1998Dines6Tony McCoyPaul Nicholls
1999Decoupage7Norman WilliamsonCharles Egerton
2000Crocadee [a]7Paul FlynnVenetia Williams
2001Fondmort5Mick FitzgeraldNicky Henderson
2002Impek6Jim CullotyHenrietta Knight
2003Thisthatandtother7Ruby WalshPaul Nicholls
2004Contraband6Timmy MurphyMartin Pipe
2005Racing Demon5Timmy MurphyHenrietta Knight
2006Fair Along4Richard JohnsonPhilip Hobbs
2007Marodima4Sam ThomasPaul Nicholls
2008Araldur4Robert ThorntonAlan King
2009Somersby5Tony McCoyHenrietta Knight
2010no race 2010 [b]
2011Al Ferof6Ruby WalshPaul Nicholls
2012Captain Conan5Barry GeraghtyNicky Henderson
2013Hinterland5Daryl JacobPaul Nicholls
2014Vibrato Valtat5Noel FehilyPaul Nicholls
2015Ar Mad5Joshua MooreGary Moore
2016Altior6Noel FehilyNicky Henderson
2017Sceau Royal5Daryl JacobAlan King
2018Dynamite Dollars5Harry CobdenPaul Nicholls
2019Esprit Du Large5Adam WedgeEvan Williams
2020Allmankind4Harry SkeltonDan Skelton
2021Edwardstone7Tom CannonAlan King
2022Jonbon6Aidan ColemanNicky Henderson

Henry VIII Novices’ Chase Previous Result

Famous Henry VIII Novices’ Chase Winners

1997 winner Direct Route went on to win the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase the following year.

Fondmort (2001) was another high-class winner, gaining the biggest win of his career in the 2006 Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. 2009 winner Somersby finished second in the 2010 Arkle Chase and twice finished runner-up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The most famous winner of this race was Nicky Henderson’s Altior in 2014. He had won by 63 lengths on his chasing debut prior to winning here. Altior won at four consecutive Cheltenham Festivals, following up his 2016 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle victory with the Arkle Chase (2017) and the Queen Mother Champion Chase (2018, 2019). He beat the National Hunt record of 18 successive victories set by Big Buck’s when winning the Celebration Chase at Sandown in April 2019.

The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase produced another Arkle victory in 2021-22 when Alan King’s Edwardstone won both races.

Key Henry VIII Novices’ Chase Trials

Four of the last eleven winners ran in the November Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham prior to winning here. Two had won at Prestbury Park and two had been placed. Fitness is a crucial factor here with all eleven having raced within the previous month.

Four of those winners ran next in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park and all were successful; Vibrato Valtat (2014), Ar Mad (2015), Altior (2016) and Dynamite Dollars (2018).

Two further winners ran in the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick and were also successful; Allmankind (2020) and Edwardstone (2021).

Henry VIII Novices’ Chase Betting Trends

Five-year-olds have the best recent record in this race. Esprit Du Large (2019) was the eighth winner from this age group in a ten-year period.

There have been four winning favourites in the last eleven renewals of the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase; Al Ferof (2011), Captain Conan (2012), Altior (2016) and Allmankind (2020).

Ar Mad (2015) and Esprit Du Large (2019) were the longest-priced winners during the same period, both returning at 14-1.

Most winners had won at least twice over hurdles before going chasing.

Class is also a factor with over half of them having already won a Grade 1 or Grade 2 race.

Ar Mad won with a rating of 130 while the highest official rating in recent years is 153, shared by Sceau Royal and Allmankind.

Henry VIII Novices’ Chase – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Paul Nicholls is the trainer to follow in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase. He has won it a record seven times including Al Ferof (2011), Vibrato Valtat (2014) and Dynamite Dollars (2018).

Nicky Henderson was successful with Acre Hill (1990), Fondmort (2001), Captain Conan (2012) and Altior (2016).

Richard Dunwoody and Tony McCoy are the leading riders in the history of the race with three victories apiece.

Betting on the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase

The winners of the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase have a very high success rate on their next outing.

Clearly the form can be followed with confidence and will also have an impact on the betting for the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

Popular Questions

What are important facts about Henry VIII Novices’ Chase?

Here are some important facts about Henry VIII Novices’ Chase:

  • The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase is run at Sandown Park, Great Britain
  • The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase is for horses aged 4 and over
  • The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase is a National Hunt Steeplechase in Great Britain
  • The Henry VIII Novices’ Chase distance is 2 miles

Summary of the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase

Thank you for reading our Henry VIII Novices’ Chase guide.

We have looked at history, the betting, tips and more.

Often a high-class race, the winner goes to enjoy other big successes on the biggest stages.

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As the Founder of British Racecourses, I have a life-long passion for horse racing and have loved the sport as long as I can remember. I am also a keen racehorse owner and have worked in the gambling industry for several years. I set up British Racecourses with the desire to share my passion for racing with other like-minded people.