No trainer has enjoyed more success in the Clarence House Chase than Nicky Henderson.
Clarence House Chase Winners: Nicky Henderson’s 6 Greatest Winners
The Seven Barrows supremo has won the Ascot two-miler on six occasions, including with a pair of same-season Queen Mother Champion Chase scorers. Here’s a quick reminder of the horses Henderson has won the Clarence House Chase with down the years.
Clarence House Chase Winners: Big Matt (1996)
Henderson first sampled Clarence House glory in 1996 when Mick Fitzgerald partnered Big Matt to victory as an 8/1 chance when the race was still a handicap. The favourite Front Street was pulled up and Big Matt came through after a patient ride to take up the running at the last and duly held off Martin’s Lamp from the David Nicholson team in second. A winner of seven races over fences, Big Matt was no superstar but he enjoyed Ascot and would enjoy his Grade 1 day in the sun at Punchestown in the spring of 1998.
Clarence House Chase Winners: Isio (2004)
Henderson’s second win came in 2004, once again when the race was a handicap, as the lightly-raced Isio scored under Fitzgerald. Azertyuiop was favourite for Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh but the 2004 Champion Chase winner was worn down by the very determined winner on the run to the line after they had pulled clear.
Another handicap win followed at Newbury in March before a runner-up finish in the Melling Chase at Aintree behind the outstanding Moscow Flyer in what proved the final start of Isio’s career aged just eight.
Clarence House Chase Winners: Tysou (2006)
Tysou has a patchy record over fences in his career but arrived into this race in 2006 in decent form following a win at Cheltenham in December and a solid third at Sandown in January. With Ascot undergoing major redevelopment works, this race was run at the latter venue as Mick Fitzgerald steered Tysou home in front from Dempsey, who had defeated him the previous month but couldn’t do it again on the revised terms.
Clarence House Chase: Sprinter Sacre (2013)
With the race now enjoying Grade 1 status, Henderson brought the rising star of the 2m division to this race – run at Cheltenham – in 2013 as Sprinter Sacre put his perfect record over fences on the line. With Barry Geraghty on board, the ‘Black Aeroplane’ left the field strung out in behind for his second Grade 1 win in open company.
He won the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on his next start becoming the fourth horse to complete a Clarence House/Queen Mother double in the same season.
Clarence House Chase Winners: Altior (2019)
Altior matched Sprinter Sacre six years later, winning this race and then the Champion Chase and he remains as the most recent of seven to achieve that feat. When he won this race under Nico de Boinville, the brilliant Altior was in the midst of an incredible 19-race unbeaten start to his career over obstacles and at 1/10 he became the shortest-priced favourite in Clarence House history.
Clarence House Chase Winners: Shishkin (2022)
Only four runners lined up in 2022 but it was one of the most eagerly anticipated races outside of the major spring festivals for many a year in Britain as Shishkin and Energumene locked horns. The Willie Mullins-trained Energumene was unbeaten over fences but so, too, was Shishkin, winner of the Arkle at Cheltenham the previous season.
Paul Townend made the running on Energumene but De Boinville and Shishkin tracked his every move and overhauled him after jumping the last in what was a truly brilliant duel. Energumene had his revenge at Cheltenham two months later when Shishkin was pulled up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Please note that the information provided in this Clarence House Chase winners article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information on this article is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our article. We do not encourage gambling and remind you to gamble responsibly.
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