The Denman Chase is a Grade 2
National Huntsteeplechase in Great Britain which is open to
horses aged five years or older. It is run at
Newbury over a distance of about 2 miles and 7½ furlongs (2 miles 7 furlongs and 86 yards, or 4,706 metres), and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in February.
The event was originally named the Aon Chase, after its first sponsors
Aon Group Ltd, and it was first run in 2000. It was promoted to Listed status in 2002, and to Grade 2 level in 2003. The planned running in 2009 was abandoned at Newbury because of
snow, and so the race was switched to an alternative venue,
Kempton Park. The rearranged event was titled the Levy Board Chase. In 2012 the sponsorship was taken over by
Betfair and renamed the Denman Chase in honour of
Denman, who won the race in 2008 and also won two
Hennessy Gold Cups at Newbury.
The race serves as one of the principal trials for the
Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. Four horses have won both events in the same year –
Kauto Star (2007), Denman (2008),
Coneygree (2015) and
Native River (2018).
Paul Nicholls (horse racing) – See More Business (2000), Shotgun Willy (2001), Valley Henry (2003), Kauto Star (2007), Denman (2008), Tricky Trickster (2010), Noland (2011), Silvianaco Conti (2013), Clan Des Obeaux (2019), Secret Investor (2021)