2027 Glenfarclas Chase

The 3 miles and 6 furlongs Glenfarclas Chase is open to horses at least five years old. It is a National Hunt Chase in which there are 32 obstacles.

Originally, the race was a handicap race but in 2016 this changed, and the Glenfarclas Chase became a conditions race.

The race was only added to the Cheltenham Festival in 2005, when a fourth day of racing was introduced to the festival.

It takes place on the second day of the festival, Ladies Day, and is one of three cross country races run at Cheltenham annually. Glenfarclas, a whisky manufacturer, has sponsored the race since 2008.

In 2024 the race was abandoned, on the day, due to water logging on the course.

PRIZE MONEY

When the race was first run in 2005 it was Spot Thedifference who won the race for trainer Enda Bolger and jockey JT McNamara.

They were priced at 4/1 and won £23,200 when they beat Luzcadou by just over two lengths. Comanche War Paint was the 100/30 favourite but fell on the 27th fence.

When Tiger Roll won the Glenfarclas Chase for the first time in 2018, connections earned £40,261. It was the same amount again in 2019 as there was no change to the prize fund.

At the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the purse for the race was £65,000 with Easysland beating the two time Grand National winner and 8/11 favourite Tiger Roll to win £40,235. Easysland ended up winning the race in some style by a lead of 17 lengths.

In 2021 the rivalry continued but this time it was Tiger Roll and jockey Keith Donoghue who got the win. With prize money reduced due to racing being held behind closed doors, connections took home just £30,176 of the £48,750 prize pot.

Racing in 2022 was, once again, Tiger Roll who was making his last appearance before retirement. Unfortunately it wasn't the blaze of glory most had hoped for when he was pipped to the post by stable mate Delta Work.

Delta Work then returned again in 2023 to pip stable mate Galvin to the post for trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Keith Donoghue.

FAMOUS WINNERS

In terms of notable winners, they don't get much bigger than Tiger Roll. The Gordon Elliott/Denise Foster trained horse has won this race three times (2018, 2018, 2021) and gone on to win the Grand National after two of them.

Undoubtedly on of the greatest pairings in the history of the race was between jockey Nina Carberry and trainer Enda Bolger.

Together they won it four times, the first of which was with Heads Onthe Ground in 2007. They followed that up with back-to-back wins on Garde Champetre in 2008 and 2009 and again with Josies Orders in 2016.

Both currently hold the joint record for most wins in the race with Bolger on five and Carberry on four.

Their feat is matched only by Gordon Elliott and Keith Donoghue, who, like Bolger and Carberry, have won the race the same number of times.

Garde Champetre, Balthazar King and Delta Work are the only horses, other than Tiger Roll (3), to have won the race twice.

RACE RECORDS

Tiger Roll holds the record for the most wins with three under his belt.

Two others have won this race twice. Garde Champetre was the first to do it in 2008 and 2009. Balthazar King came back to win in 2014, having won it in 2012.

Nina Carberry and Keith Donoghue share the title of leading jockey in the Glenfarclas Chase. Both have won the race four times.

Carberry bagged her wins with Heads Onthe Ground (2007), Garde Champetre (2008, 2009) and Josies Orders (2016).

Donoghue earned his victories on Tiger Roll (2018, 2019, 2021) and Delta Work (2023).

Enda Bolger and Gordon Elliott are the joint leading trainers with five winners each.

Bolger won his first Glenfarclas Chase with Spot Thedifference (2005) followed by Heads Onthe Ground (2007), Garde Champetre (2008, 2009) and Josies Orders (2016).

Gordon Elliott's first win was with Cause of Causes (2017) then Tiger Roll (2018, 2019) and Delta Work (2022, 2023).