Cheltenham's oldest race named after Princess Royal
The National Hunt Chase has been renamed in Her Royal Highness's honour
Last updated 2nd Mar 2025
Cheltenham Racecourse has announced that the National Hunt Chase has been permanently named in honour of HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne.
The National Hunt Chase is the oldest contest staged at the biggest four days in jump racing, it will now be known as The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase. In 2025 it will take place on day one of The Festival, Champion Day, Tuesday 11th March.
The daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Princess Anne is an accomplished horsewoman who won individual Gold at the 1971 European Eventing Championships staged at Burghley.
She was also part of the British Eventing team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and in the 1980s rode as an amateur jockey, successfully partnering winners both on the Flat and over jumps.
Since 1985, she has been President of the Riding For The Disabled Association.
Princess Anne is a frequent visitor to Cheltenham Racecourse. Her daughter, Zara Tindall, has been a member of the Racecourse Committee at Cheltenham since 2019.
The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase is the second race at The Festival to be named in honour of a member of The Royal Family. The two-mile Champion Chase was renamed the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1980 – the year of the 80th birthday of The Queen Mother.
Guy Lavender, CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: "It is a tremendous privilege for us to announce today that the National Hunt Chase will now honour HRH The Princess Royal in its title.
“As an outstanding all-round equestrian, it is appropriate that The Princess Royal will be associated with such a historic contest - one which goes right back to the establishment of organised Jump racing.
The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase is the oldest race run at The Festival.
The race had taken place at a number of venues until it became a part of the new two-day National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham in 1911. It had also been run at Cheltenham in 1904 and 1905.
From 2025 onwards, the contest will be run as The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase.
The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase takes place on the opening day of The Festival, Champion Day (Tuesday 11th March in 2025). It has a total prize fund of £100,000.