Desert Orchid Handicap Chase


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The Desert Orchid Handicap Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late December during the course's Christmas Festival.

The race was first run on 27 December 2006. It is named in memory of Desert Orchid, a popular racehorse who died several weeks earlier. Desert Orchid won Kempton's most prestigious event, the King George VI Chase, four times between 1986 and 1990. His ashes were scattered at the racecourse on the day of this race's inaugural running. The event replaced the Castleford Chase in the National Hunt calendar as a Grade 2 chase over 2 miles. From 2006 to 2022 it was run as a conditions race.

In April 2023 the British Horseracing Authority announced that the race would become a Grade 2 Limited Handicap from the 2023/24 season.

Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
 * Voy Por Ustedes – 2006, 2007
 * Special Tiara - 2014, 2016
 * Editeur Du Gite -  2022, 2023

Leading jockey (3 wins):
 * Barry Geraghty – Petit Robin (2009), Finian's Rainbow (2011), Special Tiara (2014)
 * Nico de Boinville - Sprinter Sacre (2015), Altior (2018), Shishkin (2021)

Leading trainer (5 wins):
 * Nicky Henderson - Petit Robin (2009), Finian's Rainbow (2011), Sprinter Sacre (2015), Altior (2018), Shishkin (2021)