BHA announce changes to horse qualification for top Hunters’ Chases

18-01-2021

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), together with Cheltenham and Aintree, has today confirmed changes to the race conditions for the St James’s Place Foxhunter Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase at The Festival™ and the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase at the Randox Grand National Festival for 2021. 

This is to take account of the loss of qualification opportunities due to the cancellation of  Point-to-Point racing in line with government guidance on grassroots sport.

Full race conditions for both races will be available via the Racing Admin site, www2.racingadmin.co.uk, shortly. 

St James’s Place Foxhunter Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ ChaseRace conditions have up to now required horses to have either finished in the first two in a hunters’ steeple chase on two occasions or won two open point-to-point races, or one of each, within the previous two-and-a-half years. 

A condition has been added for this year only to allow horses who finish in the first four on two occasions in a hunters’ steeple chase between 20 January – 1 March 2021 to qualify. Horses who are already fully qualified do not need to re-qualify with the additional conditions. If a horse has had one run which qualifies, only one further run which qualifies is required. 

Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase
Race conditions have up to now required horses to have in the previous two and a half years either:

• Finished in the first three in a hunters’ steeple chase on two occasions; or
• Finished in the first three in a hunters’ steeple chase on one occasion and won either another steeple chase (hunter’s steeple chases included) or an open point-point race during the current point-to-point season 

A condition has been added for this year only to allow horses who finish in the first four on two occasions in a hunters’ steeple chase between 20 January – 22 March 2021 to qualify. 

Horses who are already fully qualified do not need to re-qualify with the additional conditions. If a horse has had one run which qualifies, only one further run which qualifies is required. 

A decision regarding the participation of amateur riders in these races will be made nearer to the time in line with government guidance at that point.