Events / Malcolm Pannett / 14 January 2009 /

Malcolm Pannett looks back over the 20-year history of the Victor Chandler Chase, a race first won by Desert Orchid and likely to be taken this weekend by Master Minded.

The Victor Chandler Chase has quickly become established as a leading Cheltenham Festival trial particularly for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Last year the conditions of what was formerly a handicap were changed and it was given Grade 1 status.

A quick glance at the record book might suggest that Jimmy Frost won the first two runnings of the race on a horse called Abandoned. However it was his brother Jack who prevailed and, at the third time of asking, the first actual race took place in 1989; incidentally the same year that Jimmy would have his finest moment when riding Little Polveir to victory in the Grand National.

The inaugural race was a thriller. Desert Orchid had caught the imagination of the public and Dessie-mania was reaching its height. The grey arrived at the post with a second King George under his belt but was faced with the task of giving 22lb to Panto Prince.

Vodkatini, the only other serious rival, had fallen at the fifth and the race became a virtual match. Panto and Dessie, as BBC commentator Peter O'Sullevan called them, matched strides the whole way. Panto Prince looked to be getting the better of the argument in the straight but slowly Desert Orchid, under Simon Sherwood, battled back to snatch victory on the line.

Desert Orchid remained unbeaten throughout a seven-race season including his heroic Cheltenham Gold Cup win in hock-deep mud, and in doing so immediately franked the credentials of the Victor Chandler Chase.

The subsequent roll of honour includes Viking Flagship, Call Equiname and Martha's Son who all went on to win the Champion Chase.

The race switched venues several times to avoid abandonment due to inclement weather and while Ascot was being redeveloped with Warwick (1994), Kempton (1997 and 99), Cheltenham (2005) and Sandown (2006) each stepping into the breach.

In 2007 a substitute race was run at Sandown won by Dempsey, who then finished second in the Champion Chase, while the placed horses Andreas and Hasty Prince were first and second in the Grand Annual Chase.

10 years ago: Call Equiname gave weight and a beating to Get Real at Kempton Park and in the process extended his unbeaten sequence over fences to four. That became five at Cheltenham when he accounted for Edredon Bleu and Direct Route in the championship. However a defeat at Aintree followed and then the following season a series of disappointments culminated at Exeter where he picked up what turned out to be a career-ending injury.

Five years ago: The epic duel between Isio and Azertyuiop evoked memories of Desert Orchid versus Panto Prince with the former trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Mick Fitzgerald just getting the verdict. Henderson and Fitzgerald had already won with Big Matt in 1996 and would win again with Tysou in 2006. Azertyuiop, who had been conceding 19lb, won the Game Spirit Chase on his next outing and followed up in the Champion Chase beating previous winner Flagship Uberalles.

Last Year: The first running as a Grade 1 event saw the David-Pipe-trained Tamarinbleu set off at a rate of knots in an attempt to expose market-leader Twist Magic's resources in testing ground. The ploy succeeded, however Twist Magic's trainer, Paul Nicholls, had the last laugh at Cheltenham when his Master Minded took the main event.

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