The Growise Champion Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt

National Hunt racing

National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

 chase in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 which is open to horses

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown

Punchestown Racecourse

Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is home of the National Hunt Festival of Ireland....

 over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong (5,029 metres), and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice

Novice (racehorse)

A novice in National Hunt horse racing is a horse which has not won in a particular type of race prior to the start of the current season. A novice hurdler has not won a hurdle race before the start of the current season, while a novice chaser has not won a steeplechase before the start of the...

 chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.

The present version of the race was introduced in 2007, when it was sponsored by Ellier Developments. There had been two similar events in the preceding years – a Grade 2 race over a shorter distance (also sponsored by Ellier), and a handicap race over the same length. The new version was backed by Boylesports

Boylesports

Boylesports is the largest independent bookmaker in Ireland. Headquartered in Dundalk, County Louth, Boylesports has 161 retail branches throughout the country. In addition to their retail stores, Boylesports operates a telephone betting service, "Fon-A-Bet", and Internet-based betting and gaming...

 in 2009, and by Growise in 2010.

The Growise Champion Novice Chase is Ireland's equivalent of the RSA Chase at Cheltenham

Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...

, but no horse has won both races since 2007.

Records

Leading jockey

Jockey

A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

 since 2007:

• no jockey has won this race more than once since 2007

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Leading trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 since 2007:

• no trainer has won this race more than once since 2007

Winners since 2007

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
2007	Offshore Account	7	Denis O'Regan	Charlie Swan
2008	Air Force One	6	Noel Fehily	Charlie Mann
2009	Rare Bob	7	Paddy Flood	Dessie Hughes
2010	Kempes	7	Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....	Willie Mullins Willie Mullins Willie Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, Ireland...
2011	Quito De La Roque	7	Davy Russell Davy Russell Davy Russell is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Russell's first win as a professional jockey was for English-based Irish trainer Ferdy Murphy on Inn Antique in a novice hurdle at Sedgefield, 12 November 2002...	Colm Murphy