The Topham Chase
1990-2025
ALWAYS WAINING - this remarkable animal won the Topham three times between 2010 & 2013 and also completed the course in the 2013 National
Topham Chase role of honour 1990-
1990 WON’T BE GONE LONG (Nicky Henderson) - Richard Dunwoody) (30)
1991 J-J HENRY (P.Beaumont) - Mrs Anthea Farrell (11)
1992 THE ANTARTEX (Gordon Richards) - Richard Dunwoody (26)
1993 SIRRAH JAY (G B Balding) - Adrian Maguire (23)
1994 INDIAN TONIC (Nigel Twiston-Davies) - Chris Maude (16)
1995 DUBLIN FLYER (T A Forster) - Brendan Powell (26)
1996 JOE WHITE (J H Johnson) - Paul Carberry (21)
1997 BELLS LIFE (Philip Hobbs) - Glen Tormey (20)
1998 CYFOR MALTA (Martin Pipe) - A P McCoy (22)
1999 LISTEN TIMMY (S A Brookshaw) - Tony Dobbin (21)
2000 NORTHERN STARLIGHT (Martin Pipe) - A P McCoy (23)
2001 GOWER-SLAVE (Philip Hobbs) - Richard Johnson (24)
2002 ITS TIME FOR A WIN (Willie Mullins - Ireland) - Ruby Walsh (28)
2003 CLAN ROYAL (J J O’Neill) - Liam Cooper (29)
2004 CASSIA HEIGHTS (S A Brookshaw) - Jim Culloty (29)
2005 CREGG HOUSE (S.Donohoe - Ireland) - Davy Russell (30)
2006 LIBERTHINE (Nicky Henderson) - Mr Sam Waley-Cohen (29)
2007 DUNBRODY MILLAR (Peter Bowen) - Jamie Moore (29)
2008 GWANAKO (Paul Nicholls) - Ruby Walsh (29)
2009 IRISH RAPTOR (Nigel Twiston-Davies) - Paddy Brennan (29)
2010 ALWAYS WAINING (Peter Bowen) - Brian Hughes (27)
2011 ALWAYS WAINING (Peter Bowen) - Tom O’Brien (30)
2012 ALWAYS WAINING (Peter Bowen) - Tom O’Brien (26)
2013 TRIOLO D’ALENE (Nicky Henderson) - Barry Geraghty (29)
2014 MA FILLEULE (Nicky Henderson) - Barry Geraghty (30)
2015 RAJDHANI EXPRESS (Nicky Henderson) - Mr Sam Waley-Cohen (30)
2016 EASTLAKE (J J O’Neill) - Barry Geraghty (29)
2017 ULTRAGOLD (Colin Tizzard) - Harry Cobden (29)
2018 ULTRAGOLD (Colin Tizzard) - Harry Cobden (27)
2019 CADMIUM (Willie Mullins - Ireland) - Paul Townend (27)
2020 No race due to the Covid-19 Pandemic
2021 LIVELOVELAUGH (Willie Mullins - Ireland) - Mr Patrick Mullins (26)
2022 MAC TOTTIE (Peter Bowen) - Sean Bowen (28)
2023 BILL BAXTER (Warren Greatrex) - Sam Twiston-Davies (29)
2024 ARIZONA CARDINAL (Stuart Edmunds) - Ciaran Gethings (24)
Topham winners in the National
As the list shows below, with the exception of Clan Royal who despite being placed in two Nationals could be described as "unlucky" in the race and Libertine who equipped herself well Topham winners didn't trouble the leaders in the National itself.
1990 : WON'T BE GONE LONG - (left at the start of the void race of 1993)
1993 : SIRRAH JAY - 1992 (last of 22 finishers)
1996 : JOE WHITE - 1998 (pulled up 15th)
1997 : BELLS LIFE - 1999 (pulled up 27th)
1999 : LISTEN TIMMY - 2000 (pulled up 17th), 2001 (pulled up 16th)
2000 : NORTHERN STARLIGHT - (unseated rider 6th)
2003 : CLAN ROYAL - 2004 (2nd), 2005 (carried out 22nd), 2006 (3rd), 2007 (11th)
2005 : CREGG HOUSE - 2003 (refused 27th)
2006 : LIBERTINE - 2007 (5th)
2009 : IRISH RAPTOR - 2010 (fell 14th)
2010* : ALWAYS WAINING - 2013 (10th)
2013 : TRIOLO D'ALENE - 2014 (pulled up 22nd), 2016 (14th)
2017**: ULTRAGOLD - 2019 (14th)
2021 : LIVELOVELAUGH - 2019 (11th)
2022 : MAC TOTTIE - 2024 (pulled up 21st)
* - Always Waining also won the Topham in 2011 & 2012
** - Ultragold also won the Topham in 2018
However, two placed horses went on to taste National success a year later : -
BINDAREE - 4th in 2001 Topham, won National in 2002
MONTYS PASS - 2nd in 2002 Topham, won National in 2003
While some other National winners did not fare as well : -
ROUGH QUEST - fell in 1994 Topham, won National in 1996
AMBERLEIGH HOUSE - 9th in 2002 Topham, won National in 2004
SILVER BIRCH - 12th in 2010 Topham, won National in 2007
Topham Chase - Statistics
MOST WINS (HORSES)
3 - Always Waining (2010-2012)
2- Ultragold (2017 & 2018)
MOST WINS (TRAINER)
5 - Peter Bowen (2007, 2010-12 & 2022)
Nicky Henderson (1990, 2006, 2013-15)
4 - Willie Mullins (2002, 2019, 2021 & 2025)
MOST WINS (JOCKEY)
3 - Richard Dunwoody (1986 - Glenrue, 1990 - Won’t Be Gone Long & 1992 - The Antartex)
Barry Geraghty (2013 - Triolo D’Alene, 2014 - Ma Filleule, 2016 - Eastlake)
WON ON ONLY RIDE
Ciaran Gethings - 2024 - Arizona Cardinal
Glen Tormey - 1997 - Bells Life
MOST RIDES (* - still riding)
17 - Richard JOhnson (won 2001)
16 - Ruby Walsh (won 2002 & 2008)
14 - Mick Fitzgerald
13 - A P McCoy (won 1998 & 2000)
12 - Tom Scudamore
Sam Twiston-Davies (won 2024)*
Least Successful Jockey
Tom Scudamore - 12 rides - no places
Brian Harding - 11 rides* - no places
LARGEST WINNING MARGIN
13 lengths - Cyfor Malta bt Ballyline (1998)
SHORTEST WINNING MARGIN
A head - Joe White bt Go Universal (1996)
HIGHEST PRICE WINNER
50-1 - Cregg House (2005)
Ultragold (2017)
SHORTEST PRICE WINNER
7-2 - Cyfor Malta (1998)
SHORTEST PRICE LOSER
7-2 - Mon Parrain - 2nd (2011)
MOST OPEN RENEWAL
8-1 the field in 1997 & 2015
FAVOURITES
Three (one joint favourite) in thirty five renewals (11.43 %)
The rather wonderful CASSIA HEIGHTS. Only ran in the Topham three times but won this in 2004. He ran a total of eight times over the Aintree fences but was never able to get into the National field itself.
FIELD SIZES (maximum field - 30)
30 - 1990, 2005, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2025
29 - 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023
28 - 2002
27 - 2010, 2018, 2019
26 - 1992, 1995, 2012, 2021
24 - 2001, 2024
23 - 1993, 2000
22 - 1998
21 - 1996
20 - 1997, 1999
16 - 1994
11 - 1991
Races - 35
Runners -
Average field size -
ULTRAGOLD - dual winner in 2017 & 2018 and completed the course in 2019 National
HIGHEST WINNING WEIGHT
12 st - Dublin Flyer (1995)
OLDEST WINNING HORSE
13 years - Sirrah Jay (1993)
YOUNGEST WINNING HORSES
5 years - Cyfor Malta (1998)
WINNING AGES
9-y-0 - 11 wins
10-y-0 - 7 wins
8-y-0 - 6 wins
7-y-0 - 3 wins
5-y-0 - 2 wins
6-y-0 - 2 wins
11-y-0 - 2 wins
12-y-0 - 1 win
13-y-0 - 1 win
MOST FINISHERS
23 in 2025
22 in 2005
FEWEST FINISHERS
7 in 2001
(there were 7 finishers in 1991 but only 11 runners)
FATALITIES
1995 - Avonburn, Latent Talent, Roxton Hill
1997 - Coonawara
1999 - Gris D’Estruval
2000 - Toni’s Tip
2006 - Terivic
2007 - Lord Rodney
2008 - In The High Grass, Time To Sell
2010 - Plaisir D’Estruval, Prudent Honour
2013 - Little Josh
2016 - Gullinbursti, Minella Reception
2019 - Forest des Aigles
16 from
It should be noted that since the last modifications to the fences in 2024 there have been no fallers in the Topham with just one horse unseating in both the 2024 & 2025 renewals.
Prior to this it could be quite an attritional race with 13 horses falling or losing their riders in 2001, 12 in 2004 & 2006.
The most attritional though was surprisingly in 2015 two years after the radical modifications to the fences (in 2013) where an incredible 15 horses lost their riders.
National Runners in the Topham (bold before National bid) (italics - both before and after)
(Topham placing in brackets)
90 - Auntie Dot (17), Bucko (pu), Eton Rouge (pu), General Chandos (8), Golden Minstrel (3), Kittinger (E) (6), New Halen (ur), Old Applejack (9), Rubika (15), Southernair (ur)
91 - none
92 - Bishops Hall (9), Blue Dart (12), Elfast (bd), Golden Freeze (bd), Sirrah Jay (7), Solidasarock (f)
93 - Captain Brandy (12), Channels Gate (4), Ghofar (pu), Over The Deel (ur), Sirrah Jay (1), Southern Minstrel (2), Team Challenge (9)
94 - New Halen (10), Over The Deel (6), Rough Quest (f), Sirrah Jay (3)
95 - Buckboard Bounce (5), Channels Gate (11), Greenhill Raffles (f), Sir Peter Lely (4), Sirrah Jay (9)
96 - Back Bar (11), Go Universal (2), Joe White (1), Mugoni Beach (3), Romany King (14), Straight Talk (4)
97 - Bells Life (1), Griffins Bar (ur), Pond House (ur), Senor El Betrutti (6), Yeoman Warrior (2)
98 - Back Bar (9), Frazer Island (7), Glemot (10), Greenhill Raffles (f), Griffins Bar (f), Over The Deel (pu)
99 - Listen Timmy (1)
00 - Back Bar (17), Northern Starlight (1), Supreme Charm (f)
01 - Bindaree (4), Goguenard (2), Iris Bleu (6), Royal Predica (pu), Tremalt (f)
02 - Amberleigh House (E) (9), General Wolfe (5), Luzcadou (13), Montys Pass (2), No Retreat (7), Northern Starlight (ur)
03 - Clan Royal (1), Exit Swinger (3), Exit to Wave (ur)
04 - Iznogood (f), Joly Bay (f), Longshanks (2), Montifault (6)
05 - Alcapone (pu), Cregg House (1), Haut de Gamme (2), Juveigneur (E) (13), Le Duc (3), Liberthine (15), Longshanks (4), Royal Atalza - E (ur)
06 - Cregg House (6), Liberthine (1), Polar Red (7)
07 - Irish Raptor (7), Iron Man (ur), Just In Debt (8), Lord Of Illusion (15), Milan Deux Mille (5), Risk Accessor (11), Vodka Bleu (12)
08 - Bothar Na (3), Erics Charm (f), Irish Raptor (E) (2)
09 - Always Waining (4), Ellerslie George (16), Irish Raptor (1), Iron Man (pu), Milan Deux Mille (E) (17)
10 - Always Waining (1), Battlecry (ur), Dooneys Gate (4), In Compliance (6), Offshore Account (E) (7), Silver Birch (E) (12)
11 - Alfa Beat (f), Always Waining (E) (1), Ballyholland (12), Mon Parrain (2), Postmaster (f), Shakalakaboomboom (7), Swing Bill (5)
12 - Always Waining (1), Chance Du Roy (2)
13 - Chance du Roy (9), Last Time D’Albain (3), Triolo D’Alene (1), Walkon (2)
14 - Big Fella Thanks (7), Double Ross (5), Rebel Rebellion (15), Soll (11), Tatenen (4),
15 - Hunt Ball (4), Maggio (E) (10)
16 - Bishops Road (E) (ur), Cocktails at Dawn (f), Corrin Wood (pu) (E), La Vaticane (8), Mr Moonshine (E) (9)
17 - Go Conquer (17), Portrait King (3), Ultragold (1)
18 - Rogue Angel (pu) (E), Ultragold (1)
19 - Double Shuffle (12), Highland Lodge (E) (10)
21 - Livelovelaugh (1), Two For Gold (ur)
22 - Francky du Berlais (4), Mac Tottie (1), Mister Coffey (16), Regal Encore (12)
23 - Burrows Saint (19), Celebre D’Allen (8), Top Ville Ben (12)
24 - Celebre D’Allen (12), Good Boy Bobby (E) (13), Francky du Berlais (16), Kandoo Kid (3)
25 - The Goffer (3), Adamantly Chosen (11), Escaria Ten (E) (15), Eldorado Allen (17), Latenightpass (22), Glengouly (23),
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