Kingmaker Novices’ Chase

Kingmaker Novices’ Chase Overview

The Unibet Kingmaker Novices Chase is a Grade 2 Steeplechase that is run usually each February. It attracts high-class chasers over a fast two miles, in a race where it is handy to be on an accurate and speedy sort. This race often serves as a trial for the Arkle Chase around six weeks down the line. Edwardstone was the last horse to win the two races in the same year back in 2022.

The race is run at Warwick and there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race carries a valuable first prize of just over £42,000. L’Eau du Sud won the 2025 renewal by a length from Rubaud for the local team of Dan and Harry Skelton at odds of 1/5.

Kingmaker Novices’ Chase Betting Trends and Statistics

• The leading trainer in the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase in recent years is Paul Nicholls who has won the race five times. Those five winners came from Lake Kariba (1998), Flagship Uberalles (1999), Whitenzo (2001), Armaturk (2002) and Vibrato Valtat (2015).
• Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase are Alan King (4) Nicky Henderson (3) and Harry Whittington (2).
• The leading jockey in the race is Harry Skelton who has won the contest twice with Allmankind (2021) and L’Eau du Sud (2025).
• The race usually takes around four minutes to run and six favourites have obliged out of the last ten renewals.
• No horse in the last ten years has won this at a bigger starting price of 8/1.
• The last ten renewals have all been won by UK-based trainers.

Kingmaker Novices’ Chase History

The Kingmaker Novices’ Chase is a Grade 2 steeplechase which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Warwick over a distance of about two miles and during its running, there are twelve fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in February.

The event was established in 1991 and was originally contested in May over a distance of two-and-a-half miles. It was switched to February in 1996, and, at the same time, its length was cut to two miles. This was extended by 110 yards in 2000. The race was abandoned at Warwick in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and it was transferred on each occasion to Wincanton Racecourse.

At this venue, it was run over two miles, and there were thirteen fences to jump. This distance was kept when it returned to Warwick in 2008. The title of the race refers to the 16th Earl of Warwick, who was known as the “Kingmaker” during the Wars of the Roses.

Kingmaker Novices’ Chase Winners