Races you still refer to under their Old Name(Sponsorship)

If its the Mackeson in November it must be the Massey Ferguson in december

Whitbread Gold Cup

Doh!!!

Bula Hurdle now International
Benson & Hedges Gold Cup now Juddmonte

Sun Alliance Hurdle now Ballymore.

The Topham Chase will always be the Topham Trophy for me. What did they do with the trophy? Melt it down?

Christ knows what the Mildmay of Flete is called these days. Who cares? It's the Mildmay of Flete.

I always make a point of calling the Ryanair Chase the Cathcart, just to emphasize that it's a third-rate consolation prize for horses whose connections are cowards.

And there's a great test for confirming that it's the first day of spring: do find yourself muttering the words 'Clerical Medical Greenham'?

Ballymore will always be sun alliance to me.

The Liffey is the Irish Sweeps Hurdle

The 6F and 2M races on Champions Day are the Diadem and the Jockey Club Cup, not whatever fancy name they're given to placate the sponsors.

The latter is a name we gave to the world, even the Yanks have a Jockey Club Cup. It was a disgrace when the name was removed from the UK program.

It's fairly typical of 21st century Britain, that we have a racing authority that freely uses the term 'Heritage Handicap' but seems to have no respect for heritage at all.

thankfully the bromfield sand and gravel handicap chase at ludlow remains true to its name . always an epic contest .

Even the arkle bar at Cheltenham is no longer called the arkle bar

Good morning Geoff

I still can it the bula meeting not just the bula hurdle,however I do call the benson and hedges the judmonte,so long they have had there name to it and so many great editions of the race under that banner.

looking forward to the Waterford Crystal Supreme Novices Hurdle myself...then you know Cheltenham has begun..

The Haydock Park Sprint Cup, is still - The Vernons - and 6F round an elbow from the Chute start.

Would have liked to have gone to Castle Irwell Manchester for the November Handicap, too.

Still - at least I managed to go to the Victoria Cup at Ascot .... on a Wednesday.

Good call onlooker with the vernons I also still call it that much to the annoyance of my son.

Surely all the novice hurdles at the Cheltenham festival are divisions of the Gloucestershire Hurdle and the Stayers Hurdle is the Spa Hurdle and very much a consolation prize for those who can't cut it at 2m.

Well-membered there with the Gloucestershire Hurdle - salmon - Named as such until 1974

After that, Waterford Crystal had the Title for around 12 years, too.

The race title should have read the Gloucester hurdle ran for the benefit of Vincent obrien

Would agree with all the previous posts, especially the comment about the Cathcart, used to be the last race of the meeting on the Thursday, often with only about 7 or 8 runners, used to watch it near the exit, ready for the walk back into town,when the real drinking used to start.
Couple of others I still think of by there Old Names, The Templegate Hurdle at Aintree used to be run on the Saturday a couple of races before the Grand National, The Grand National I still think of as the Martell Grand National(probably more to do with my liking of Brandy) and for some reason I always refer to the Dante as the Mecca Dante stakes.

Good morning llamedos

The county hurdle and the Cathcart seemed to change quite a bit as to which race had the honour of finishing the festival off back in the days when every race was interesting.

Mecca Dante

Can anyone remember what Mecca were the first to have ?

Magnet Cup

Good morning llamedos

The county hurdle and the Cathcart seemed to change quite a bit as to which race had the honour of finishing the festival off back in the days when every race was interesting.

Yes Jimnast I think you are right, didn't the last day order after the Gold Cup go something like the amateurs race( their gold cup) the County Hurdle then the Cathcart, I think they then move the County Hurdle to the last race to keep people there as  a lot of people where disappearing because the Cathcart had so few entries.

Jimnast.just cleaned the 1982 Mecca hurdle winner at  Sandown Park trophy.

Was it ever The Daily Express Triumph Hurdle??

yes. Johnnie Walker Ebor.

Yes - the dealer .... and - it used to be run at Hurst Park, too ...

Lester Piggott rode the Winner, once.

Every days a learning day lol

Thank You

I remember the Vaux Gold Trophy at a Redcar meeting that ran parallel to Glorious Goodwood. The rest of the Redcar meeting was quite ordinary but the Vaux,a handicap run over 14f+ was I think as valuable as any of the Goodwood handicaps and certainly attracted a decent field. Probably still exists as a 0-60 handicap.

I also seem to remember that when it was first run at Cheltenham The Triumph was at an April meeting not the festival.

Nunthorpe. Bunbury Cup.

Salmon spray.There was also an Usher/Vaux 1m 7f handicap at Ayr on Glasgow Fair Mondays.

The Cork and Orrery...

Good one - grayhawk .... Colloquially called - The Cork and 'Orrible.

Said to my mate the other week , ' Was that the old H and T Walker ' at Ascot .

Well remembered salmon

In 1959, the first running of the VAUX GOLD TANKARD, run over one mile six furlongs, took place and was won by Morecambe, trained by Sam Hall and ridden by Joe Sime. It was described on early 60s racecards as ‘Europe’s greatest handicap’. The last running was in 1980.

RSA

salmon spray
I remember the Vaux Gold Trophy at a Redcar meeting that ran parallel to Glorious Goodwood. The rest of the Redcar meeting was quite ordinary but the Vaux,a handicap run over 14f+ was I think as valuable as any of the Goodwood handicaps and certainly attracted a decent field. Probably still exists as a 0-60 handicap.


-----------------------

Don't forget another Redcar race from back in the day "The Andy Capp Handicap" named after the Daily Mirror character.

The Observer Gold Cup was I believe the original sponsorship for what became the Racing Post Trophy.

Won by the great Vaguely Noble as I recall. 



Does the Steel Plate and Sections race stil get run at Chelters in early season?

I had a think about this for the first time last week

The Scilly Isles Novices Chase

What's that all about? I know it's not a sponsor, but what on earth do the Scilly Isles have to do with NH Horse Racing?
Where did the name came from?

Great race for nearly 60 years. Best Mate, Bradbury Star, Young Hustler, Oscar Whisky... all winners

Just googled it and put an end to my query:

The race was first run in 1964 and takes its name from the Scilly Isles, Surrey, an area near to Sandown Park racecourse.

The Moet & Chandon Silver Magnum - run on August Bank Holiday Monday at Epsom, for amateur riders. First run in 1963 as a new race on the calendar, early riders included Mr J Lawrence (later Lord Oaksey), Sir William Pigott-Brown, Lord Fermoy(3), Mr D Weld(3), Mr T Beckett(3), the Duc D'Albuquerque and Mr L Cumani. Their sponsorship ran out in 2002, when it was taken over by Burton and Smith (commercial removal company). At least it's gone back to being alcoholic, as it was sponsored last year by Garden Cider - not quite Moet, but perhaps more enjoyable to some.

many great calls the one race nobody who is interested in horse racing will ever not call by its proper name is the staying handicap at newbury late november,we in time will get use to the other ones.

The Stones Ginger Wine at Ascot was another feature Saturday race,re the Vaux gold Tankard,if 1980 was the last running,I'm thinking Sea Pigeon may have won the last running? Good shout with the Andy capp hcp at Redcar,fairly sure Gunner B won it when trained bu Geoff Toft,Redcar had another big Handicap in August,The William Hill Hcp over a mile.

Poppydog,

The Scilly Isles isn't an area, it's a roundabout. If you turn left out of the main racecourse car park, you reach the Scilly Isles where that road meets the Kingston Bypass.

has the jim ford got a mention ?


pretty sure kildimo beat dessie in that race

the race through up many gold cup winners and a grand national winner

Good one jimnast,is the Cecil Frail still there?

still there ribero won by sense of duty last season.

i should think pipalong would be the best winner of that race

Hi jimnast,no one mentioned the Embassy chase series which I always associated with Haydock,Alun mentioned the Observer gold cup which is now the futurity,it actually started as the Timeform Gold cup as Phil Bull's brainchild.

hello ribero



yes the embassy serious when national hunt racing at haydock was superb.

The Edward Hanmer at Hardock, midweek as well!

The Edward Hanmer at Hardock, midweek as well!

Haydock ffs

The 'Faucets Grohedal Flushing Systems For WC & Urinals Median Auction Maiden Stakes' made a brief splash at Lingfield in 1997.

What crowds haydock got midweek back then saxon as did Warwick with there Coventry city day fixture in February

Indeed jimnast, some good memories!

The "Triumph Hurdle" could be renamed a thousand times and most of us would still call it that.

The race that was formerly the Bula Hurdle was I'm sure called the Champion Hurdle Trial in the mid 70's.The treasured Embassy Series ( originally the Wills - same company) was  shamefully moved to Ascot and renamed the Lambert & Butler series from where  it went downhill. Benson & Hedges, in addition to their York flagship race, also sponsored a handicap hurdle and chase in the Autumn. And away from the ciggies, Blue Circle cement sponsored a quality handicap chase at Ascot in Jan/Feb.

News of the World Stakes at Goodwood later known as the Extel Handicap

Antone else remember the Panama Cigar Hurdle ?  A qualifying series of races over the winter for novice hurdlers,culminating in a grand final usually run at Chepstow. Border Incident won it during its hurdling days. 


Some Googling produced this info :

Player's No 6 National/John Player/Panama Cigar Novices' Hurdle (1971-1983) Restricted to five-year-olds. Qualifiers were run all over the country and the final was at Chepstow (Towcester in 1972) on the Saturday prior to the Cheltenham Festival. By far the pick of the winners was Gaye Brief, who went on to land the Champion Hurdle 12 months later, while the inaugural running went to the ill-fated Killiney.

Think a qualifier of that Panama Cigar Hurdle used to be run at Wolverhampton.

I think the Stones Ginger Wine was run at Sandown

The Brooke Bond Oxo National Handicap Chase a shocking ommission.

Magnet Cup

Nostalgia works best for things experienced in a person's formative years. Leaving aside the vandalising of true heritage which the Anorak touched on, I dare say if you were around when they changed the Gloucester to the Waterford Crystal, that you'd have wistfully regretted the modern age. Tradition is slow to evolve. What worries me nowadays is we have lost the core of fans of the sport who are experiencing their own formative memories right now, not helped by the loss of continuity in the programme itself. Or maybe I'm just missing my youth.

Why did Cheltenham drop the Mildmay of Flete name but keep the Queen Mother Champion Chase when it was Lord Mildmay of Flete who got the Queen Mother hooked on NH racing in the first place.

The William The Lion Handicap 2m 4f at Lanark.Is it being run elsewhere.I recall Magic Court LG Brown doing me a good turn back in the day.

A great series was the Rothmans north south challenge,decent quality handicaps ran throughout the season the northern final was a Doncaster and the southern final at Newbury,then the outright final on the rowley mile champion stakes day,they were great punting races,stopped when cigarettes were no longer allowed to be advertised.

It is all about the sponsors and whether we oldies like it or not, without them the prize money would be even worse. Some are happy to attach their name to a famous race like the National but others insist on their company name dominating. In the case of the Mackeson, Schweppes, Hennessy and Whitbread of course, once the sponsor changed, the name would as well. The Ryanair might go the same way in the future.