Andy Newton

Charlie Hall Chase: How the big Wetherby race got its name

by
Andy Newton
26 October 2026

Held at Wetherby Racecourse on Saturday 31st October, the Charlie Hall Chase stands out as one of the ultimate focal points of the track’s National Hunt calendar, sharing the seasonal spotlight alongside their premier Boxing Day feature, the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase

Serving as an essential early-season launching pad for top-tier staying chasers, the race draws racing fans from across the country.

But just how did this iconic contest get its name?

Below is a look back at the trainer behind the title, the history of the Wetherby race, and the key names who have dominated it over the years.

Charlie Hall (Racehorse Trainer)

Training Career & Background

Charlie Hall was a highly respected National Hunt trainer based in Towton, close to Tadcaster in North Yorkshire.

Active Years: His training career spanned a total of 31 years.
Retirement & Stable Successor: When he stepped down from training, his stepson, Maurice Camacho, took charge of the stables.
Career Record: Over the course of his career, he accumulated 584 National Hunt victories.

Major Achievements & Top Horses

• Champion Trainer Title: Hall secured the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship during the 1955/56 season, tallying 40 wins and earning £15,573 in total prize money.
• Doorknocker (1956): His standout career success came in the 1956 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where he trained Doorknocker-owned by Clifford Nicholson and partnered by jockey Harry Sprague-to victory.

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History of the Charlie Hall Chase

The Charlie Hall Chase is a prestigious Grade 2 steeplechase hosted every autumn at Wetherby Racecourse in West Yorkshire.

• Creation (1969): The contest was launched in 1969 under the title of the Wetherby Pattern Chase, taking over from a previous handicap event called the Emblem Handicap Chase.

• Renaming (1978): Following Charlie Hall’s death, Wetherby renamed the fixture the Charlie Hall Memorial Wetherby Pattern Chase in 1978 to commemorate the local racing icon. It was subsequently trimmed to simply the Charlie Hall Chase in 1990.

• Distance & Setup: Contested over 3 miles and 45 yards (5,029 metres) with 19 fences to jump, the fixture acts as a pivotal early-season staging ground for top staying chasers targeting major autumn and winter events like the Betfair Chase, the King George VI Chase, or the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Charlie Hall Chase – Last 10 Winners

2025 – DJELO (11/4)
2024 – THE REAL WHACKER (5/1)
2023 – GENTLEMANSGAME (7/2)
2022 – BRAVEMANSGAME (2/1)
2021 – FUSIL RAFFLES (10/3)
2020 – CYRNAME (3/1)
2019 – BALLYOPTIC (11/4)
2018 – DEFINITLY RED (3/1)
2017 – BRISTOL DE MAI (6/1)
2016 – IRISH CAVALIER (16/1)

WATCH: Bravemansgame winning the 2022 Charlie Hall Chase

One Man Won The 1997 Charlie Hall Chase Before Landing The Champion Chase

One of the most beloved steeplechasers of the modern era, the grey gelding One Man delivered a brilliant autumn-to-spring campaign starting with a commanding victory in the 1997 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Trained by Gordon Richards and owned by John Hales, the high-class chaser successfully defended his title in Yorkshire before connections shifted his primary focus away from testing staying trips at Cheltenham.

Dropping back in distance to unlock his full potential, One Man produced an unforgettable, emotional triumph at the Cheltenham Festival later that season to capture the 1998 Queen Mother Champion Chase, finally conquering the famous hill in what remains one of National Hunt racing’s most celebrated moments.

WATCH: Bravemansgame winning the 1997 Charlie Hall Chase

Most Successful Charlie Hall Chase Trainers

Nigel Twiston-Davies (Record Holder – 6 Wins)

Tipping Tim (1992)
Young Hustler (1994)
Ollie Magern (2005 & 2007)
Bristol de Mai (2017)
Ballyoptic (2019)

Bristol de Mai won the Charlie Hall Chase in 2017

Paul Nicholls (5 Wins)

See More Business (1999 & 2000)
Silviniaco Conti (2012)
Cyrname (2020)
Bravemansgame (2022)

Who won the Charlie Hall Chase in 2025?

The 2025 running produced a classic finish, with Djelo outdueling his rival Pic D’Orhy in a dramatic stretch run.

Handled expertly by jockey Charlie Deutsch for trainer Venetia Williams, the talented seven-year-old dug deep in a neck-and-neck battles before storming clear near the post.

The victory gave Williams her inaugural success in the storied Grade 2 fixture and got her autumn campaign off to a flying start.