Three great past Shloer Chase winners

The Shloer Chase is the first opportunity for top class two-mile chasers to kick off their season, here we highlight three of the best.

Well Chief (2009)

Well Chief is the oldest winner of the race, claiming victory in its inaugural running when it was known as the Connaught Chase.

The race was billed as a rematch between the previous season's Champion Chaser Master Minded and the runner-up Well Chief.

In receipt of 10lb from Master Minded, Well Chief was able to exact his revenge, the then ten-year-old staying on strongly to defeat Mahogany Blaze, with Master Minded only third.

Well Chief did not enter the winner's enclosure again in four subsequent starts, but his Shloer Chase win still lives long in the memory.

Kid Cassidy and Tony McCoy triumph in 2013Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Kid Cassidy (2013)

A sad case of what might have been. The enigmatic Kid Cassidy was not straightforward, but on his day was very good, and his Shloer Chase win that year was definitely one of those days.

Patiently ridden by Tony McCoy, Kid Cassidy was delivered perfectly to collar Sire De Grugy, and it was form that stood the test of time, as Sire De Grugy went on to win the Champion Chase the following year.

Back in third was another future champion chaser, as Special Tiara – who is back for more today – won the Cheltenham Festival race in 2016.

Unfortunately Kid Cassidy would only make three more starts, and paid the ultimate price when fatally falling on his debut for Christy Roche in the 2014 Galway Plate.

Sprinter Sacre jumps the second-last fenceCredit: Edward Whitaker

Sprinter Sacre (2015)

A race that tugs at the heartstrings of many a jumps fan. A heart condition had derailed the seemingly unstoppable Sprinter Sacre, and although he managed to return to the track, the star quality he so easily exuded before the problem seemed to have dimmed.

But making his seasonal reappearance, the Sprinter Sacre of old was back. He cruised round Prestbury Park, and then dismantled the field, defeating Somersby by 14 lengths, to the delight of the crowd and trainer Nicky Henderson.

It was a performance that set up the rest of his season, as he remained unbeaten in his next three starts en route to a majestic second Champion Chase.