Cheltenham Festival: Balding honoured with Festival race

The late Toby Balding OBE is to have the National Hunt Chase run in his honour at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival.

The four-mile contest for novice chasers takes place on the first day of the meeting on March 10.

Toby Balding, who died in September, aged 78, trained over 2,000 winners over jumps and on the Flat and enjoyed 11 victories at the Festival.

They included two Champion Hurdles with Beech Road (1989) and Morley Street (1991) plus the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Cool Ground in 1992.

The two-times Grand National-winning handler also won the National Hunt Chase twice with Lucky Vane (1981) and Boraceva (1989).

Balding was a noted mentor of young jockeys, having nurtured 19-times champion Tony McCoy, Bob Champion, Richard Linley and Adrian Maguire.

Toby Balding's daughter Serena Geake said: "The whole family are honoured and delighted to have a race named after Dad at the Festival this year.

"He adored Cheltenham and had an enviable record with two Champion Hurdles and a Gold Cup under his belt to name but a few of the races he won there.

"We are all looking forward to the day with great excitement."

Ian Renton, regional director Jockey Club Racecourses South West, said: "Toby was such a renowned figure within the racing industry, both as a trainer and through his work with the National Trainers Federation and British Horseracing Authority, so it is fitting that the four-mile chase on the opening day of the Festival will be the Toby Balding National Hunt Chase."