The Melling Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt

National Hunt racing

National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

 chase in Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 which is open to horses

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree

Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....

 over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 metres), and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in early April.

The event is named after Melling

Melling, Merseyside

Melling is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 2,810....

, a nearby village which is made famous by Melling Road, a public road which crosses the racecourse. It was established in 1991, and it has held Grade 1 status throughout its history. The race is currently staged on the second day of the three-day Grand National

Grand National

The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...

 meeting.

The field often includes horses which ran in the Queen Mother Champion Chase

Queen Mother Champion Chase

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...

 or the Ryanair Chase at the previous month's Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...

.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

• Viking Flagship
  Viking Flagship
  Viking Flagship was an Irish racehorse who began his racing career in October 1989 as 2 year old. He was first trained by his breeder Eithne C Holdsworth in Co...
  
   – 1995, 1996
• Direct Route – 1999, 2000
• Native Upmanship
  Native Upmanship
  Native Upmanship was an ultra consistent National Hunt racehorse. He was trained in Ireland by Arthur Moore and owned by John Magnier.-Early career:...
  
   – 2002, 2003
• Moscow Flyer
  Moscow Flyer
  Moscow Flyer was a top-class National Hunt horse over distances between 2 miles and 2½ miles . He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2003 and 2005, the Tingle Creek Chase in 2003 and 2004 and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2002...
  
   – 2004, 2005
• Voy Por Ustedes
  Voy Por Ustedes
  Voy Por Ustedes is a French-bred chaser owned by Sir Robert Ogden and trained by Nicky Henderson. He was originally trained by Guillaume Macaire in France and was subsequently sold to the Million in Mind Partnership in December 2004...
  
   – 2008, 2009

----
Leading jockey

Jockey

A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

 (3 wins):

• Conor O'Dwyer – Opera Hat (1998), Native Upmanship (2002, 2003)

----
Leading trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 (2 wins):

• Josh Gifford
  Josh Gifford
  Josh Gifford is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was a four-time Champion Jockey, riding 642 winners in his career....
  
   – Deep Sensation (1993), Katabatic (1994)
• David Nicholson
  David Nicholson (horse racing)
  David Nicholson was a British National Hunt jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons....
  
   – Viking Flagship (1995, 1996)
• Howard Johnson – Direct Route (1999, 2000)
• Arthur Moore – Native Upmanship (2002, 2003)
• Jessica Harrington – Moscow Flyer (2004, 2005)
• Alan King
  Alan King (horse racing)
  Alan King is a British racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at Barbury Castle stables near Wroughton, Wiltshire....
  
   – Voy Por Ustedes (2008, 2009)
• Paul Nicholls
  Paul Nicholls (horse racing)
  Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money...
  
   - Fadalko (2001), Master Minded (2011)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
1991	Blazing Walker	7	Chris Grant	Arthur Stephenson
1992	Remittance Man	8	Richard Dunwoody Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey, riding 1699 British winners in his career. His father was a leading Point to Point rider...	Nicky Henderson Nicky Henderson Nicky Henderson is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer twice.Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn, Berkshire...
1993	Deep Sensation	8	Declan Murphy	Josh Gifford Josh Gifford Josh Gifford is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was a four-time Champion Jockey, riding 642 winners in his career....
1994	Katabatic	11	Simon McNeill	Josh Gifford Josh Gifford Josh Gifford is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was a four-time Champion Jockey, riding 642 winners in his career....
1995	Viking Flagship Viking Flagship Viking Flagship was an Irish racehorse who began his racing career in October 1989 as 2 year old. He was first trained by his breeder Eithne C Holdsworth in Co...	8	Adrian Maguire Adrian Maguire Adrian Maguire, born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, is a racehorse trainer and former jockey.Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first winner under rules, at Sligo, before his first victory...	David Nicholson David Nicholson (horse racing) David Nicholson was a British National Hunt jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons....
1996	Viking Flagship Viking Flagship Viking Flagship was an Irish racehorse who began his racing career in October 1989 as 2 year old. He was first trained by his breeder Eithne C Holdsworth in Co...	9	Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....	David Nicholson David Nicholson (horse racing) David Nicholson was a British National Hunt jockey and trainer. He was British jump racing Champion Trainer in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons....
1997	Martha's Son	10	Carl Llewellyn	Tim Forster
1998	Opera Hat	10	Conor O'Dwyer	John Fowler
1999	Direct Route	8	Norman Williamson Norman Williamson Norman Williamson is a professional jockey in the Irish National Hunt.- References :...	Howard Johnson
2000	Direct Route	9	Norman Williamson Norman Williamson Norman Williamson is a professional jockey in the Irish National Hunt.- References :...	Howard Johnson
2001	Fadalko	8	Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:...	Paul Nicholls Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money...
2002	Native Upmanship Native Upmanship Native Upmanship was an ultra consistent National Hunt racehorse. He was trained in Ireland by Arthur Moore and owned by John Magnier.-Early career:...	9	Conor O'Dwyer	Arthur Moore
2003	Native Upmanship Native Upmanship Native Upmanship was an ultra consistent National Hunt racehorse. He was trained in Ireland by Arthur Moore and owned by John Magnier.-Early career:...	10	Conor O'Dwyer	Arthur Moore
2004	Moscow Flyer Moscow Flyer Moscow Flyer was a top-class National Hunt horse over distances between 2 miles and 2½ miles . He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2003 and 2005, the Tingle Creek Chase in 2003 and 2004 and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2002...	10	Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...	Jessica Harrington
2005	Moscow Flyer Moscow Flyer Moscow Flyer was a top-class National Hunt horse over distances between 2 miles and 2½ miles . He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2003 and 2005, the Tingle Creek Chase in 2003 and 2004 and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2002...	11	Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...	Jessica Harrington
2006	Hi Cloy	9	Andrew J. McNamara	Michael Hourigan
2007	Monet's Garden Monet's Garden Monet's Garden is a retired racehorse. Born in April 1998, he was a winner in 17 of his 32 starts, being placed second four times and third on two other occasions, earning £683,265 total prize money...	9	Tony Dobbin Tony Dobbin Tony Dobbin is a retired Northern Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He rode the winner of the Grand National on Lord Gyllene in 1997 and won over 1,200 races during his career in the saddle. He was the regular stable jockey for Nicky Richards...	Nicky Richards Nicky Richards Nicholas Gordon Richards is a British racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables at Greystoke, near Penrith, Cumbria, England...
2008	Voy Por Ustedes Voy Por Ustedes Voy Por Ustedes is a French-bred chaser owned by Sir Robert Ogden and trained by Nicky Henderson. He was originally trained by Guillaume Macaire in France and was subsequently sold to the Million in Mind Partnership in December 2004...	7	Robert Thornton Robert Thornton (jockey) Robert "Choc" Thornton is an English National Hunt jockey currently employed as stable jockey to Alan King....	Alan King Alan King (horse racing) Alan King is a British racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at Barbury Castle stables near Wroughton, Wiltshire....
2009	Voy Por Ustedes Voy Por Ustedes Voy Por Ustedes is a French-bred chaser owned by Sir Robert Ogden and trained by Nicky Henderson. He was originally trained by Guillaume Macaire in France and was subsequently sold to the Million in Mind Partnership in December 2004...	8	Robert Thornton Robert Thornton (jockey) Robert "Choc" Thornton is an English National Hunt jockey currently employed as stable jockey to Alan King....	Alan King Alan King (horse racing) Alan King is a British racehorse trainer specialising mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at Barbury Castle stables near Wroughton, Wiltshire....
2010	Albertas Run	9	Tony McCoy Tony McCoy Anthony Peter McCoy OBE , commonly known as A. P. McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish horse racing jockey....	Jonjo O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill is an Irish National Hunt racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England, O'Neill is the private trainer to J. P. McManus, one of the largest owners of steeplechasers and...
2011	Master Minded Master Minded Master Minded is a French bred National Hunt racehorse presently trained in Great Britain by Paul Nicholls.- Early Days in France :...	8	Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh Ruby Walsh is the reigning Irish National Hunt champion jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen.-Success:...	Paul Nicholls Paul Nicholls (horse racing) Paul Nicholls is a British National Hunt horse trainer with stables at Ditcheat, Somerset. A relatively successful jump jockey, Nicholls has become the leading National Hunt trainer of his generation, finishing the 2007-2008 season with 155 winners and a record £4 million in prize money...