Terry Biddlecombe honoured in Festival race

Terry Biddlecombe, the former champion jockey, is to be honoured at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

The National Hunt Chase on Tuesday 11 March will be run in memory of Terry, who died in January aged 72.

Terry won 9 races at the Festival in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Gold Cup on Woodland Venture in 1967.

More recently, he assisted his wife, the former trainer Henrietta Knight, to produce treble Gold Cup champion Best Mate, besides 4 other Festival successes, which included dual winner Edredon Bleu.

Ms Knight said it was a “great honour” to have the 4-mile chase named after her husband.

“Terry would have been very touched,” she said. “Cheltenham always was his favourite racecourse. I would like to thank everyone involved for making this possible.”

Ian Renton, The Jockey Club’s regional director for the south-west, said: “Terry always loved Cheltenham and I’m sure had many happy memories from the course, both during his riding career and the years when he and Henrietta were training.

“It is only fitting that he is remembered at this year’s Festival.”

The National Hunt Chase is frequently run in tribute to a famous racing figure, such as Peter O’Sullevan and the late Lord John Oaksey. Terry Biddlecombe’s name will be carried for 1 year.

Terry’s memorial service took place at the racecourse on Monday (17 February).

Martha Terry

H&H features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on dogs of all shapes and sizes. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs, one a street dog from Gambia who was abandoned at three weeks old. Now, her constant companion, whether by her feet at her desk or walking cross-country courses, is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.