Chairman's Handicap

KALAPOUR winning the JRA CHAIRMAN'S HANDICAP Picture: Michael McInally/Racing Queensland

The Chairman's Handicap is a Group 3 conducted by the Brisbane Racing Club at Doomben usually as a lead-up race to the Doomben Cup and Brisbane Cup.

The Chairman's Handicap was introduced by the former Brisbane Amateur Turf Club in 1978 and has been run under various names and over a range of distances. It was known as the JRA Trophy in 2021.

The distances have varied from 2000m to 2200m. The race has been held at Doomben every year with the exception of 2013 (Eagle Farm) and 2015 (Gold Coast).

The 2022 race had to be run at Eagle Farm due to a huge rain incident meaning the race wasn't at Doomben.

The Chairman's Handicap became a Listed race in 1980 and was promoted to Group 3 in 1995.

Real Love became the fourth successive mare to win the Chairman's Handicap after Quintessential, Pretty Pins and Epingle. The previous mare to win was Kazakh Belle in 2000.

The only 3YOs to win the Chairman's Handicap have been I Wil (1984) and Lowan Star (1980).

Anton En Avant won at 150-1 in 2018 making it one of the bigger prices for a Group winner in Australia.

Juggler (1996) and Lord Seaman (1983) won the Chairman's Handicap/Doomben Cup double when both races were run in July. The double has not been completed since the races were transferred to May.

Art Success in 2006 and Crossthestart (2010) are the only horses to win the Chairman's Handicap and Brisbane Cup double.

Le Juge won the race for the second year in a row in 2020 but the bigger achievement was that Chris Waller trained the first six over the line out of seven entries in the 16 horse field. He trained the quinella again in 2022.

Warning's 2021 win was his first since taking the Victoria Derby of 2019.

The 2023 Chairman's Handicap was run over 2000m for prizemoney of $200,000.

Notable winners of the JRA Chairman's Trophy include Proficient, Lowan Star, Astrolin, Lord Seaman, Majestic Boy, Silk Ali, Arborea, Juggler, Iron Horse, Cronus, Society Beau, Art Success, Hume, Crossthestart, Quintessential, Pretty Pins, Epingle, Real Love and Warning.

The 2023 Chairman's Handicap was won by Kalapour from Dune Forty Five and Cepheus.