The National Hunt Chase, the oldest contest staged at the Cheltenham Festival, has been renamed in honour of Princess Anne, an accomplished horsewoman and frequent visitor to Cheltenham Racecourse. The race, which will now be known as The Princess Royal National Hunt Chase, will take place on the opening day of the festival, Tuesday, 11 March. Run over three miles and six furlongs, the race was previously limited to amateur riders but will now be open to professional jockeys and staged as a novices' handicap chase. Princess Anne has a strong equestrian background, having won individual gold at the 1971 European Eventing Championships and competed at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. She also rode as an amateur jockey in the 1980s, partnering winners both on the Flat and over jumps, and is the president of the Riding for the Disabled Association.