the castleford chase's recent history has seen a number of changes in conditions and status. until 1989 it was run as a limited handicap. in 1990 it was upgraded to a grade 1 race and run as a conditions chase for the first time. from 1998 it reverted to a limited handicap and was downgraded to grade 2 status. in 2006 it was replaced as a grade 2 chase in the calendar by kempton park's newly inaugurated desert orchid chase and became a handicap chase for horses rated between 0 and 145.