Punchestown Champion Hurdle
Grade 1 race | |
Location | Punchestown Co. Kildare, Ireland |
---|---|
Race type | Hurdle race |
Sponsor | Paddy Power |
Website | Punchestown |
Race information | |
Distance | 2 miles (3,219 metres) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Right-handed |
Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
Weight | 11 st 4 lb (4yo); 12 st 0 lb (5yo+) Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares |
Purse | €250,000(2021) 1st: €147,500 |
2019 | ||
Buveur D'Air | Supasundae | Wicklow Brave |
Previous years | ||
---|---|---|
2018 | ||
Supasundae | Wicklow Brave | Bleu Berry |
2017 | ||
Wicklow Brave | My Tent Or Yours | Arctic Fire |
2016 | ||
Vroum Vroum Mag | Identity Thief | My Tent Or Yours |
2015 | ||
Faugheen | Arctic Fire | Dell' Arca |
2014 | ||
Jezki | Hurricane Fly | Steps To Freedom |
2013 | ||
Hurricane Fly | Thousand Stars | Rock On Ruby |
2012 | ||
Hurricane Fly | Zaidpour | Thousand Stars |
2011 | ||
Hurricane Fly | Thousand Stars | Binocular |
2010 | ||
Hurricane Fly | Solwhit | Thousand Stars |
2009 | ||
Solwhit | Punjabi | Quevega |
2008 | ||
Punjabi | Sublimity | Ebaziyan |
2007 | ||
Silent Oscar | Macs Joy | Hardy Eustace |
2006 | ||
Macs Joy | Brave Inca | Hardy Eustace |
2005 | ||
Brave Inca | Harchibald | Macs Joy |
2004 | ||
Hardy Eustace | Rooster Booster | Fota Island |
2003 | ||
Quazar | Back In Front | In The Forge |
The Punchestown Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The present version of the race was introduced in 1999, and it was initially sponsored by Shell. Several different sponsors have followed, including Emo Oil, ACCBank, Rabobank, Racing Post and Betdaq. Its current sponsor, Paddy Power, began supporting the race in 2021.
The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the last to win both events in the same year was Honeysuckle in 2021. For a period the race was restricted to horses aged five or older, but the minimum age was lowered to four in 2009.
Records[]
Most successful horse since 1999 (4 wins):
- Hurricane Fly - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Leading jockey since 1999 (6 wins):
- Ruby Walsh - Davenport Milenium (2002), Hurricane Fly (2011, 2012, 2013), Faugheen (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016)
Leading trainer since 1999 (8 wins):
- Willie Mullins – Davenport Milenium (2002), Hurricane Fly (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), Faugheen (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016), Wicklow Brave (2017)
Winners since 1999[]
Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Istabraq | 7 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien |
2000 | 7 | Charlie Swan | Christy Roche | |
2001 | Moscow Flyer [a] | 7 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
2002 | 6 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins | |
2003 | 5 | Tony Dobbin | Jonjo O'Neill | |
2004 | Hardy Eustace | 7 | Dessie Hughes | |
2005 | Brave Inca | 7 | Tony McCoy | |
2006 | Macs Joy | 7 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
2007 | 8 | Robbie Power | ||
2008 | Punjabi | 5 | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson |
2009 | Solwhit | 5 | Davy Russell | |
2010 | Hurricane Fly | 6 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
2011 | Hurricane Fly | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2012 | Hurricane Fly | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2013 | Hurricane Fly | 9 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2014 | Jezki | 6 | Tony McCoy | Jessica Harrington |
2015 | Faugheen | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2016 | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins | |
2017 | 8 | Patrick Mullins[b] | Willie Mullins | |
2018 | Supasundae | 8 | Robbie Power | Jessica Harrington |
2019 | Buveur d'Air | 8 | Davy Russell | Nicky Henderson |
no race 2020 [c] | ||||
2021 | Honeysuckle | 7 | Rachael Blackmore | Henry de Bromhead |
- ^ The 2001 running took place at Leopardstown
- ^ amateur rider
- ^ The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
See also[]
References[]
- pedigreequery.com – ACCBank Champion Hurdle – Punchestown.
- racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (April 25, 2003).
- National Hunt races in Ireland
- National Hunt hurdle races
- Punchestown Racecourse
- Recurring sporting events established in 1999
- 1999 establishments in Ireland