Charlie Swan is a former top National Hunt jockey in Ireland in the 1990s. He is associated with the great Istabraq, on whom he won three Champion Hurdles. He was twice top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival and was champion National Hunt jockey in Ireland for nine consecutive years. After retiring as a jockey he spent several years a trainer, based in Modreeny near Cloughjordan, County Tipperary.
The Barberstown Castle Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt Steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are eleven fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles ½ furlong, and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The Alanna Homes Champion Novice 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 and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May. The race is currently sponsored by the Ballymore Group
The Hatton's Grace 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 Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Irish 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 Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February.
The WillowWarm Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year on Easter Sunday.
The Navan Novice Hurdle is a Grade Two National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run in mid-December at Navan in Ireland, over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs.
The Drinmore Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Royal Bond Novice 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 Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Red Mills Trial Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run at Gowran Park in February, over a distance of about 2 miles and during the race there are nine hurdles to be jumped. It was downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 in 2017.
The Normans Grove Chase was a Grade 2 steeplechase National Hunt race in Ireland. It was run at Fairyhouse Racecourse over a distance of 2 miles and 1 furlong and took place each year in March or April at the course's Easter Festival. The 2017 running was moved to a fixture in early April to avoid clashing with similar races at the Punchestown Festival. Prior to 2013 the race took place in January.
The Donohoe Marquees Novice Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland. It is run at Fairyhouse, over a distance of 2 miles and it is scheduled to take place each year in March or April at the course's Easter Festival. The 2017 running was moved to a fixture in early April to avoid clashing with similar races at the Punchestown Festival. It is currently sponsored by Donohoe Marquees. During the 1990s it was known as the Jameson Gold Cup (Novice) Hurdle and during the 1970s & 1980s was known as the Fingal Hurdle.
The Slaney Novice Hurdle, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle, is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run in January at Naas Racecourse, over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs and during its running there are 11 flights of hurdles to be jumped. The race is often contested by horses who go on to compete at the Cheltenham Festival, such as the 1978 winner, Golden Cygnet, who went on to win the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and 2021 winner, Bob Olinger, who went on to win the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle.
Noel Meade is a horse trainer from Castletown, County Meath, Ireland. He established Tu Va Stables in Meath as a place to train his horses.
The Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is for horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles and 6 furlongs. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February.
The Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to mares aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse Racecourse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are ten hurdle to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late March or early April at Fairyhouse's Easter meeting.
The Donohue Marquees Juvenile Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years only. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of 2 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year at the course's Easter Festival.
Limestone Lad was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed mainly in National Hunt racing. Bred, owned and trained by a farming family in rural Ireland he was offered for sale as a three-year-old but was rejected after failing a medical examination. His early racing career was unremarkable but he made steady improvement and eventually retired with a record of thirty-five wins and nineteen places from sixty-five races. He was best known for his durability and his performances in long-distance hurdle races and usually raced from the front.
