International Hurdle

Last updated

International Hurdle
Grade 2 race
Location Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham, England
Inaugurated1963
Race type Hurdle race
Sponsor Unibet
Website Cheltenham
Race information
Distance2m 179y (3,382 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFour-years-old and up
Weight11 st 0 lb
Purse £112,000 (2020)
1st: £63,784
International Hurdle
2024
Owner Mrs S Ricci.svg Owner Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates.svg Owner Miss A C Bamford.svg
LossiemouthLove EnvoiFirst Street
Previous years
2021
Owner Graham And Alison Jelley.svg Owner Sir Peter and Lady Gibbings.svg Owner Holloway,clarke,black.svg
Guard Your DreamsSong For SomeoneHunters Call
2020-2011
2020
Owner Sir Peter and Lady Gibbings.svg Owner Mr L Fell.svg Owner Options O Syndicate.svg
Song For SomeoneSilver StreakBallyandy
2019
Owner Mr S Munir.svg Owner Options O Syndicate.svg Owner Win Only Sp Only Partnership.svg
Call Me LordBallyandyCh'tibello
2018
Owner Mr Michael Buckley.svg Owner Mr L Fell.svg Owner Albatross Club and Bryan Drew.svg
Brain PowerSilver StreakWestern Ryder
2017
Owner Mr John P McManus.svg Owner Mrs S Such.svg Owner Mrs J Donnelly.svg
My Tent Or YoursThe New OneMelon
2016
Owner Mrs S Such.svg Owner Mr John P McManus.svg Owner The Brooks, Kyle and Stewart Families.svg
The New OneMy Tent Or YoursOld Guard
2015
Owner The Brooks, Kyle and Stewart Families.svg Owner Mrs S Ricci.svg Owner Mr John P McManus.svg
Old GuardSempre MediciHargam
2014
Owner Mrs S Such.svg Owner Mr R Kelvin-Hughes.svg Owner Mr M McNeill.svg
The New OneVaniteuxOlofi
2013
Owner Mrs S Such.svg Owner Potensis Limited.svg Owner Chasing Gold Racing Club.svg
The New OneZarkandarJumps Road
2012
Owner Mr Chris Giles.svg Owner Mr S Munir.svg Owner The Festival Goers.svg
ZarkandarGrandouetRock on Ruby
2011
Owner Mr S Munir.svg Owner Mr T G Leslie.svg Owner Mrs Katya Banks.svg
GrandouetOverturnBrampour
2010-2001
2010
Owner Mrs Diana Whateley.svg Owner Mrs Jean R Bishop.svg Owner Potensis Limited.svg
MenorahCue CardSilviniaco Conti
2009
Owner Mrs Caroline Mould.svg Owner The Stewart Family.svg Owner Mr P. J. Dunkley.svg
Khyber KimCelestial HaloMedermit
2008
Owner Mr John P McManus.svg Owner The Stewart Family.svg Owner Mr R Kelvin-Hughes.svg
BinocularCelestial HaloChomba Womba
2007
Owner Mr Thomas Barr.svg Owner Mr D. C. Bellamy.svg Owner Elite Racing Club.svg
OsanaKatchitPenzance
2006
Owner Mr Terry Warner.svg Owner Mr Laurence Byrne.svg Owner Mrs Marie Taylor.svg
Detroit CityHardy EustaceCrow Wood
2005
Owner Mr D P Sharkey.svg Owner Interskyracing.svg Owner Mr Jim Ennis.svg
HarchibaldIntersky FalconFaasel
2004
Owner Nelius Hayes and D Cox.svg Owner Mr Graham Wylie.svg Owner Matt Archer and the Late Miss J Broadhurs.svg
Back in FrontInglis DreverWestender
2003
Owner Mr Mark Woodhouse.svg Owner Mrs N O'Callaghan.svg Owner F F Racing Services Partnershi.svg
RigmaroleDavenport MileniumHasty Prince
2002
Owner Mr Terry Warner.svg Owner Mr and Mrs John Poynton.svg Owner Thurloe Thoroughbreds.svg
Rooster BoosterLanding LightGeos
2000-1991
2000
Owner Thurloe Thoroughbreds.svg Owner Sir Stanley Clarke.svg Owner Felix Rosenstiel's Widow and Son.svg
GeosBartonMr Percy
1999
Owner Brigadier C B Harvey.svg Owner Mrs Nicky Chambers.svg Owner J M Brown.svg
RelkeelFar CryShooting Light
1998
Owner Brigadier C B Harvey.svg Owner R and E H Investments Ltd.svg Owner Lady Clarke.svg
RelkeelGrey ShotMidnight Legend
1997
Owner Brigadier C B Harvey.svg Owner Jones, Berstock and Fleet Partnership.svg Owner Mr W E Sturt.svg
RelkeelPridwellCollier Bay
1996
Owner Mr B T Stewart-Brown.svg Owner Aidan J Ryan.svg Owner Mrs John Magnier.svg
Large ActionBimseyTheatreworld
1994
Owner Mr B T Stewart-Brown.svg Owner J T Price.svg Owner Whitcombe Manor Racing Stables Limited.svg
Large ActionFlakey DoveAbsalom's Lady
1993
Owner B Schmidt-Bodner.svg Owner Mr Athos Christodoulou.svg Owner White Horse Racing Ltd.svg
Staunch FriendHalkopousMuse
1992
Owner Mr Athos Christodoulou.svg Owner The Scarth Racing Partnership.svg Owner Michael Jackson Bloodstock Ltd.svg
HalkopousGranville AgainMorley Street
1991
Owner Michael Tabor.svg Owner Mr B V Sangster.svg Owner Iain MacDonald.svg
Royal DerbiNomadic WayRuling
1990-1987
1989
Owner Mrs Christopher Heath.svg Owner Mr B V Sangster.svg Owner Tony Geake.svg
Cruising AltitudeNomadic WayBeech Road
1988
Owner Comtese A De Laubespin.svg Owner M V Walsh.svg Owner Geoff Whiting.svg
Condor PanFloydSprowston Boy
1987
Owner R P Adam Ltd.svg Owner A Boyd-Rochfort.svg Owner M J Yarrow.svg
Pat's JesterAldinoTom Sharp
 

The International Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong (2 miles and 179 yards, or 3,382 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in January.

Contents

History

The event was established in 1963, and it was originally called the Cheltenham Trial Hurdle. The inaugural running was won by Scottish Memories, and in the following two years it was won by the Champion Hurdle winners Magic Court and Salmon Spray. Its title was changed to the Bula Hurdle in 1977, in honour of Bula, a dual-winner of the Champion Hurdle who was successful in this contest in 1972.

The first triple-winner of the Bula Hurdle was Bird's Nest, whose third victory came in 1980. This feat was matched in the late 1990s by Relkeel, a horse subsequently honoured by the naming of different race on the same card, the Relkeel Hurdle.

The online sportsbook StanJames.com sponsored the event for the first time in 2010. The International Hurdle is the second leg in the Road to Cheltenham, a Stan James sponsored series of top-class hurdles races culminating in the 2011 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. The other two races are the Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle Trial. The race is now sponsored by Stan James's parent company, Unibet.

The last horse to win both the International Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle in the same season was Rooster Booster in 2002–03.

Until 2022 the race was run at Cheltenham's International meeting in December. In April 2023 the British Horseracing Authority announced that the race would be run in future at the Festival Trials meeting in January. [1]

Records

Most successful horse (3 wins):

Leading jockey (6 wins):

Leading trainer (6 wins):

Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainer
1963 Scottish Memories 9Cathal Finnegan Arthur Thomas
1964 Magic Court 6 Pat McCarron Tommy Robson
1965 Salmon Spray 7 Johnny Haine Bob Turnell
1966 Sempervivum 8 Willie Robinson Fulke Walwyn
1967Abandoned due to foot and mouth outbreak
1968 Solway Sands 4 Brian Fletcher John McMurchie
1969 Celtic Gold 7 Stan Murphy Arthur Stephenson
1970 Pendil [a] 5 Paul Kelleway Fred Winter
1971 Canasta Lad 5 Jeff King Peter Bailey
1972 Bula 7 Paul Kelleway Fred Winter
1973 Comedy of Errors 6 Bill Smith Fred Rimell
1974 Comedy of Errors 7 Ken White Fred Rimell
1975 Sea Pigeon 5 Jonjo O'Neill Gordon W. Richards
1976Abandoned due to frost
1977 Birds Nest 7 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1978 Birds Nest 8 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1979 Celtic Ryde 4 Martin O'Halloran Peter Cundell
1980 Birds Nest 10 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
no race 1981 [b]
1982 Ekbalco 6 Jonjo O'Neill Roger Fisher
1983Amarach5 Jimmy Duggan Roger Fisher
1984 Browne's Gazette 6 Ronnie Beggan [c] Monica Dickinson
1985 Corporal Clinger 6 Paul Leach Martin Pipe
1986 Floyd 6 Colin Brown David Elsworth
1987 Pat's Jester 4 Peter Niven Dick Allan
1988 Condor Pan 5 Charlie Swan Jim Bolger
1989 Cruising Altitude 6 Jamie Osborne Oliver Sherwood
no race 1990 [b]
1991 Royal Derbi 6 Declan Murphy Neville Callaghan
1992 Halkopous 6 Adrian Maguire Mark Tompkins
1993 Staunch Friend 5 Declan Murphy Mark Tompkins
1994 Large Action 6 Jamie Osborne Oliver Sherwood
no race 1995 [d]
1996 Large Action 8 Jamie Osborne Oliver Sherwood
1997 Relkeel 8 Richard Johnson David Nicholson
1998 Relkeel 9 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson
1999 Relkeel 10 Richard Johnson Alan King
2000 Geos 5 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson
2001 Valiramix [e] 5 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
2002 Rooster Booster 8 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2003 Rigmarole 5 Robert Thornton Paul Nicholls
2004 Back in Front 7 Davy Russell Edward O'Grady
2005 Harchibald 6 Paul Carberry Noel Meade
2006 Detroit City 4 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2007 Osana 5 Paddy Brennan David Pipe
2008 Binocular [f] 4 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson
2009 Khyber Kim 7 Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies
2010 Menorah 5 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2011Grandouet4 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2012 Zarkandar 5 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2013 The New One 5 Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies
2014 The New One 6 Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies
2015Old Guard4 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls
2016 The New One 8 Richard Johnson Nigel Twiston-Davies
2017 My Tent Or Yours 10 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2018Brain Power7 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson
2019Call Me Lord6James Bowen Nicky Henderson
2020Song For Someone5 Aidan Coleman Tom Symonds
2021Guard Your Dreams5 Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies
no race 2022 [g]
2024Lossiemouth5 Paul Townend Willie Mullins
  1. Dondieu finished first in 1970, but was relegated to second place after a stewards' inquiry
  2. 1 2 The race was abandoned in 1981 and 1990 because of snow
  3. amateur jockey
  4. The race was abandoned in 1995 due to frost
  5. The 2001 running took place at Newbury
  6. The 2008 edition was held at Ascot
  7. The 2022 race was abandoned due to frost

See also

Related Research Articles

The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is the last leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling and is scheduled to take place each year on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rooster Booster</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Rooster Booster (1994–2005) was a British-bred thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2003 Champion Hurdle.

The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about 3 miles and 6½ furlongs, and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on 27 December.

The Champion Hurdle Trial is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain held each January, which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 1 mile 7½ furlongs, and with nine hurdles. It is currently sponsored by Unibet. Since 2019, the race has carried the name of The New One, a racehorse who had won the race every year from 2015 to 2018.

The Kingwell Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Wincanton over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile, 7 furlongs and 65 yards, or 3,077 metres ), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in February.

The December Gold Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December.

The Relkeel Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year on New Year's Day.

The Lanzarote Hurdle is a National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs, and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in January.

The Contenders Hurdle was a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which was open to horses aged four years or older. It was run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 216 yards, or 3,319 metres), and during its running there were eight hurdles to be jumped. The race took place each year in late January or early February.

The Imperial Cup is a National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in March.

The Summit Juvenile Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged three years. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December.

The Coral Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs, and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, known for sponsorship purposes as the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race for juvenile hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are fourteen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The Pertemps Network Final is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles, and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Flakey Dove was a British racehorse best known for her win in the 1994 Champion Hurdle. In a career which lasted from January 1990 until January 1995 she ran forty-four times and won fourteen races. Although she won two races on the flat, Flakey Dove was a specialist hurdler who competed mainly in National Hunt races. She ran in some races restricted to mares in the early part of her racing career, but was mainly campaigned against geldings and entire horses in open competition.

Bula (1965–1977) was a British National Hunt horse who won the Champion Hurdle twice and many other top races over hurdles and later over fences. One of the greatest hurdlers ever, he ran during what is considered a golden period for two-mile hurdlers in the 1970s. Bula was "a remarkably consistent, versatile and durable jumper" and was known for his come-from-behind style. At one stage Bula had an unbeaten run of 13 races.

Back In Front is a retired, Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. The gelding showed early promise in National Hunt Flat races, winning twice and finishing third in an exceptionally strong renewal of the Champion Bumper. He was one of the leading novice hurdlers in the 2003–04 season, winning four races including the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in England and the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle in Ireland. In the following season he won the Morgiana Hurdle and was regarded as a Champion Hurdle contender before being sidelined by injury. Back In Front won the Bula Hurdle in 2004 but ran poorly when joint-favourite for the Champion Hurdle in 2005. He had little success when switched to steeplechasing and was retired in 2007, having won eleven of his twenty-five races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersky Falcon</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Intersky Falcon is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt racing. He won eleven hurdle races and one steeplechase in a thirty-six race career which lasted from February 2001 until July 2006. He recorded his first major win when taking the Swinton Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park Racecourse in May 2002. He went on to win the John James McManus Memorial Hurdle in Ireland in 2002 and 2003 and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in 2002. Intersky Falcon's most notable achievement was to record back-to-back victories in the Christmas Hurdle, decisively defeating the reigning Champion Hurdler on each occasion. He never won at Cheltenham, but ran in four consecutive renewals of the Champion Hurdle, finishing fifth, third, sixth and eleventh.

References

  1. "Package of changes agreed to help strengthen performance of British Jump racing". British Horseracing Authority. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.