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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.
Abernant (1946–1970) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse "considered by many as the greatest British sprinter of the 20th century," according to Godolphin Racing. In a racing career which lasted from May 1948 until 1950 he ran 17 times and won 14 races. He was the best British two-year-old of 1948 and returned from a narrow defeat in the 2000 Guineas to become the dominant sprinter in England in 1949 and 1950.
Flyingbolt was a famous racehorse. Officially he is the second best steeplechaser of all time, after Arkle. A comparison of their merits is probably best illustrated by the Official Handicapper, who at the end of the 1965-1966 season rated Arkle the superior by only 1 lb (0.5 kg). Timeform, the highly respected racing publication, had a difference of 2 lbs between them. As a hurdler, Flyingbolt was the best Tom Dreaper ever trained. His wins included the Gloucestershire Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Scalp Hurdle at Leopardstown. He also finished third in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Flyingbolt and Arkle never met on the race track, mainly because they were trained by the same man and he preferred to keep them apart.
King's Theatre was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was trained in the United Kingdom and the United States during a racing career which lasted from July 1993 to June 1996, winning five of his seventeen races. He is best known for winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1994, a year in which he was named European Champion Three-year old colt. King's Theatre later became a sire of both flat racers and jumpers.
Rock On Ruby, is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist hurdler he is best known for his performances in the 2011–2012 National Hunt season, when he won the Gerry Feilden Hurdle at Newbury in November before winning Britain's most prestigious hurdle race, the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on 13 March. After failing to make a mark as a steeplechaser he returned to hurdling and won the Relkeel Hurdle in 2014 and the Ascot Hurdle in 2015.
Collier Bay was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a moderate performer on the flat, winning one minor race from fourteen attempts. He showed considerable improvement when switched to hurdling winning several important races including the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown and the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. He later had some success as a steeplechaser, but was increasingly affected by respiratory problems and was retired from racing in 2001.
Black Tarquin (1945–1965) was an American-bred, British-trained racehorse and sire, best known for winning the St. Leger Stakes in 1948 and for his rivalry with Alycidon. In a career which lasted from June 1947 until July 1949, he ran fifteen times and won eight races. He was one of the leading two-year-olds of 1947, although he did not race after winning the Gimcrack Stakes in August. He was slow to reach peak fitness in 1948, and was unplaced in The Derby, but showed his best form in autumn when he beat a strong field in the St. Leger Stakes. His form continued into the following spring, but his career was effectively ended by his defeat in the Ascot Gold Cup. The victories of Black Tarquin led to a change in the way in which the Thoroughbred was defined in Britain.
Persian War (1963–1984) was a British National Hunt horse and a three-time winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. He is considered to have been one of the greatest hurdlers of all time. He won the Triumph Hurdle in 1967, before progressing to dominate the hurdling ranks for the next three years, including winning the Champion Hurdle three times, before the emergence of dual Champion Hurdle winner Bula. He was rated the best hurdler since Sir Ken in the 1950s, and described as “the ultimate champion” by trainer Colin Davis, and his career is considered to have heralded ‘a golden age’ of two-mile hurdling that saw outstanding champions Bula, Comedy Of Errors, Night Nurse, Monksfield and Sea Pigeon. However, many observers felt that Persian War could have accomplished even more if not for the interference of his owner Henry Alper, who employed six trainers to prepare the horse during his career and often targeted unsuitable races.
Bula (1965–1977) was a British National Hunt horse who won two Champion Hurdles and many other top races over hurdles and later over fences. He ran during what is considered a ‘golden period’ for two mile hurdlers in the 1970s, which featured such champions as Persian War, Comedy Of Errors, Night Nurse, Monksfield and Sea Pigeon. Bula was “a remarkably consistent, versatile and durable jumper” and was known for his come-from-behind style.
Gildoran was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. A specialist stayer he won the Ascot Gold Cup in 1984 and 1985. His other wins included the Sagaro Stakes and the Goodwood Cup. In all, he won seven races in a twenty-two race career which lasted from 1983 until 1985, during which he showed an aptitude for extreme distances and fast ground. He made little impact at stud.
Jezki is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. After showing promise in National Hunt Flat races he won five times as a novice hurdler in the 2012/2013 season, with his victories including the Fishery Lane Hurdle, Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, Future Champions Novice Hurdle and Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle. In the following season he won the WKD Hurdle and the Hatton's Grace Hurdle before taking the 2014 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse and following up with a win in the Racing Post Champion Hurdle. In the following season he was beaten in his first three races by Hurricane Fly and finished fourth to Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle before winning the Aintree Hurdle over two and a half miles and defeating Hurricane Fly in the World Series Hurdle.
Gunner B was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from May 1975 until October 1978 he contested thirty-three races, winning fourteen times, finishing second five times and third seven times. Originally trained in Yorkshire, he won twice as a two-year-old in 1975 before becoming a highly successful handicapper in the following season, when he won the Cecil Frail Handicap, Andy Capp Handicap and the Doonside Cup. He won three races in 1977 including the Group Three Diomed Stakes but appeared to have been well-exposed as a tough, consistent horse who was some way below the best. After joining the stable of Henry Cecil in 1978, however, he emerged as a genuinely top-class horse winning the Earl of Sefton Stakes, Brigadier Gerard Stakes, Prince of Wales's Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and Valdoe Stakes as well as finishing second in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup and third in the Champion Stakes. After his retirement from racing, he became a very successful sire of National Hunt horses. He died in 2003 at the age of thirty.
Deep Sensation was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who competed under National Hunt rules. He ran in six consecutive Cheltenham Festivals and is best known for his win in the 1993 Queen Mother Champion Chase. In his first three seasons he was campaigned in hurdle races, recording his most notable success in the 1990 Tote Gold Trophy. When switched to larger obstacles he was one of the leading novice steeplechasers of 1991/1992, winning the Lightning Novices' Chase and the Nottinghamshire Novices' Chase. He reached his peak in the following season, when he took the H & T Walker Gold Cup, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Melling Chase. He never won another major race but recorded two minor wins and was placed in several important chases over the next two years. He was retired from racing after a narrow defeat in the 1995 Melling Chase after winning thirteen of his forty-nine races and being placed on twenty-one occasions. He died in November 2003 at the age of eighteen.
Karshi was a British Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his performances in National Hunt racing. He was a moderate performer on the flat, winning one minor event in eleven attempts, but showed improved form when tried over hurdles despite recurring injury problems. In his first season over obstacles he won two novice races and finished third in the Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle. In the following season he won the Lonesome Glory Hurdle and recorded his most important victory when winning the Stayers' Hurdle at odds of 20/1. He also produced several good performances under big weights in handicap races and won his only race over fences before leg injuries ended his racing career.
Nomadic Way was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a successful stayer on the flat and was a top class hurdler under National Hunt rules, switching between the two codes in a racing career which lasted from October 1987 until January 1993.
Limestone Lad is a retired 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 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.
Knock Hard was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1953 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He showed good form on the flat, winning the Irish Lincoln Handicap and finished second in the Irish Cesarewitch and the November Handicap. As a steeplechaser he was a fast but unreliable jumper who fell when well fancied in both the King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the 1951/52 National Hunt season. In the following year his early form was inconsistent but he then won the Great Yorkshire Chase before defeating a strong field in the Gold Cup. His subsequent form deteriorated and he was retired to become a hunter in England.
Royal Diamond is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. A slow maturing stayer who was gelded before he appeared on a racecourse, he passed through the hands of five different trainers in a track career which lasted from September 2008 until November 2014. He won several minor races as a three-year-old in 2009 but then lost his form and failed to win in the next two seasons, including and unsuccessful stint as a National Hunt horse. He finally emerged as a top-class performer at the age of six when he rebounded from an unlucky defeat in the Ebor Handicap to record an upset victory in the Irish St. Leger. He was at least as good in the following season when he won the Challenge Stakes, Irish St. Leger Trial Stakes and British Champions Long Distance Cup. He was retired from racing after failing to win in 2014.
Assessor was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for his performances over extended distances. After winning two minor races as a juvenile developed into a high-class stayer in 1992, recording wins in the Lingfield Derby Trial and Prix Royal-Oak. He reached his peak as a four-year-old in 1993 when he won the Yorkshire Cup, Doncaster Cup and Prix du Cadran. He suffered from training problems thereafter but recorded another big win when he took the St Leger Italiano in 1995. After his retirement from racing he became a successful sire of National Hunt horses.
Penhill is a British-bred racehorse best known for his achievements in National Hunt racing. Racing on the flat in England he showed good form in handicap races, winning five times from eighteen starts. When transferred to Ireland to race over obstacles he was one of the best Novice Hurdlers of the 2016/2017 season, winning six races including the Joe Mac Novice Hurdle, Guinness Novice Hurdle and Spa Novices' Hurdle. His subsequent career was disrupted by chronic injury problems but he recorded his biggest win in March 2018 when he won the Stayers' Hurdle.
References
- 1 2 "Hurdling crown owes much to crowd-pleaser; National Spirit. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
- 1 2 3 4 Oakley, Robin (4 October 2012). Top 100 Racehorses of All Time - Robin Oakley - Google Books. ISBN 9781906850470 . Retrieved 2013-03-19.
- ↑ Tanner, Michael (1989). The Champion Hurdle. London: Penguin Group. p. 53. ISBN 0720718066.
- ↑ Tanner, Michael (1989). The Champion Hurdle. London: Penguin Group. p. 56. ISBN 0720718066.
- 1 2 3 4 "History of Fontwell Park | Fontwell Park Racing & Events". Fontwellpark.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
- ↑ Tanner, Michael (1989). The Champion Hurdle. London: Penguin Group. p. 58. ISBN 0720718066.
- ↑ Tanner, Michael (1989). The Champion Hurdle. London: Penguin Group. p. 59. ISBN 0720718066.
- ↑ Tanner, Michael (1989). The Champion Hurdle. London: Penguin Group. p. 62. ISBN 0720718066.