The New Year's Day Hurdle was a National Hunt hurdle race in England which was open to horses aged four years and older. It was run at Windsor over a distance of 2 miles (3,218 metres), and was scheduled to take place each year on New Year's Day (January 1).
The race was first run in 1975 and was last run in 1998, when Windsor stopped hosting National Hunt racing. [1] National Hunt racing returned to Windsor temporarily in 2004 when Ascot was closed for renovations, and Windsor hosted the Long Walk Hurdle. [2]
The race was initially a Conditions race, attracting high quality hurdlers, but became a Limited Handicap in 1993, reduced to an ordinary handicap in 1998. The race has been reinstated on Thursday 1st January 2026 with Windsor once again racing on that day. It is a £100,000 handicap hurdle sponsored by Fitzdares.
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1975 | Flash Imp | 6 | P Beasant | Ron Smyth |
| 1976 | Comedy of Errors | 9 | Ken White | Fred Rimell |
| 1977 | Strombolus | 6 | Ron Barry | Peter Bailey |
| 1978 | Beacon Light | 7 | Andy Turnell | Bob Turnell |
| 1979 | Abandoned because of snow | |||
| 1980 | Abandoned because of frost | |||
| 1981 | Celtic Ryde | 6 | Hywel Davies | Peter Cundell |
| 1982 | Celtic Ryde | 7 | Hywel Davies | Peter Cundell |
| 1983 | Sula Bula | 5 | Tim Easterby | Peter Easterby |
| 1984 | Secret Ballot | 9 | Ted Waite | Andy Turnell |
| 1985 | Ra Nova | 6 | Richard Dunwoody | Nan Kennedy |
| 1986 | Southemair | 6 | Alan Webb | Peter Haynes |
| 1987 | Ra Nova | 8 | Mark Perrett | Ian Matthews |
| 1988 | Celtic Shot | 6 | Peter Scudamore | Fred Winter |
| 1989 | Wishlon | 6 | Ian Shoemark | Ron Smyth |
| 1990 | Aldino | 7 | Jamie Osborne | Oliver Sherwood |
| 1991 | Royal Derbi | 6 | Declan Murphy | Neville Callaghan |
| 1992 | Shu Fly | 8 | Alan Jones | Sally Oliver |
| 1993 | Muse | 6 | Antony Procter | David Elsworth |
| 1994 | Absalom's Lady | 6 | Paul Holley | David Elsworth |
| 1995 | Abandoned due to frost | |||
| 1996 | Abandoned due to frost | |||
| 1997 | Abandoned due to frost | |||
| 1998 | Halona | 8 | Dean Gallagher | Charlie Morlock |