Christmas Hurdle

The Christmas 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 at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is the second leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling and is scheduled to take place each year during the King George VI Chase meeting on Boxing Day.

For the horse race in Ireland, see Christmas Hurdle (Ireland).
Christmas Hurdle
Grade 1 race
LocationKempton Park,
Sunbury, England
Race typeHurdle race
SponsorLadbrokes
WebsiteKempton Park
Race information
Distance2 miles (3,219 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackRight-handed
QualificationFour-years-old and up
Weight11 st 7 lb
Allowances
7 lb for fillies and mares
Purse£105,000 (2020)
1st: £59,798
Christmas Hurdle
2020
Silver Streak Epatante Ballyandy

History

During the 1960s Kempton staged a 2-mile handicap race on Boxing Day called the Kempton Park Handicap Hurdle. Its winners included Salmon Spray and Saucy Kit – both subsequent winners of the Champion Hurdle. The race was abandoned in 1967 and 1968, and it returned in the guise of the Christmas Hurdle in 1969.

Five winners of the race in its present format have gone on to victory in the Champion Hurdle. The first was Lanzarote, the winner of the latter event in 1974, and the others are Dawn Run (1983–84), Kribensis (1989–90), Faugheen (2014–15) and Epatante (2019–20)

Records

Most successful horse since 1969 (2 wins):

  • Coral Diver – 1969, 1971
  • Lanzarote – 1973, 1975
  • Kribensis – 1988, 1989
  • Intersky Falcon – 2002, 2003
  • Harchibald – 2004, 2008
  • Binocular – 2010, 2011
  • Faugheen – 2014, 2015

Leading jockey since 1969 (5 wins):

  • Tony McCoy – Straw Bear (2007), Binocular (2010, 2011), Darlan (2012), My Tent Or Yours (2013)

Leading trainer since 1969 (9 wins):

  • Nicky Henderson – Geos (2000), Landing Light (2001), Binocular (2010, 2011), Darlan (2012), My Tent Or Yours (2013), Buveur d'Air (2017), Verdana Blue (2018), Epatante (2019)

Winners since 1969
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
1969 Coral Diver 4 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell
1970 no race 1970 [lower-alpha 1]
1971 Coral Diver 6 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell
1972 Canasta Lad 6 Jeff King Peter Bailey
1973 Lanzarote 5 Richard Pitman Fred Winter
1974 Tree Tangle 5 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1975 Lanzarote 7 John Francome Fred Winter
1976 Dramatist 5 Bill Smith Fulke Walwyn
1977 Beacon Light 6 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1978 Kybo 5 Bob Champion Josh Gifford
1979 Birds Nest [lower-alpha 2] 9 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1980 Celtic Ryde 5 John Francome Peter Cundell
1981 no race 1981 [lower-alpha 3]
1982 Ekbalco 6 Jonjo O'Neill Roger Fisher
1983 Dawn Run 5 Jonjo O'Neill Paddy Mullins
1984 Browne's Gazette 6 Dermot Browne Monica Dickinson
1985 Aonoch 6 Jimmy Duggan Sally Oliver
1986 Nohalmdun 5 Peter Scudamore Peter Easterby
1987 Osric 5 Graham McCourt Mick Ryan
1988 Kribensis 4 Richard Dunwoody Michael Stoute
1989 Kribensis 5 Richard Dunwoody Michael Stoute
1990 Fidway 5 Steve Smith Eccles Tim Thomson Jones
1991 Gran Alba 5 Graham McCourt Richard Hannon Sr.
1992 Mighty Mogul 5 Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson
1993 Muse 6 Mark Richards David Elsworth
1994 Absalom's Lady 6 Paul Holley David Elsworth
1995 no race 1995–96 [lower-alpha 4]
1997 Kerawi 4 Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies
1998 French Holly 7 Andrew Thornton Ferdy Murphy
1999 Dato Star 8 Lorcan Wyer Malcolm Jefferson
2000 Geos 5 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson
2001 Landing Light 6 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson
2002 Intersky Falcon 5 Charlie Swan Jonjo O'Neill
2003 Intersky Falcon 6 Liam Cooper Jonjo O'Neill
2004 Harchibald 5 Paul Carberry Noel Meade
2005 Feathard Lady [lower-alpha 5] 5 Ruby Walsh Colm Murphy
2006 Jazz Messenger 6 Niall Madden Noel Meade
2007 Straw Bear 6 Tony McCoy Nick Gifford
2008 Harchibald 9 Paul Carberry Noel Meade
2009 Go Native 6 Davy Condon Noel Meade
2010 Binocular [lower-alpha 6] 7 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson
2011 Binocular 7 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson
2012 Darlan 5 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson
2013 My Tent Or Yours 6 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson
2014 Faugheen 6 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
2015 Faugheen 7 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
2016 Yanworth 6 Barry Geraghty Alan King
2017 Buveur d'Air 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2018 Verdana Blue 6 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson
2019 Epatante 5 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2020 Silver Streak 7 Adam Wedge Evan Williams
  1. The 1970 race was abandoned because of snow
  2. Celtic Ryde finished first in 1979 but he was relegated to second place after a stewards' enquiry
  3. The race was abandoned in 1981 because of frost
  4. It was cancelled in 1995 due to snow and frost, and in 1996 due to frost
  5. The race was switched to Sandown Park in 2005 as Kempton was closed for redevelopment.
  6. The "2010" race was run on 15 January 2011, after Kempton Park's 2010 Boxing Day meeting was cancelled due to snow and frost

See also

References
    • pedigreequery.com – Christmas Hurdle – Kempton.
    • Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 47. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.
    • Race Recordings 1983–2003
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