Punchestown Champion Hurdle
| Grade 1 race | |
| Location |
Punchestown Co. Kildare, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Race type | Hurdle race |
| Sponsor | Betdaq |
| Website | Punchestown |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2 miles (3,219 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
| Weight |
11 st 4 lb (4yo); 11 st 12 lb (5yo+) Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares |
| Purse |
€200,000 (2015) 1st: €120,000 |
| 2016 | ||
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| Vroum Vroum Mag | Identity Thief | My Tent Or Yours |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | ||
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| Faugheen | Arctic Fire | Dell' Arca |
| 2014 | ||
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| Jezki | Hurricane Fly | Steps To Freedom |
| 2013 | ||
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| Hurricane Fly | Thousand Stars | Rock On Ruby |
| 2012 | ||
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| Hurricane Fly | Zaidpour | Thousand Stars |
| 2011 | ||
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| Hurricane Fly | Thousand Stars | Binocular |
| 2010 | ||
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| Hurricane Fly | Solwhit | Thousand Stars |
| 2009 | ||
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| Solwhit | Punjabi | Quevega |
| 2008 | ||
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| Punjabi | Sublimity | Ebaziyan |
| 2007 | ||
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| Silent Oscar | Macs Joy | Hardy Eustace |
| 2006 | ||
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| Macs Joy | Brave Inca | Hardy Eustace |
| 2005 | ||
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| Brave Inca | Harchibald | Macs Joy |
| 2004 | ||
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| Hardy Eustace | Rooster Booster | Fota Island |
| 2003 | ||
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 |
 |
| Quazar | Back In Front | In The Forge |
The Punchestown 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 Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The present version of the race was introduced in 1999, and it was initially sponsored by Shell. Several different sponsors have followed, including Emo Oil, ACCBank, Rabobank and the Racing Post. Its current sponsor, Betdaq, began supporting the race in 2016.
The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the last to win both events in the same year was Faugheen in 2015. For a period the race was restricted to horses aged five or older, but the minimum age was lowered to four in 2009.
Records
Most successful horse since 1999 (4 wins):
- Hurricane Fly - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Leading jockey since 1999 (6 wins):
- Ruby Walsh - Davenport Milenium (2002), Hurricane Fly (2011, 2012, 2013), Faugheen (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016)
Leading trainer since 1999 (7 wins):
- Willie Mullins – Davenport Milenium (2002), Hurricane Fly (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), Faugheen (2015), Vroum Vroum Mag (2016)
Winners since 1999
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Istabraq | 7 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien |
| 2000 | Grimes | 7 | Charlie Swan | Christy Roche |
| 2001 | Moscow Flyer [1] | 7 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
| 2002 | Davenport Milenium | 6 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2003 | Quazar | 5 | Tony Dobbin | Jonjo O'Neill |
| 2004 | Hardy Eustace | 7 | Conor O'Dwyer | Dessie Hughes |
| 2005 | Brave Inca | 7 | Tony McCoy | Colm Murphy |
| 2006 | Macs Joy | 7 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
| 2007 | Silent Oscar | 8 | Robbie Power | Harry Rogers |
| 2008 | Punjabi | 5 | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson |
| 2009 | Solwhit | 5 | Davy Russell | Charles Byrnes |
| 2010 | Hurricane Fly | 6 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
| 2011 | Hurricane Fly | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2012 | Hurricane Fly | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2013 | Hurricane Fly | 9 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2014 | Jezki | 6 | Tony McCoy | Jessica Harrington |
| 2015 | Faugheen | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2016 | Vroum Vroum Mag | 7 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
1 The 2001 running took place at Leopardstown.
See also
References
- pedigreequery.com – ACCBank Champion Hurdle – Punchestown.
- racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (April 25, 2003).