Champion Hurdle
Hurdle horse race in Britain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 (2 miles and 87 yards, or 3,298 metres), 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.
Grade 1 race | |
Location | Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham, England |
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Inaugurated | 1927 |
Race type | Hurdle race |
Sponsor | Unibet |
Website | Cheltenham Racecourse |
Race information | |
Distance | 2m 87y (3,298 metres) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
Weight | 11 st 0 lb (4yo); 11 st 10 lb (5yo+) Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares |
Purse | £465,750 (2024) 1st: £262,078 |
2024 | ||
State Man | Irish Point | Luccia |
Previous years | ||
---|---|---|
2023 | ||
Constitution Hill | State Man | Zanahiyr |
2022 | ||
Honeysuckle | Epatante | Saint Roi |
2021 | ||
Honeysuckle | Sharjah | Epatante |
As its title suggests, the Champion Hurdle is the most prestigious hurdling event in the National Hunt calendar. Its list of winners features many of the most highly acclaimed hurdlers in the sport's history, and several of these, such as National Spirit, Istabraq, Hatton's Grace, Persian War and Lanzarote, have had races named in their honour.
As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online gambling operator Unibet, the race is now known as the Unibet Champion Hurdle.