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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.
| Grade 1 race | |
| Location | Kempton Park, Sunbury, England |
|---|---|
| Race type | Hurdle race |
| Sponsor | Ladbrokes |
| Website | Kempton Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2 miles (3,219 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 10 lb Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares |
| Purse | £130,000 (2024) 1st: £74,035 |
| 2023 | ||
 |
 |
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| Constitution Hill | Rubaud | First Street |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ||
|
 |
 |
| Constitution Hill | Epatante | Highway One O Two |
| 2021 | ||
|
 |
 |
| Epatante | Glory And Fortune | Soaring Glory |
| 2020-2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ||
 |
|
 |
| Silver Streak | Epatante | Ballyandy |
| 2019 | ||
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| Epatante | Silver Streak | Ballyandy |
| 2018 | ||
 |
|
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| Verdana Blue | Buveur D'Air | If The Cap Fits |
| 2017 | ||
|
 |
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| Buveur D'air | The New One | Mohaayed |
| 2016 | ||
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| Yanworth | The New One | Ch'tibello |
| 2015 | ||
 |
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|
| Faugheen | The New One | Hargam |
| 2014 | ||
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 |
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| Faugheen | Purple Bay | Blue Heron |
| 2013 | ||
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| My Tent Or Yours | The New One | Sametegal |
| 2012 | ||
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 |
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| Darlan | Raya Star | Dodging Bullets |
| 2011 | ||
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 |
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| Binocular | Rock on Ruby | Overturn |
| 2010-2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | ||
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| Binocular | Overturn | Starluck |
| 2009 | ||
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| Go Native | Starluck | Binocular |
| 2008 | ||
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| Harchibald | Snap Tie | Blue Bajan |
| 2007 | ||
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| Straw Bear | Harchibald | Penzance |
| 2006 | ||
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 |
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| Jazz Messenger | Noble Request | Desert Quest |
| 2005 | ||
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| Feathard Lady | Self Defense | Royal Shakespeare |
| 2004 | ||
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 |
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| Harchibald | Rooster Booster | Perouse |
| 2003 | ||
 |
|
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| Intersky Falcon | Rooster Booster | Sporazene |
| 2002 | ||
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 |
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| Intersky Falcon | Santenay | Davenport Milenium |
| 2001 | ||
 |
 |
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| Landing Light | Bilboa | Hors La Loi III |
| 2000-1991 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ||
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| Geos | Ashley Park | Seebald |
| 1999 | ||
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| Dato Star | Wahiba Sands | Sharpical |
| 1998 | ||
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| French Holly | Master Beveled | Dato Star |
| 1997 | ||
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 |
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| Kerawi | Shadow Leader | Sanmartino |
| 1994 | ||
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| Absalom's Lady | Atours | Jazilah |
| 1993 | ||
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| Muse | High Baron | Absalom's Lady |
| 1992 | ||
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| Mighty Mogul | Flown | Granville Again |
| 1991 | ||
 |
 |
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| Gran Alba | Royal Derbi | Ruling |
| 1990-1987 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | ||
 |
 |
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| Fidway | Sybillin | Deep Sensation |
| 1989 | ||
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| Kribensis | Osric | Floyd |
| 1988 | ||
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| Kribensis | Floyd | Wishlon |
| 1987 | ||
|
 |
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| Osric | Aldino | Nohalmdun |
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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.
Six 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), Epatante (2019–20) and Constitution Hill (2022–23).
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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
- Epatante - 2019, 2021
- Constitution Hill – 2022, 2023
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 (12 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 (2019,2021), Constitution Hill (2022,2023)
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- The race was switched to Sandown Park in 2005 as Kempton was closed for redevelopment.
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