Christmas Hurdle

Hurdle horse race in Britain

For the horse race in Ireland, see Christmas Hurdle (Ireland).

Horse race

Christmas HurdleClass| Grade 1

|

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
Christmas Hurdle  2024

|  |
Constitution Hill  | Lossiemouth  | Burdett Road
Previous years

2023
|  |
Constitution Hill  | Rubaud  | First Street
2022
|  |
Constitution Hill  | Epatante  | Highway One O Two
2021
|  |
Epatante  | Glory And Fortune  | Soaring Glory
2020-2011

2020
|  |
Silver Streak  | Epatante  | Ballyandy
2019
|  |
Epatante  | Silver Streak  | Ballyandy
2018
|  |
Verdana Blue  | Buveur D'Air  | If The Cap Fits
2017
|  |
Buveur D'air  | The New One  | Mohaayed
2016
|  |
Yanworth  | The New One  | Ch'tibello
2015
|  |
Faugheen  | The New One  | Hargam
2014
|  |
Faugheen  | Purple Bay  | Blue Heron
2013
|  |
My Tent Or Yours  | The New One  | Sametegal
2012
|  |
Darlan  | Raya Star  | Dodging Bullets
2011
|  |
Binocular  | Rock on Ruby  | Overturn
2010-2001

2010
|  |
Binocular  | Overturn  | Starluck
2009
|  |
Go Native  | Starluck  | Binocular
2008
|  |
Harchibald  | Snap Tie  | Blue Bajan
2007
|  |
Straw Bear  | Harchibald  | Penzance
2006
|  |
Jazz Messenger  | Noble Request  | Desert Quest
2005
|  |
Feathard Lady  | Self Defense  | Royal Shakespeare
2004
|  |
Harchibald  | Rooster Booster  | Perouse
2003
|  |
Intersky Falcon  | Rooster Booster  | Sporazene
2002
|  |
Intersky Falcon  | Santenay  | Davenport Milenium
2001
|  |
Landing Light  | Bilboa  | Hors La Loi III
2000-1991

2000
|  |
Geos  | Ashley Park  | Seebald
1999
|  |
Dato Star  | Wahiba Sands  | Sharpical
1998
|  |
French Holly  | Master Beveled  | Dato Star
1997
|  |
Kerawi  | Shadow Leader  | Sanmartino
1994
|  |
Absalom's Lady  | Atours  | Jazilah
1993
|  |
Muse  | High Baron  | Absalom's Lady
1992
|  |
Mighty Mogul  | Flown  | Granville Again
1991
|  |
Gran Alba  | Royal Derbi  | Ruling
1990-1987

1990
|  |
Fidway  | Sybillin  | Deep Sensation
1989
|  |
Kribensis  | Osric  | Floyd
1988
|  |
Kribensis  | Floyd  | Wishlon
1987
|  |
Osric  | Aldino  | Nohalmdun

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.

## History

[edit]

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).

## Records

[edit]

Most successful horse since 1969 (3 wins):

* Constitution Hill – 2022, 2023, 2024

Leading jockey since 1969 (5 wins):

* Tony McCoy – Straw Bear (2007), Binocular (2010, 2011), Darlan (2012), My Tent Or Yours (2013)
* Nico de Boinville \- Verdana Blue (2018), Epatante (2021), Constitution Hill (2022, 2023, 2024)

Leading trainer since 1969 (13 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, 2024)

## Winners since 1969

[edit]

Year  | Winner  | Age  | Jockey  | Trainer

|
|
|
|

1969  | Coral Diver | 4  | Terry Biddlecombe | Fred Rimell
1970 | no race 1970 [a] |  |  |
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 [b] | 9  | Andrew Turnell | Bob Turnell
1980  | Celtic Ryde | 5  | John Francome | Peter Cundell
1981 | no race 1981 [c] |  |  |
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 [d] |  |  |
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 [e] | 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 [f] | 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
2021  | Epatante | 7  | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson
2022  | Constitution Hill | 5  | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson
2023  | Constitution Hill | 6  | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson
2024  | Constitution Hill | 7  | Nico de Boinville | Nicky Henderson

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

[edit]

* Horse racing in Great Britain
* List of British National Hunt races

## References

[edit]

* * *

* Racing Post:
* 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999
* 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
* 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
* 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

* pedigreequery.com – Christmas Hurdle – Kempton.
* Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 47\. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.

## External links

[edit]

* Race Recordings (1982–2011) youtube.com

* v
* t
* e

Christmas Festival (Kempton Park)

* Christmas Hurdle
* Desert Orchid Handicap Chase
* Kauto Star Novices' Chase
* King George VI Chase
* Wayward Lad Novices' Chase

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