Contenders Hurdle

Hurdle horse race in Britain

Contenders Hurdle  2022

|  |
Goshen  | Guard Your Dreams  | Global Citizen
2020-2011

2020
|  |
Quel Destin  | Call Me Lord  | Eldorado Allen
2019
|  |
Buveur D'Air  | Vision Des Flos  | Roksana
2018
|  |
Buveur D'Air  | John Constable  | Cap'n
2017
|  |
Buveur D'air  | Rayvin Black  | Irving
2016
|  |
Connetable  | Rayvin Black  | Peace And Co
2015
|  |
Garde La Victoire  | Jollyallan  | Bristol De Mai
2013
|  |
Rock On Ruby  | Countrywide Flame  | Clerk's Choice
2011
|  |
Binocular  | Ruthenoise  | Siberian Tiger
2010-2001

2010
|  |
Binocular  | Dee Ee Williams  | Marodima
2009
|  |
Celestial Halo  | Osana  | Afsoun
2008
|  |
Afsoun  | Straw Bear  | Osako D'airy
2007
|  |
Detroit City  | Straw Bear  | Whispered Promises
2006
|  |
Royal Shakespeare  | Alph  | Mister McGoldrick
2005
|  |
Self Defense  | Rooster Booster  | Chivalry
2004
|  |
Rhinestone Cowboy  | Garde Champetre  | Teaatral
2003
|  |
Rooster Booster  | Self Defense  | Telimar Prince
2002
|  |
Bilboa  | Rodock  | Teaatral
2001
|  |
Teaatral  | Bounce Back  | Geos
2000-1991

2000
|  |
Auetaler  | Mr Percy  | Master Beveled
1999
|  |
Midnight Legend  | Master Beveled  | Juyush
1998
|  |
Master Beveled  | Shadow Leader  | Marello
1997
|  |
Double Symphony  | Chief's Song  | Ground Nut
1996
|  |
Atours  | Land Afar  | Telasco
1995
|  |
Land Afar  | Absalom's Lady  | Bokaro
1994
|  |
Muse  | Valfinet  | Mole Board
1993
|  |
Mole Board  | Valfinet  | Ruling
1992
|  |
Fidway  | Oh So Risky  | Forest Sun
1991
|  |
Voyage Sans Retour  | Fidway  | Major Inquiry
1990-1988

1989
|  |
Aldino  | Yaheeb  | Chesham Squire
1988
|  |
Celtic Chief  | Celtic Shot  | Pat's Jester

The Contenders Hurdle was a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which was open to horses aged four years or older. It was run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 216 yards, or 3,319 metres), and during its running there were eight hurdles to be jumped. The race took place each year in late January or early February.

The race was first run in 1949 and was originally titled the Oteley Hurdle, and it was contested over a length of 2 miles (3,219 metres). Winners in the 1970s included Lanzarote and Sea Pigeon, and during the 1980s it was won by Desert Orchid and See You Then.

From the early 1990s until 2007 the race was sponsored by Agfa, and it was known as the Agfa Hurdle. In 1993 its distance was extended by 110 yards (about 100 metres) to the current length. It was most recently sponsored by Betfred. The 2008 running was classed at Grade 2 level, but the event was reverted to its former Listed status in 2009. Prior to 2010 it was open to horses aged five and over. The race often served as a trial for the Champion Hurdle, and the last horse to win both events in the same year was Buveur d'Air in 2017 and 2018.

The race was discontinued in 2023. Nicky Henderson who had won six of the last twelve runnings lamented the fact that it would be no longer an option for preparing his intended Champion Hurdle candidates saying "I had my favourite race at Sandown, it was worth nothing, but was perfect timing - but not surprisingly, it only had three or four runners (every year) and they've done away with it."[1] In April 2023 the British Horseracing Authority confirmed that the race had been removed from the jumps pattern programme in the 2022–23 season.[2]

## Winners

[edit]

* Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".

Year  | Winner  | Age  | Jockey  | Trainer

|
|
|
|

1949 | National Spirit | 8 | Bryan Marshall | Vic Smyth
1950 | National Spirit | 9 | Dennis Dillon | Vic Smyth
1951| Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course
1952 | Telegram II | 5 | Dave Dick | Fulke Walwyn
1953| Abandoned because of snow
1954 | Fastnet Rock | 7 | Arthur Freeman | C Jellis
1955| Abandoned because of snow
1956| Abandoned because of frost
1957 | Vermillion | 9 | Fred Winter | Ryan Price
1958 | Retour de Flamme | 5 | Jimmy Lindley | S Warren
1959 | Fare Time | 6 | Fred Winter | Ryan Price
1960 | Fare Time | 7 | Fred Winter | Ryan Price
1961 | Eborneezer | 6 | Fred Winter | Ryan Price
1962 | Snuff Box | 5 | Johnnie Gilbert | John Benstead
1963| Abandoned because of snow and frost
1964 | Kirriemuir | 4 | David Mould | Fulke Walwyn
1965 | Magic Court | 7 | Pat McCarron | T Robson
1966| Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course
1967 | Chenonceaux | 6 | Des Briscoe | Ken Cundell
1968 | Into View | 5 | E P Harty | Fred Winter
1969| Abandoned because of snow
1970 | Major Rose | 8 | Josh Gifford | Ryan Price
1971 | Major Rose | 9 | Paul Kelleway | Ryan Price
1972 | Phaestus | 6 | Ken White | Fred Rimell
1973 | Lanzarote | 5 | Richard Pitman | Fred Winter
1974 | Lanzarote | 6 | Richard Pitman | Fred Winter
1975| Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course
1976 | Sea Pigeon | 6 | Jonjo O'Neill | Gordon W. Richards
1977 | Bird's Nest | 7 | Andy Turnell | Bob Turnell
1978 | Sea Pigeon | 8 | Jonjo O'Neill | Peter Easterby
1979| Abandoned because of frost
1980 | Pollardstown | 5 | Philip Blacker | Stan Mellor
1981 | Celtic Ryde | 6 | John Francome | Peter Cundell
1982 | Heighlin[1] | 6 | Steve Jobar | David Elsworth
1983 | Cima | 5 | Sam Morshead | Jim Old
1984 | Sula Bula | 6 | Mr Tim Easterby | Peter Easterby
1985 | Desert Orchid | 6 | Colin Brown | David Elsworth
1986 | See You Then | 6 | Steve Smith Eccles | Nicky Henderson
1987 | Prideaux Boy | 9 | Michael Bowlby | Graham Roach
1988  | Celtic Chief  | 5  | Richard Dunwoody | Mercy Rimell
1989  | Aldino | 6  | Simon Sherwood | Oliver Sherwood
1990 | no race 1990 [2] |  |  |
1991  | Voyage Sans Retour | 6  | Peter Scudamore | Martin Pipe
1992  | Fidway | 7  | Peter Scudamore | Tim Thomson Jones
1993  | Mole Board | 11  | Carl Llewellyn | Jim Old
1994  | Muse | 7  | Paul Holley | David Elsworth
1995  | Land Afar | 8  | Graham McCourt | John Webber
1996  | Atours | 8  | Richard Dunwoody | David Elsworth
1997  | Double Symphony | 9  | Jamie Osborne | Charlie Brooks
1998  | Master Beveled | 8  | Tony McCoy | David Evans
1999  | Midnight Legend | 8  | Richard Johnson | David Nicholson
2000  | Auetaler | 6  | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe
2001  | Teaatral | 7  | Norman Williamson | Charles Egerton
2002  | Bilboa | 5  | Thierry Doumen | François Doumen
2003  | Rooster Booster | 9  | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs
2004  | Rhinestone Cowboy | 8  | Mr J. P. Magnier | Jonjo O'Neill
2005  | Self Defense | 8  | Robert Thornton | Patrick Chamings
2006  | Royal Shakespeare | 7  | Tom Scudamore | Steve Gollings
2007  | Detroit City | 5  | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs
2008  | Afsoun | 6  | Mick Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson
2009  | Celestial Halo | 5  | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls
2010  | Binocular | 6  | Tony McCoy | Nicky Henderson
2011  | Binocular | 7  | Tony McCoy | Nicky Henderson
2012 | no race 2012 [3] |  |  |
2013  | Rock On Ruby[4] | 8  | Noel Fehily | Harry Fry
2014 | no race 2014 [5] |  |  |
2015  | Garde La Victoire | 6  | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs
2016  | Connetable  | 4  | Sam Twiston-Davies | Paul Nicholls
2017  | Buveur d'Air | 6  | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson
2018  | Buveur d'Air | 7  | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson
2019  | Buveur d'Air | 8  | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson
2020  | Quel Destin  | 5  | Harry Cobden | Paul Nicholls
2012 | no race 2021 [6] |  |  |
2022  | Goshen  | 6  | Jamie Moore | Gary Moore

1 The 1982 race was run at Kempton.
2 The 1990 running was abandoned because of waterlogging.
3 The 2012 running was abandoned due to frost.
4 The 2013 race was run at Doncaster after the original meeting at Sandown became chase only due to the waterlogged state of the hurdle course[3]
5 The 2014 running was abandoned due to going conditions.[4]
6 The 2021 running was abandoned due to waterlogging and the meeting featured an all chase card instead.[5]

## See also

[edit]

* Horseracing in Great Britain
* List of British National Hunt races

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Kempton could be Constitution Hill's last run before Cheltenham". Irish Examiner. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
2. ^ "Package of changes agreed to help strengthen performance of British Jump racing". British Horseracing Authority. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
3. ^ "Champion Hurdle trial rerouted to Doncaster as the weather beats Sandown's Saturday hurdles card". racingbetter.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
4. ^ "Sandown switch to chase card". www.attheraces.com. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
5. ^ "Hurdle races abandoned at Sandown". www.racingtv.com. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2023.

* Racing Post:
* 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
* 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
* 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
* Timeform Chasers & Hurdlers Statistical Companion 1992–93. Portway Press. 1993. p. 145.
* pedigreequery.com – Contenders Hurdle – Sandown.