Champion Hurdle Winners

CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 11: Robert Thornton and Katchit drive to the line to win The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 11, 2008 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

Champion Hurdle Winners in the 2000s

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer
2000	Istabraq	8	Charlie Swann	Aidan O’Brien
2001	no race 2001 *
2002	Hors La Loi III	7	Dean Gallagher	James Fanshawe
2003	Rooster Booster	9	Richard Johnson	Phillip Hobbs
2004	Hardy Eustace	7	Conor O’Dwyer	Dessie Hughes
2005	Hardy Eustace	8	Conor O’Dwyer	Dessie Hughes
2006	Brace Inca	7	Tony McCoy	Colm Murphy
2007	Sublimity	7	Philip Carberry	John Carr
2008	Katchit	5	Robert Thornton	Alan King
2009	Punjabi	6	Barry Geraghty	Nicky Henderson

* In 2001, the race was cancelled as a result of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Champion Hurdle Winners Interesting Facts

The 1963 race was won by a one-eyed horse Winning Fair. This horse was trained in Ireland by George Spencer, who is father of champion flat jockey Jamie Spencer.

In 1966, Flyingbolt put on a tremendous display to finish in third place after winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase just a day earlier.

Dawn Run became the first mare to win the Champion Hurdle in 1984. Ten years later, Flakey Dove became the second.

Its been ten years since a novice entry took first place that was Make a Stand in 1997 jockeyed by Tony McCoy.

2007s winner, Sublimity, returned at a winning starting price of 16/1, but had previously been bet at odds of 600/1, an indication of the varying nature of Champion Hurdle betting odds.

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