Champion Hurdle Winners at Cheltenham Festival

Phillip Carberry and Sublimity return to scale after winning the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy

Champion Hurdle winners extend back to 1927 when the race was first run. The event forms part of the annual Cheltenham Festival, held in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire every March.

The horse which won the event in its inaugural year was Blaris, jockeyed by George Duller and trained by Bill Payne. In the Champion Hurdle results of the following year, Brown Jack took first place, jockeyed by Bilbie Rees and trained by Aubrey Hastings.

The most recent Champion Hurdle winner was the seven-year-old Sublimity, who was jockeyed by Philip Carberry and trained by John Carr. In 2006, Brave Inca took first place, with Tony McCoy as jockey and Colm Murphy as trainer. McCoy was also the jockey for the winning horse in 1997 – Make a Stand.

In the history of Champion Hurdle results there have only been four years in which there were no winners - due to the race being cancelled. In 1931 there was unrelenting frost, in 1943 and 1944 World War II prevented the race from being run, and in 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis put a stop to the race.

Most Successful in Champion Hurdle Results

  • Horses: Hatton’s Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War, See You Then, Istabraq (three wins each)
  • Jockey: Tim Molony, 4 wins (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954)
  • Trainer: Peter Easterby, 5 wins (1967, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981)
  • Owner: Dorothy Paget, 4 wins (1932, 1933, 1940, 1946)

Interesting Facts about Champion Hurdle Winners

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.It’s been ten years since a novice entry took first place – that was Make a Stand in 1997 jockeyed by Tony McCoy. 2007’s 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.

For full-service Champion Hurdle betting, we recommend William Hill horse racing betting.