Christmas Hurdle

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.

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

Christmas Hurdle
Grade 1 race
LocationKempton Park,
Sunbury, England
Race typeHurdle race
SponsorLadbrokes
WebsiteKempton Park
Race information
Distance2 miles (3,219 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackRight-handed
QualificationFour-years-old and up
Weight11 st 7 lb
Allowances
7 lb for fillies and mares
Purse£130,000 (2021)
1st: £74,035
Christmas Hurdle
2022
White, black cap Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap White, red sleeves, white and red check cap
Constitution Hill Epatante Highway One O Two
Previous years
2021
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Mauve and black (quartered), mauve sleeves, white cap Maroon, white hoop, diabolo on sleeves and diamond on cap
Epatante Glory And Fortune Soaring Glory
2020-2011
2020
White, maroon hoop, sleeves and cap Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Red, white disc, diabolo on sleeves
Silver Streak Epatante Ballyandy
2019
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap White, maroon hoop, sleeves and cap Red, white disc, diabolo on sleeves
Epatante Silver Streak Ballyandy
2018
Light blue, white cross belts, red cap Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Dark blue and yellow (quartered), striped sleeves
Verdana Blue Buveur D'Air If The Cap Fits
2017
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Red, white star, red sleeves, black stars, white cap, red star Purple, pink stars, mauve sleeves, pink stars, purple cap, pink star
Buveur D'air The New One Mohaayed
2016
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Red, white star, red sleeves, black stars, white cap, red star Black, black and pink check sleeves and cap
Yanworth The New One Ch'tibello
2015
Pink, light green spots, pink sleeves and cap Red, white star, red sleeves, black stars, white cap, red star Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap
Faugheen The New One Hargam
2014
Pink, light green spots, pink sleeves and cap Black, black and maroon striped cap Light blue, red cross belts, light blue sleeves, red stars
Faugheen Purple Bay Blue Heron
2013
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Red, white star, red sleeves, black stars, white cap, red star Yellow, purple hoops and armlets, hooped cap
My Tent Or Yours The New One Sametegal
2012
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Emerald green, dark green sleeves, dark green and emerald green quartered cap Red, emerald green cross of lorraine and sleeves
Darlan Raya Star Dodging Bullets
2011
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Dark green, white cross belts, light green sleeves, dark green and white hooped cap Yellow, royal blue seams, grey sleeves, royal blue seams, royal blue cap
Binocular Rock on Ruby Overturn
2010-2001
2010
Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap Yellow, royal blue seams, grey sleeves, royal blue seams, royal blue cap Navy blue, green sash, cerise cap
Binocular Overturn Starluck
2009
Pink, purple stars, pink sleeves, purple stars on cap Navy blue, green sash, cerise cap Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap
Go Native Starluck Binocular
2008
Purple, gold sleeves, hooped cap Dark blue, light blue hoop, checked sleeves and cap Light blue and grey stripes, light blue sleeves, hooped cap
Harchibald Snap Tie Blue Bajan
2007
Emerald green and yellow hoops, white cap Purple, gold sleeves, hooped cap White, large black spots, black cap
Straw Bear Harchibald Penzance
2006
Emerald green, yellow seams, quartered cap Red, white chevron, hooped sleeves and cap White, purple hooped sleeves and cap
Jazz Messenger Noble Request Desert Quest
2005
White, dark blue stripe, striped sleeves, check cap Orange, Dark Blue sash, diabolo on sleeves, Orange cap White, Red stars, Red and White hooped sleeves
Feathard Lady Self Defense Royal Shakespeare
2004
Purple, gold sleeves, hooped cap Yellow, black chevron, check cap White, black stars, black and red halved sleeves, black and white quartered cap
Harchibald Rooster Booster Perouse
2003
White, light green and dark blue striped sleeves, green cap Yellow, black chevron, check cap White, royal blue epaulets, white sleeves, red spots, royal blue cap
Intersky Falcon Rooster Booster Sporazene
2002
White, light green and dark blue striped sleeves, green cap White, crimson hoops, black cap White, dark blue diamond, blue sleeves, white armlets, quartered cap
Intersky Falcon Santenay Davenport Milenium
2001
Black and yellow diamonds, checked sleeves, yellow cap Maroon, royal blue chevrons, maroon sleeves and cap Light blue, dark blue diamond and diamond on cap
Landing Light Bilboa Hors La Loi III
2000-1991
2000
Emerald Green, Yellow stripe, Yellow cap dark blue, pink sash, pink sleeves, dark blue armlets, dark blue cap with pink spots White, white cap, royal blue star
Geos Ashley Park Seebald
1999
Yellow, green star on body and on cap Royal blue, emerald green sleeves, white cap, emerald green spots Emerald green, yellow stripe, yellow cap
Dato Star Wahiba Sands Sharpical
1998
Navy blue, red armlets Blue, pink star and stars on sleeves, pink cap, blue star Yellow, green star on body and on cap
French Holly Master Beveled Dato Star
1997
Light blue, maroon chevron, halved sleeves, light blue and maroon quartered cap Dark blue, yellow triple diamond, yellow sleeves, dark blue armlets, dark blue cap, yellow diamonds Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves
Kerawi Shadow Leader Sanmartino
1994
Dark blue, yellow star and sleeves, yellow star on cap Yellow, blue stripe and sleeves Red, blue chevron and sleeves, red armlets
Absalom's Lady Atours Jazilah
1993
Yellow, large blue spots Brown, yellow sleeves, brown armlets, brown and yellow quartered cap Dark blue, yellow star and sleeves, yellow star on cap
Muse High Baron Absalom's Lady
1992
Orange, black epaulets, black and orange striped sleeves, black cap, orange star Red, blue stripe, white sleeves, black cap Royal blue, white seams, armlets and cap
Mighty Mogul Flown Granville Again
1991
Purple, pink cross-belts, hooped sleeves, pink cap Royal blue, orange disc, striped sleeves and cap Black, dark blue seams, black sleeves, yellow cap
Gran Alba Royal Derbi Ruling
1990-1987
1990
Black, white stars, red sleeves and cap Red, pale green cap Yellow, black hoops, yellow sleeves, black seams
Fidway Sybillin Deep Sensation
1989
Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star Purple, grey sleeves, purple cap, grey spots Maroon, light blue star and sleeves, light blue cap, maroon star
Kribensis Osric Floyd
1988
Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star Maroon, light blue star and sleeves, light blue cap, maroon star Pink, red cap
Kribensis Floyd Wishlon
1987
Purple, grey sleeves, purple cap, grey spots Eton blue, black sleeves, check cap Pink, white hoops, white cap, pink spots
Osric Aldino Nohalmdun
 

History

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

Most successful horse since 1969 (2 wins):

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 (11 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)

Winners since 1969
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
1969 Coral Diver 4 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell
1970 no race 1970 [lower-alpha 1]
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 [lower-alpha 2] 9 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell
1980 Celtic Ryde 5 John Francome Peter Cundell
1981 no race 1981 [lower-alpha 3]
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 [lower-alpha 4]
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 [lower-alpha 5] 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 [lower-alpha 6] 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
  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

References
    • pedigreequery.com – Christmas Hurdle – Kempton.
    • Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 47. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.
    • Race Recordings 1983–2003
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