December Festival Hurdle
2023 | ||
State Man | Impaire Et Passe | Echoes In Rain |
Previous years | ||
---|---|---|
2022 | ||
State Man | Vauban | Sharjah |
2021 | ||
Sharjah | Zanahiyr | Saint Roi |
1990-1988 | ||
---|---|---|
1990 | ||
Grabel | Jennycomequick | Welsh Bard |
1989 | ||
Grabel | Elementary | Wolf Of Badenoch |
1988 | ||
Grabel | Cloughtaney | Lemhill |
The December Festival Hurdle, currently known by its sponsored title of the Matheson Hurdle, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Christmas Festival meeting in late December.
Prior to 2013 the race was named the Istabraq Festival Hurdle in honour of Istabraq, who won it four times. The race was run as the Ryanair Hurdle from 2013 to 2018 when Ryanair sponsored the race.[1] Matheson took over the sponsorship from the 2019 running.[2] Former titles of the event included the paddypower.com iPhone App Hurdle, Sean P. Graham Memorial Hurdle and the Bookmakers Hurdle. The race was first run in 1986, and it has held Grade 1 status since 2002. It is often used as a trial for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Four horses have won both races in the same season – Istabraq three times, Hurricane Fly twice and Brave Inca and State Man once each.
Records
Most successful horse (4 wins):
- Istabraq – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
- Hurricane Fly – 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
- Sharjah – 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Most successful jockey (6 wins):
- Charlie Swan – Novello Allegro (1992), Theatreworld (1996), Istabraq (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001)
Most successful trainer (11 wins):
- Willie Mullins - Hurricane Fly (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014), Nichols Canyon (2015), Sharjah (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), State Man (2022, 2023)
Winners
Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Derrymore Boy | 4 | Tony Mullins | Paddy Mullins |
1987 | Cloughtaney | 6 | Tony Mullins | Paddy Mullins |
1988 | Grabel | 5 | Willie Mullins[a] | Paddy Mullins |
1989 | Grabel | 6 | Tony Mullins | Paddy Mullins |
1990 | Grabel | 7 | Tony Mullins | Paddy Mullins |
1991 | Galevilla Express | 4 | Colin Bowens | Victor Bowens |
1992 | Novello Allegro | 4 | Charlie Swan | Noel Meade |
1993 | Fortune and Fame | 6 | Brendan Sheridan | Dermot Weld |
1994 | Boro Eight | 8 | Tommy Treacy | Paddy Mullins |
1995 | Kharasar | 5 | Mark Dwyer | Tony Mullins |
1996 | Theatreworld | 4 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien |
1997 | Istabraq | 5 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien |
1998 | Istabraq | 6 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien |
1999 | Istabraq | 7 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien |
2000 | Moscow Flyer | 6 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
2001 | Istabraq | 9 | Charlie Swan | Aidan O'Brien |
2002 | Liss A Paoraigh | 7 | Barry Geraghty | John Kiely |
2003 | Golden Cross | 4 | Adrian Lane | Michael Halford |
2004 | Macs Joy | 5 | Barry Geraghty | Jessica Harrington |
2005 | Brave Inca | 7 | Tony McCoy | Colm Murphy |
2006 | Brave Inca | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Colm Murphy |
2007 | Al Eile | 7 | Timmy Murphy | John Queally |
2008 | Sublimity | 8 | Philip Carberry | Robert Hennessy |
2009 | Solwhit | 5 | Davy Russell | Charles Byrnes |
2010 | Hurricane Fly | 6 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
2011 | Unaccompanied | 4 | Paul Townend | Dermot Weld |
2012 | Hurricane Fly | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2013 | Hurricane Fly | 9 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2014 | Hurricane Fly | 10 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2015 | Nichols Canyon | 5 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
2016 | Petit Mouchoir | 5 | Bryan Cooper | Henry de Bromhead |
2017 | Mick Jazz | 6 | Davy Russell | Gordon Elliott |
2018 | Sharjah | 5 | Patrick Mullins[a] | Willie Mullins |
2019 | Sharjah | 6 | Patrick Mullins[a] | Willie Mullins |
2020 | Sharjah | 7 | Patrick Mullins[a] | Willie Mullins |
2021 | Sharjah | 8 | Patrick Mullins[a] | Willie Mullins |
2022 | State Man | 5 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
2023 | State Man | 6 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
- ^ a b c d e amateur jockey
See also
References
- ^ Lamb, Jessica. "Leopardstown signs festival deal with Ryanair". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^ "Leopardstown Adds New Sponsor to Christmas Festival". 3 December 2019.
- Racing Post:
- 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
- pedigreequery.com – December Festival Hurdle – Leopardstown.