A History of Cheltenham Champion Hurdle Winners

The Champion Hurdle is one of the most important races at the Cheltenham Festival every year. Read on to learn about its winners throughout history.

Since 1927, the Champion Hurdle has been a mainstay of Cheltenham’s annual horse racing festival. Some of the most beloved hurdlers in the sport’s history have won the event, which serves as the highlight of the festival’s first day each year.

With competitors this year challenging for a top prize of more than £250,000, we take a look back at previous winners. Here’s our recap of the Champion Hurdle’s best winning horses, jockeys, and trainers.

Who are the last ten Champion Hurdle winners?

With the Champion Hurdle scheduled to take place on 11th March, see a list of the last ten winners below:

Who are the most successful horses in Champion Hurdle history?

There are five horses who tie for the most Champion Hurdles won in history, with each earning three victories. Learn more about the best horses in the event’s history below:

Hatton’s Grace (3-time Champion Hurdle winner)

The first horse to win three consecutive Champion Hurdle races was Hatton’s Grace, whose winning streak stretched from 1949 to 1951. He was led to his first two wins by Aubrey Brabazon, before Tim Molony rode him to a third in his final victory. His best finishing time of 3:59.63 was recorded in 1950.

Sir Ken (3-time Champion Hurdle winner)

Following Hatton’s Grace’s three years of dominance, Sir Ken won the next three Champion Hurdles between 1952 and 1954. He also gave Tim Molony three successive first-place finishes, taking his total to four victories in four years. Sir Ken’s best winning time was 3:55.4, recorded in 1953.

Persian War (3-time Champion Hurdle winner)

It would take more than 10 years for another three-time winner to come along. Persian War took his jockey Jimmy Uttley on a run of victories that lasted from 1968 to 1970, with a best winning time of 4:03.8 in his first win.

See You Then (3-time Champion Hurdle winner)

In 1987, See You Then became the fourth three-time winner of the Champion Hurdle, after kicking off his win streak in 1985 with his best winning time of 3:51.7. This also earned three wins for his jockey, Steve Smith Eccles, and his trainer, Stype Wood Stud.

Istabraq (3-time Champion Hurdle winner)

The last hat-trick of wins in the Champion Hurdle was Istabraq’s triple victories in 1998, 1999, and 2000. His 1998 race saw his best time of 3:49.10, which still ranks as the second fastest win in the history of the event.

Which other horses have won multiple Champion Hurdles?

·         Insurance (2 wins)

·         National Spirit (2 wins)

·         Bula (2 wins)

·         Night Nurse (2 wins)

·         Monksfield (2 wins)

·         Sea Pigeon (2 wins)

·         Hardy Eustace (2 wins)

·         Hurricane Fly (2 wins)

·         Buveur d’Air (2 wins)

·         Honeysuckle (2 wins)

Who are the most successful trainers in Champion Hurdle history?

Training is a crucial part of a horse’s success, and some trainers have led huge numbers of horses to victory at Cheltenham. Here are some of the most successful in the history of the Champion Hurdle:

1. Nicky Henderson (9)

Nicky Henderson is the leading trainer in the history of the Champion Hurdle, having led six horses to nine different first place finishes. After training See You Then to a hat-trick of wins in the 1980s, he’d have to wait until 2009 for his next victory with Punjabi. With five wins in the last fifteen years, he’s one of the most successful trainers in recent history.

=2. Willie Mullins (5)

Willie Mullins has been a force to be reckoned with in horse racing throughout the 2010s and 2020s. With Champion Hurdle wins in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, and most recently in 2024, each victory has come from a different horse under his training.

=2. Peter Easterby (5)

Peter Easterby’s five wins include two back-to-back winners: Night Nurse in 1976 and 1977, and Sea Pigeon in 1980 and 1981. With a 1967 victory from Saucy Kit to his name as well, he ties with Willie Mullins for second place.

=4. Fred Winter (4)

The first winning horse under Fred Winter’s training to win the Champion Hurdle was Bula, who won the race twice in 1971 and 1972. Lanzarote would give him a third victory in 1974, with his final winning horse coming 14 years later with Celtic Shot in 1988.

=4. Vic Smyth (4)

One of the earliest training success stories in the Champion Hurdle was Vic Smyth, who took four titles in the 1940s. Seneca gave him his first win in 1941, before Forestation won the following year. Then, a pair of wins for National Spirit in 1947 and 1948 took his total to four.

Which other trainers have won multiple Champion Hurdles?

·         Aidan O’Brien (3)

·         Colin Davies (3)

·         Ryan Price (3)

·         Vincent O’Brien (3)

·         Willie Stephenson (3)

·         Basil Briscoe (2)

·         Des McDonogh (2)

·         Dessie Hughes (2)

·         Fred Rimell (2)

·         Fulke Walwyn (2)

·         Henry de Bromhead (2)

·         James Fanshawe (2)

·         Martin Pipe (2)

·         Toby Balding (2)

Who are the most successful jockeys in Champion Hurdle history?

With sixteen of the best jockeys in the world competing in the Champion Hurdle each year, it’s a tough feat to earn a first-place finish, and even harder to take home multiple wins. These are some of the legendary jockeys who have taken home the top prize in multiple years, include the three four-time winners:

Tim Molony (4-time Champion Hurdle winner)

While he didn’t ride them in all six of their victories, Tim Molony had the rare privilege of leading two three-time Champion Hurdle winning horses across the finish line. After taking Hatton’s Grace to his last victory in 1951, he won the next three consecutive years with Sir Ken, making him the most successful rider in the history of the Champion Hurdle until his record would be equalled in 2016.

Ruby Walsh (4-time Champion Hurdle winner)

In the space of 5 years in the 2010s, Ruby Walsh managed to tie Molony’s wins with three separate horses. Starting with two wins in 2011 and 2013 with Hurricane Fly, he rode Faugheen to victory in 2015, and most recently won with Annie Power in 2016.

Barry Geraghty (4-time Champion Hurdle winner)

The most recent jockey to reach the milestone of four-time winner is Barry Geraghty, who managed the feat with wins on four different horses across eleven years. Earning his first victory on Punjabi in 2009, he continued to add to his record with victories on Jezki (2014), Buveur d’Air (2018) and Epatante (2020).

Which other jockeys have won the Champion Hurdle multiple times?

·         Charlie Swan (3)

·         Fred Winter (3)

·         Jimmy Uttley (3)

·         Ron Smyth (3)

·         Steve Smith Eccles (3)

·         Tony McCoy (3)

·         Aubrey Brabazon (2)

·         Conor O’Dwyer (2)

·         Danny Morgan (2)

·         Jonjo O’Neill (2)

·         Noel Fehily (2)

·         Paddy Broderick (2)

·         Paul Kelleway (2)

·         Peter Scudamore (2)

·         Rachael Blackmore (2)

·         Willie Robinson (2)

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