December Festival Hurdle

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.

Matheson Hurdle
2019
Sharjah Petit Mouchoir Coeur Sublime

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. 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. Three horses have won both races in the same season – Istabraq three times, Hurricane Fly twice and Brave Inca once.

Records

Most successful horse (4 wins):

Most successful jockey (6 wins):

  • Charlie Swan – Novello Allegro (1992), Theatreworld (1996), Istabraq (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001)

Most successful trainer (7 wins):

  • Willie Mullins - Hurricane Fly (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014), Nichols Canyon (2015), Sharjah (2018, 2019)

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[lower-alpha 1] 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[lower-alpha 1] Willie Mullins
2019 Sharjah 6 Patrick Mullins[lower-alpha 1] Willie Mullins
  1. amateur jockey

See also

References
  1. Lamb, Jessica. "Leopardstown signs festival deal with Ryanair". racingpost.com. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
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