Welsh Champion Hurdle

The Welsh Champion Hurdle is a National Hunt Limited handicap hurdle race in Wales which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ffos Las over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres) and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.

Welsh Champion Hurdle
2019
Monsieur Lecoq Le Prezien Colonel Custard

The race was first run in 1969 at Chepstow over 2 miles and continued there until 2002, holding Listed status during the 1980s. The race was usually run on Easter Monday and prior to the 1990s was usually contested by horses that had performed well in the Champion Hurdle. However field sizes were consistently small even in its heyday.

The standard of the race declined in the 1990s, and it was run as a handicap in 1993 and from 2000 until 2002. Unfortunately this change did not result in increased fields and the race was dropped from the calendar in 2003.

In 2010 the race was revived, as a Limited Handicap, scheduled to be run at Ffos Las in February, over 2 miles. However the race was lost to the weather.

The new race did take place in 2011, being won easily by Oscar Whisky, owned by track owner, Dai Walters.[1]

The distance was increased to a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs in 2013. The race was moved to a new date in mid-October in 2016 and reverted to 2 miles.[2]

Winners
Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer
1969Persian War612-00Jimmy UttleyColin Davies
1970Frozen Alive410–12Stan MellorHarry Thomson Jones
1971Bula612-00Paul KellewayFred Winter
1972Canasta Lad611-08Jeff KingP Bailey
1973Comedy of Errors612-00Bill SmithFred Rimell
1974Canasta Lad811-04Jeff KingP Bailey
1975Lanzarote711-04Richard PitmanFred Winter
1976Night Nurse511-11Paddy BroderickPeter Easterby
1977Night Nurse611–12Paddy BroderickPeter Easterby
1978Abandoned because course waterlogged
1979Monksfield712-00Dessie HughesDes McDonogh (Ir)
1980Sea Pigeon1012-00Jonjo O'NeillPeter Easterby
1981Pollardstown611-09Philip BlackerStan Mellor
1982Ekbalco611-09Jonjo O'NeillRoger Fisher
1983Royal Vulcan511–13David GouldingNeville Callaghan
1984Ra Nova511-08Mark PerrettNan Kennedy
1985Browne's Gazette711–13Dermot BrowneMonica Dickinson
1986Abandoned because course waterlogged
1987High Knowl411-00Jonothon LowerMartin Pipe
1988 Past Glories 5 11-06 Patrick Farrell Charles Elsey
1989 Celtic Shot 7 11-06 Peter Scudamore Charlie Brooks
1990 Beech Road 8 12-01 Richard Guest Toby Balding
1991 Wonder Man 6 11-10 Mark Pitman Jenny Pitman
1992 Don Valentino 7 11-10 Mark Pitman Jenny Pitman
1993 Dextra Dove 6 10-04 Simon Earle Philip Hobbs
1994 Abandoned due to waterlogging
1995 Nemuro 7 11-06 Alan McCabe David Elsworth
1996 Absalom's Lady 8 11-09 A Procter David Elsworth
1997 Potentate 6 11-06 Jamie Evans Martin Pipe
1998 Potentate 7 11-10 Jamie Evans Martin Pipe
1999 Potentate 8 11–12 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
2000 Mister Morose 10 11-10 Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies
2001 Abandoned due to Foot and Mouth outbreak
2002 Vol Solitaire 4 10-00 Timmy Murphy Paul Nicholls
2003–2009 No Race
2010 Abandoned due to Snow and Frost
2011 Oscar Whisky 6 11-07 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson
2012 Abandoned due to Frost
2013 Medinas 6 10-10 Wayne Hutchinson Alan King
2014 Saphir Du Rheu 5 11-10 Harry Derham Paul Nicholls
2015 Silsol 6 11-10 Jack Sherwood Paul Nicholls
2016 no race Feb 2016 [lower-alpha 1]
2016 Garde La Victoire 7 11-10 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
2017 The New One 9 11-05 Zac Baker[lower-alpha 2] Nigel Twiston-Davies
2018 Silver Streak 5 10-04 Adam Wedge Evan Williams
2019 Monsieur Lecoq 5 10-05 Chester Williams Jane Williams
  1. The February 2016 race was abandoned because of waterlogging.[3]
  2. amateur jockey
gollark: Well. PHYSICS\™.
gollark: MATHS™
gollark: A frictionless vacuum on top of an infinite plain of uniform density.
gollark: Maybe he just wants someone who can fold dodecahedra.
gollark: So he wants physicists?

See also

References
  1. "Dai Walters' one-track mind points way forward for competitive racing". The Guardian. 7 February 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. Scully, Mark. "Welsh Champion Hurdle moved to October slot". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  3. "Ffos Las: Welsh Champion trainers to be compensated". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
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