Aintree Hurdle
| Grade 1 race | |
| Location |
Aintree Racecourse Merseyside, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1976 |
| Race type | Hurdle race |
| Sponsor | Sharp's Brewery |
| Website | Aintree |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2m 4f (4,023 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
| Weight | 11 st 0 lb (4yo); 11 st 7 lb (5yo+) Allowances 7 lb for fillies and mares |
| Purse |
£200,000 (2016) 1st: £113,072 |
The Aintree 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 Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 metres), and during its running there are eleven hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in early April.
The event was established in 1976, and it was originally run over 2 miles and 5½ furlongs. It was shortened to its present length in 1988. The race is staged during the three-day Grand National meeting, and was traditionally contested on the final day, Saturday. In 2013 it was moved to the opening day of the meeting, Thursday.
The Aintree Hurdle often features horses which ran previously over a shorter distance in the Champion Hurdle, and the last to win both events in the same year was Annie Power in 2016.
The 2010 running was named in memory of Dick Francis (1920–2010), a former jockey who was closely associated with Aintree. He famously rode Devon Loch in the Grand National, and he was leading the race on the run-in when the horse jumped and was overtaken. Since 2014 the race has been sponsored by Sharp's Brewery and named after their Doom Bar ale.
Most successful horse (4 wins):
Leading jockey (5 wins):
Leading trainer (5 wins):
...
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