Hardy Eustace

Hardy Eustace
Hardy Eustace at the Cheltenham Festival in 2005.
Sire	Archway
Dam	Sterna Star
Damsire	Corvara
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	1997
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Patrick Boyce
Owner	Laurence Byrne
Trainer	Dessie Hughes
Record	41: 14-10-6
Earnings	£1,082,377
Major wins
Goffs Land Rover Bumper (2002) Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (2002) Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle (2003) Champion Hurdle (2004, 2005) Punchestown Champion Hurdle (2004) Red Mills Trial Hurdle (2005) Ascot Hurdle (2006, 2007) Irish Champion Hurdle (2007) Morgiana Hurdle (2008)

Hardy Eustace is a retired thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the Champion Hurdle in 2004 and 2005. He was trained in Ireland by Dessie Hughes and owned by Laurence Byrne.

Hardy Eustace made his debut in a National Hunt flat race at Punchestown in March 2002, where he finished an eleven-length fifth of seventeen runners. He improved for his debut run in his next start as he won the valuable Goffs Land Rover Bumper at Fairyhouse in April. He had one more run in his debut season, where he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Champion INH Flat Race at Punchestown.

Hardy Eustace began the 2002/03 season with a warm-up run in a flat race at Navan, where he finished fifth. In his next race, which was his first over hurdles, he finished first in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown but was disqualified. He was moved to Grade 1 class for his next start in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, which he won by one and a half lengths from Back In Front. He then won another novice hurdle before finishing second to Solerina in the Deloitte & Touche Novice Hurdle. He then went to the Cheltenham Festival in March 2003, where he won the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle under Kieran Kelly. Hardy Eustace had one more run that season, where he finished fifth behind Iris's Gift in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

Hardy Eustace began the 2003/04 season with a warm-up run on the flat at Navan again, which he won. He then finished 2nd behind Rosaker in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan before finishing last in the December Festival Hurdle. He next finished runner up in both Cleeve Hurdle and the Red Mills Trial Hurdle. After this, Hardy Eustace came back to Cheltenham for the Champion Hurdle, for which he was sent off a 33/1 chance. However, he belied his long odds and won the race with a front-running performance, with Rooster Booster back in second. He followed that up with another victory over Rooster Booster in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle, which was his last run for the season.