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Punchestown Champion Hurdle

Punchestown Champion Hurdle
Grade 1 race
Location Punchestown
Co. Kildare, Ireland
Race type Hurdle race
Sponsor Betdaq
Website Punchestown
Race information
Distance 2 miles (3,219 metres)
Surface Turf
Track Right-handed
Qualification Four-years-old and up
Weight 11 st 4 lb (4yo);
11 st 12 lb (5yo+)
Allowances
7 lb for fillies and mares
Purse 200,000 (2015)
1st: €120,000

The Punchestown Champion 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 Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.

The present version of the race was introduced in 1999, and it was initially sponsored by Shell. Several different sponsors have followed, including Emo Oil, ACCBank, Rabobank and the Racing Post. Its current sponsor, Betdaq, began supporting the race in 2016.

The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the last to win both events in the same year was Faugheen in 2015. For a period the race was restricted to horses aged five or older, but the minimum age was lowered to four in 2009.

Most successful horse since 1999 (4 wins):

Leading jockey since 1999 (6 wins):

Leading trainer since 1999 (8 wins):


1 The 2001 running took place at Leopardstown.


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