The Irish Champion Hurdle is a Grade One horse race run over two miles at Leopardstown Racecourse in early February.
Eight hurdles have to be negotiated in what is considered one of the most prestigious hurdles races in the National Hunt calendar.
The Irish Champion Hurdle is a massive contest on its own right but it is also a key final trial for some horses for the Champion Hurdle itself at Cheltenham in March, with many of the Leopardstown competitors likely to ahead across to Prestbury Park to try and pick up some more silverware.
The race is now one of the leading lights during the two-day Dublin Racing Festival which takes place in either late January or early February, and has been won by some of the most legendary equine names in the sport.
Only six of them have completed the Champion Hurdle double in the same season.
Hurricane Fly (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
Unstoppable in the race between 2011 and 2015, no wonder Willie Mullins called Hurricane Fly the 'horse of a generation'.
Istabraq (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Istabraq won the Irish Champion Hurdle four times between 1998 and 2001 and also claimed a hat-trick in the equivalent Cheltenham race.
Who knows what would have happened in 2001 if the foot and mouth outbreak had not led to the cancellation of the Festival.
Collier Bay (1996)
Collier Bay took on the best of Ireland at level weights and emerged a winner by the narrowest of margins under Jamie Osborne.
Just a few weeks later he charged up the famous Cheltenham hill under the charge of Graham Bradley.
Dawn Run (1984)
The mare completed the English, Irish and French Champion Hurdle treble, winning at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Auteuil in her unstoppable 1984 season.
Winning Fair (1963)
The one-eyed Winning Fair completed the Champion Hurdle double either side of the Irish Sea in 1963.
Hatton's Grace (1950)
Trained by the legendary Vincent O'Brien, Hatton’s Grace was the first horse to win the Irish Champion Hurdle in 1950 and also the first to follow up in the Cheltenham Festival equivalent.
Irish Champion Hurdle Winners
2021 - (4:01.50) Honeysuckle 7yo 11-5 10/11F (Rachael Blackmore/Henry De Bromhead)
2020 - (3:49.30) Honeysuckle 6yo 11-3 8/11F (Rachael Blackmore/Henry De Bromhead)
2019 - (3:44.60) Apples Jade 7yo 11-3 8/11F (Jack Kennedy/Gordon Elliott)
2018 - (4:00.90) Supasundae 8yo 11-10 8/1 Robbie Power/Jessica Harrington)
2017 - (3:41.30) Petit Mouchoir 6yo 11-10 9/10F (David Mullins/Henry De Bromhead)
2016 - (3:54.00) Faugheen 8yo 11-10 30/100F (R Walsh/Willie Mullins)
2015 - (3:57.20) Hurricane Fly 11yo 11-10 11/10F (R Walsh/Willie Mullins)
2014 - (3:53.00) Hurricane Fly 10yo 11-10 4/7F (R Walsh/Willie Mullins)
2013 - (4:05.10) Hurricane Fly 9yo 11-10 1/6F (R Walsh/Willie Mullins)
2012 - (4:05.10) Hurricane Fly 8yo 11-10 4/5F (R Walsh/Willie Mullins)
Irish Champion Hurdle Trends
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Age: 7 of the last 10 winners were aged between 6 and 8.
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Price: 9 of the last 10 favourites/joint favourites have won, 10/10 winners came from the top three in the horse racing betting.
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Last Run: 9 of the last 10 winners won on their last run before the Irish Champion Hurdle, 9/10 winners ran within the last 37 days. 6/10 winners ran in the December Hurdle on their last run, 6 of the 6 won, 0 placed.
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Previous Course Form: 9/10 winners had at least two previous runs at Leopardstown, 10/10 winners had at least one previous win at Leopardstown.
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Previous Distance Form: 10/10 winners had at least six previous runs over 15-17 furlongs, 10/10 had at least three previous wins over 15-17 furlongs.
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Previous Hurdle Form: 10/10 winners had at least nine previous runs over hurdles, 9/10 winners had at least eight previous wins over hurdles.
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Rating: 10/10 winners were rated 158 or higher.
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Graded Wins: 10/10 winners had at least one previous win in a Grade 1 race, 10/10 winners had at least one previous win in a Grade 1-3 race.
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Season Form: 10/10 winners had at least two runs that season, 10/10 winners had at least one win that season.
Irish Champion Hurdle Trainers
The leading trainer in the Irish Champion Hurdle over the last 20 years is Willie Mullins who has saddled the winner a total of six times.
Those being Hurricane Fly (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) and Faugheen (2016). Other trainers with multiple wins in the Irish Champion Hurdle include Henry De Bromhead (4 wins), Mrs John Harrington (2 wins) and Colm Murphy (2 wins).
To see who the Irish trainer will be saddling for this race in 2022, check out our Henry De Bromhead stable tour.
Irish Champion Hurdle Jockeys
Charlie Swan and Ruby Walsh share the record for the most wins in the Irish Champion Hurdle with six winners apiece.
Out of the current crop of jockeys, Rachael Blackmore has won the contest twice. Those 2 winners were on Honeysuckle (2020, 2021).
Irish Champion Hurdle 'Trial' Races
The Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown in mid-November is usually the starting point for horses likely to progress through to the Irish Champion Hurdle.
The December Hurdle is of course a key barometer too.
Starting Price
A study of the last 20 renewals reveals that the biggest priced winner was Hardy Eustace in 2007 for trainer Dessie Hughes at odds of 9/1 with jockey Conor O'Dwyer in the plate.
Horses at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals have fared well with there being a total of 15 winning favourites from the sports betting during that time period.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 1st February 2022
