/ Malcolm Pannett / 04 March 2009 /

Malcolm Pannett continues his Big Race History with a close look at a race which has provided some thrilling contests on day one of the festival.

Three years after the successful inception of the Cheltenham Gold Cup the National Hunt Meeting was further expanded with the introduction of a weight-for-age championship for top class hurdlers. So in 1927 the honour of winning the first Champion Hurdle went to Blaris ridden by George Duller who duly beat three rivals having been sent off 11-10 favourite.

Duller, who piloted his own plane and raced cars at Brooklands, was a hurdles specialist and had won five runnings of the Imperial Cup, the premier hurdle race until the Champion Hurdle was conceived. The George Duller Handicap Hurdle was run in his memory at the Cheltenham Festival for many years until being replaced in 1974 by the race that was run last year as the Pertemps Final.

Next up was Brown Jack whose hurdling career was short and sweet. Once it was realised how good the champion hurdler was on the flat he was redirected to Royal Ascot rather than Cheltenham and won the Queen Alexandra Stakes six times in a row.

Five years later Insurance, in the same ownership as Golden Miller, became the first dual winner. National Spirit also won two before Hatton's Grace took his title from him going on to become the first of five triple winners. Jockey Tim Maloney won on both horses taking the race four years in a row.

The other triple winners are Sir Ken (1952-4), Persian War (1968-69), See You Then (1985-7) and Istabraq (1998-2000).

Many scribes have dubbed the late 1970s and early 1980s as the golden age of hurdling with Night Nurse (1976 and 77), Monksfield (1978 and 79) and Sea Pigeon (1980 and 81) all winning two apiece as well as filling the places behind each other. The trio, along with a supporting cast that included Birds Nest and Dramatist, provided many memorable clashes throughout the seasons.

The other dual winners are Bula (1970 and 71), Comedy of Errors - the only horse to regain the title (1973 and 75) and Hardy Eustace (2004 and 05).

50 years ago - Ryan Price and Fred Winter teamed up to win three Champion Hurdles during the seven year period 1955 to 1961. Fare Time, the victor in 1959, was the second of them. The six-year-old, who beat Ivy Green and Prudent King, ran in the same colours as their previous winner Clair Soleil. Eborneezer completed the trio winning two years later.

25 years ago - Dawn Run, partnered by Jonjo O'Neill, registered the first leg of the unique double of winning both the Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup. O'Neill set a canny pace and three from home Desert Orchid, who momentarily took the lead, dropped away. Dawn Run then repelled Buck House followed by Cima going on to become the first mare to capture the hurdling crown.

10 years ago - Between December 1996 and March 2000 Istabraq ran in 23 hurdle races winning 21 and finishing second in the other two. In 1989 he quickly despatched French Holly to land his second of three successive Champions with stablemate Theatreworld, as he had the previous two years, staying on late to grab second place.

Five years ago - Blinkers first time concentrated Hardy Eustace on the task in hand as he attempted to make all. At the last flight he was joined by the reigning champion Rooster Booster but the 33-1 shot battled gamely to wrest the spoils from the grey. Hardy Eustace retained his title the next year when he again devoured the Cheltenham hill in a way that runner-up Harchibald could only dream of.

Last Year - Two hurdles from home Katchit appeared to have mastered Osana but both favourite Sizing Europe and the previous year's winner Sublimity loomed large. Sizing Europe lost his action and was virtually pulled up while a mistake at the last cost Sublimity his chance. However Osana wasn't done with and pushed Katchit all the way. To the line failing by a length in a thrilling finish. In doing so, Katchit became the first horse since Persian War to win the Champion after success in the previous season's Triumph Hurdle.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: