Events / Malcolm Pannett / 11 February 2009 /

Malcolm Pannett goes through the history books of this important Cheltenham Champion Hurdle primer.

Wincanton's Kingwell Hurdle has thrown up the winner of the Champion Hurdle no fewer than seven times in its 34 race history.

The race started as a Fred Winter benefit with the master of Uplands taking the first six runnings with first Bula, then Lanzarote notching up hat-tricks.

Bula quickened away from Flower Picker on the run-in to land the inaugural event in 1971 with reigning three-time champion-hurdler Persian War 11 lengths back in fourth. Winter's charge was receiving 4lb on that occasion but franked the form three weeks later in the Champion at level weights, although the distance between the two was reduced to four lengths.

Bula won both races again the next year, but after taking a third Kingwell his reign as champion came to an end when he could only manage fifth behind Comedy Of Errors.

Step forward Lanzarote who took the 1974 Kingwell before wresting the title from Comedy Of Errors. History was to repeat itself though as a year later after another Kingwell success Lanzarote trailed in behind Comedy Of Errors at Cheltenham, the winner becoming the first, and remaining the only, horse to regain the Champion Hurdle.

Between 1982 and 1989, David Elsworth nearly emulated Winter's feat winning five out of six renewals with Walnut Wonder, Desert Orchid, Hypnosis and Floyd twice (the 1985 and 86 races were abandoned due to frost and snow).

Kribensis (1990), Alderbrook (1995), Hors La Loi III (2002), and Katchit (2008) have also completed the Kingwell/Champion double. While Dramatist (1977), I'm Supposin (1998) and Rhinestone Cowboy (2003) all finished third in the Champion Hurdle in the season they recorded their Kingwell triumphs.

Other notable winners include the recently retired three time World Hurdle-winner Inglis Drever and Queen Mother Champion Chase-winner Azertyuiop.

25 years ago: Desert Orchid hadn't won a race over hurdles at the beginning of the 1983/4 season - but that soon changed. When the flying grey lined up for the Kingwell he had already blitzed home in five of his six outings. Once again he took no prisoners coming home four lengths to the good of Schweppes Hurdle-Winner Stans Pride with a further 12 back to Very Promising. At Cheltenham the then five-year-old disputed the lead with Dawn Run but succumbed to her superior talent on the day dropping back through the field to finish a distant 11th to the great mare - Dessie's hate affair with Cheltenham had begun. Both though would eventually turn up on the Cheltenham Gold Cup roll of honour.

10 years ago: Customary front-runner Grey Shot was unable to gain the lead as Tony McCoy on Fataliste pushed on early. However, despite making jumping errors, the former Goodwood Cup-winner, ridden by Jamie Osborne, finally passed Fataliste two out. The partnership then held off the late run of Midnight Legend, who was carrying 5lb more than the grey, by two-and-a-half lengths. It didn't look to be the strongest champion hurdle trial and so it proved. Midnight Legend duly reversed the placings at level weights however it was for 10th and 11th places behind Istabraq who was winning the second of his three championships.

Five years ago: The Paul Nicholls-trained Rigmarole, who arrived on the back of wins in the Greatwood and Bula hurdles at Cheltenham, came from off the pace to complete his hat-trick at the expense of Intersky Falcon. Three weeks later he disappointed back at Cheltenham. Sent off second favourite he trailed in eighth behind Hardy Eustace with Intersky Falcon reversing the placings with a vengeance to finish a very creditable third.

Last Year: Robert Thornton took Katchit past Osako D'Airy at the third from home to score by five lengths from Blythe Knight. Alan King's charge then emulated Persian War by becoming the first horse since 1967 to win the Triumph Hurdle then follow up in the next season's Champion Hurdle. At Prestbury Park Katchit had a length to spare over Osana with a Further five back to Punjabi.

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