The Contenders Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at

Sandown Park Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racing ...

over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 216 yards, or 3,319 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February. The race was first run in 1949 and was originally titled the Oteley Hurdle, and it was contested over a length of 2 miles (3,219 metres). Winners in the 1970s included Lanzarote and

Sea Pigeon Sea Pigeon (1970–2000) was an American-bred, British-trained racehorse who excelled in both National Hunt and flat racing. In a racing career which lasted from 1972 until 1981 he competed in eighty-five races, and won thirty-seven times. He ...

, and during the 1980s it was won by Desert Orchid and See You Then. From the early 1990s until 2007 the race was sponsored by Agfa, and it was known as the Agfa Hurdle. In 1993 its distance was extended by 110 yards (about 100 metres) to the current length. It is now sponsored by Betfred. The 2008 running was classed at Grade 2 level, but the event was reverted to its former Listed status in 2009. Prior to 2010 it was open to horses aged five and over. The race often serves as a trial for the

Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a ...

, and the most recent horse to win both events in the same year is

Buveur d'Air Buveur d'Air (foaled 12 May 2011) is a retired French-bred British-trained AQPS racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. After winning twice in his native France he moved to England and won the Top Novices' Hurdle in 2016. In the following ...

in 2017 and 2018.

Winners

* ''Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".'' The 1982 race was run at Kempton.
The 1990 running was abandoned because of waterlogging.
The 2012 running was abandoned due to frost.
The 2013 race was run at

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

after the original meeting at Sandown became chase only due to the waterlogged state of the hurdle course
The 2014 running was abandoned due to going conditions.

References

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...

: ** , , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , * {{cite book, title=Timeform Chasers & Hurdlers Statistical Companion 1992–93, year=1993, publisher=Portway Press, page=145
pedigreequery.com
– ''Contenders Hurdle – Sandown.'' National Hunt races in Great Britain Sandown Park Racecourse National Hunt hurdle races

Winners

See also

References