The Elite Hurdle is a Grade 2
National Hunt
In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...
hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to
horses aged four years or older. It is run at
Wincanton
Wincanton ( or ) is a small town and electoral ward in South Somerset, southwest England. The town lies off the A303 road, a main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. The town and electoral ward has a populati ...
over a distance of about 1 mile and 7½ furlongs (1 mile 7 furlongs and 65 yards, or 3,077 metres), and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in early November.
The event was established in 1992, and it was initially held at
Cheltenham. It was originally contested over 2 miles and 110 yards. It was transferred to Wincanton and cut to its present length in 1994. The race was run a limited
handicap between 1998 and 2017 before reverting to a
weight for age
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022
Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race.
History
The principle of WFA was developed by Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English Jockey Club. Rou ...
conditions race
Conditions races are horse races in which the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the ...
from 2018.
Records
Most successful horse (3 wins):
* Sceau Royal - ''2016, 2020, 2021''
Leading jockey (5 wins):
*
Daryl Jacob
Daryl Jacob is an Irish National Hunt jockey who rode for trainer Paul Nicholls as second jockey to Ruby Walsh. When Walsh left the Nicholas yard Jacob took over as principal rider. He won at the Cheltenham festival for the first time in 2011 ...
– ''Celestial Halo (2011), Zarkandar (2012), Sceau Royal (2016, 2020,2021), Fusil Raffles (2019)''
Leading
trainer (8 wins):
*
Paul Nicholls – ''Azertyuiop (2001), Santenay (2002), Perouse (2004), Celestial Halo (2009, 2011), Zarkandar (2012), Irving (2015), Knappers Hill (2022)''
Winners
* ''Weights given in
stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
s and
pounds.''
See also
*
Horse racing in Great Britain
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total d ...
*
List of British National Hunt races
A list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority, including all races which currently hold Grade 1, 2 or 3 status.
History of the National Hunt Patter ...
References
*
Racing Post:
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** , , , , , , , {{Racing Post, 768259, 2020, 11, 07, 90
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pedigreequery.com– ''Elite Hurdle – Wincanton.''
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Wincanton Racecourse
National Hunt hurdle races
Recurring sporting events established in 1992
1992 establishments in England