The Liverpool Hurdle is a Grade 1
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
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
aged four years or older. It is run at
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England.
It i ...
over a distance of about 3 miles and ½ furlong (3 miles and 149 yards, or 4,964 metres), and during its running there are thirteen hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year at the
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
meeting in early April.
History
The event was established in 1974, and it was originally held at
Ascot. During the first part of its history it was called the Long Distance Hurdle, and it was initially contested over 3 miles. For a period it was classed at Grade 2 level.
The race was transferred to Aintree in 2004, and since then it has been named after the nearby city of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Its original distance has been extended by 110 yards.
The Liverpool Hurdle was promoted to Grade 1 status in 2010, and it currently takes place on the final day of the three-day
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
meeting. Prior to 2013 it was the opening race on the first day of the meeting.
The field usually includes horses which ran previously in the
Stayers' Hurdle
The Stayers' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain. It is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles ...
, and the last to win both races in the same year was
Thistlecrack in 2016.
Records
Most successful horse (4 wins):
*
Big Buck's
Big Buck's (foaled 16 April 2003) is a retired National Hunt racehorse trained in Britain by Paul Nicholls. He is owned by businessman Andy Stewart and specialised in racing over hurdles. At the 2012 Cheltenham Festival, Big Buck's made histo ...
– ''2009, 2010, 2011, 2012''
Leading jockey (5 wins):
*
Peter Scudamore
Peter Scudamore MBE (born 29 June 1958), often known as 'Scu', is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey (including one title shared with John Francome), riding 1,678 winning horses in his ca ...
– ''Gaye Chance (1982), Bajan Sunshine (1985), Gaye Brief (1986), Mrs Muck (1987), Pragada (1992)''
Leading
trainer (5 wins):
*
Martin Pipe
Martin Charles Pipe (born 29 May 1945), is an English former racehorse trainer credited with professionalising the British racehorse training industry, and as of 2021 the most successful trainer in British jump racing.
The son of a West-Count ...
– ''Pragada (1992), Sweet Glow (1994), Galant Moss (1999), Maid Equal (2001), Deano's Beeno (2003)''
Winners
See also
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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 di ...
*
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 ...
*
Recurring sporting events established in 1974
Recurring means occurring repeatedly and can refer to several different things:
Mathematics and finance
*Recurring expense, an ongoing (continual) expenditure
*Repeating decimal, or recurring decimal, a real number in the decimal numeral syste ...
'' – this race is included under its original title, Long Distance Hurdle.''
References
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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 ...
:
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aintree.co.uk– ''2010 John Smith's Grand National Media Guide''.
pedigreequery.com– ''Liverpool Hurdle (Long Distance Hurdle) – Aintree''.
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{{Race Meeting, Grand National Meeting, Turf
National Hunt races in Great Britain
Aintree Racecourse
National Hunt hurdle races
1974 establishments in England