The Scottish Champion 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 Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...

, South Ayrshire, over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. It is a limited handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in April. The event was established in 1966, and the inaugural winner was Blue Venom. For a period it was classed at Listed level, and it was promoted to Grade 2 status in 1991. The race used to be held on the day before the

Scottish Grand National The Scottish Grand National is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of about 4 miles ( ...

, but both events have taken place on the same day since 1994. Its present sponsor, CPMS, has backed the race since 2019. Several winners of the Scottish Champion Hurdle have also achieved victory in the Champion Hurdle at the

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Ra ...

. The most recent was Alderbrook, the winner of the latter contest in 1995. Captain Christy won the race in 1973, the year before winning the

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 ...

as a novice. Another Irish-trained horse,

Golden Cygnet Golden Cygnet (1972 - 1978) was a racehorse who was described in the 1979 Irish Racing Annual by legendary Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien as "the best hurdler I've ever seen." His hurdling career lasted less than 5 months, as a result of the f ...

, suffered fatal injuries when he fell in the 1978 running.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins): *

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 ...

– ''1977, 1978'' * Birds Nest – ''1979, 1981'' Leading jockey (3 wins): * Andrew Turnell – ''Bird's Nest (1979, 1981), Secret Ballot (1980)'' *

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 c ...

– ''Royal Vulcan (1983), Rushmoor (1984),

Granville Again Granville Again (20 June 1986 – August 2003) was an Irish-bred racehorse who competed in National Hunt races and recorded his most important win in the 1993 Champion Hurdle. In his early career he won two of his three National Hunt Flat ...

(1992)'' *

Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE (born 18 January 1964 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey. Racing career Dunwoody's race victories include the King George VI Cha ...

– ''Alderbrook (1996), Blowing Wind (1998), Fadalko (1999)'' *

Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to: Academics * Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic * Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering * Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...

– ''In Contrast (2003), Noble Request (2006), Cheltenian (2015)'' Leading trainer (4 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-Coun ...

– ''Sayparee (1990),

(1992), Blowing Wind (1998), Copeland (2004)''

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.''

References

* Racing Post: ** , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , , , ** , , , , , , , , , ** , , *
pedigreequery.com
– ''Scottish Champion Hurdle – Ayr.'' * {{cite book, title=Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91, year=1990, publisher=Aesculus Press, isbn=1-871093-21-X, page=70 1966 establishments in Scotland Recurring sporting events established in 1966 Ayr Racecourse Horse racing in Scotland National Hunt hurdle races National Hunt races in Great Britain Sports competitions in Scotland

Records

Winners

See also

References