National Spirit Hurdle

National Spirit Hurdle
2016
Lil Rockerfeller Ubak San Benedeto

The National Spirit Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fontwell Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (4,023 metres), and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late February or early March.

The event is named after National Spirit, a dual winner of the Champion Hurdle in the 1940s. National Spirit won five times at Fontwell Park, including three successive victories in the Rank Challenge Cup. The National Spirit Hurdle was established in 1965, and the inaugural running was won by Salmon Spray. During its early years it was also won by Comedy of Errors.

For a period the race was run over 2¼ miles, and it served as a trial for the Champion Hurdle (Beech Road won both events in 1989). It was discontinued in 1994, but its title was revived for a handicap race which took place annually from 1996 to 1998. It was relaunched as a conditions race over 2 miles and 2½ furlongs in 1999, and it was extended to its present length in 2004.

The National Spirit Hurdle is now regarded as a trial for the World Hurdle. The only horse to have won both races in the same year was My Way de Solzen in 2006. Another horse to have achieved victory in both events, albeit in different seasons, was Baracouda.

Winners since 1971

Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
1971Varma5David MouldM Masson
1972St Patrick's Blue7David MouldD Tatlow
1973Brantridge Farmer5Richard RowellMiss A Sinclair
1974Brantridge Farmer6Terry BiddlecombeFulke Walwyn
1975Bladon5R KingtonFred Winter
1976Comedy of Errors9John BurkeFred Rimell
1977Comedy of Errors10John BurkeFred Rimell
1978Kybo5Bob ChampionJosh Gifford
1979Bird's Nest9Andy TurnellBob Turnell
1980Snowtown Boy5John FrancomeFred Winter
1981Random Leg6Bob ChampionJosh Gifford
1982Mr Moonraker5P CarvillMiss S Morris
1983Abandoned because of frost
1984Cut A Dash5John FrancomeMrs N Smith
1985Abandoned because of frost
1986Abandoned because of frost
1987Corporal Clinger8Peter ScudamoreMartin Pipe
1988 Vagador 5 Mark Perrett Guy Harwood
1989 Beech Road 7 Richard Guest Toby Balding
1990 Vagador 7 Mark Perrett Guy Harwood
1991 Al Asoof 6 Mark Richards Peter Hedger
1992 Honest Word 7 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe
1993 Flown 6 Richard Dunwoody Nicky Henderson
1999 Lady Cricket 5 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
2000 Male-Ana-Mou 7 Andrew Thornton Jamie Poulton
2001 Baracouda 6 Thierry Doumen François Doumen
2002 Rouble 6 Leighton Aspell Josh Gifford
2003 Classified 7 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe
2004 Starzaan 5 Timmy Murphy Hughie Morrison
2005 Blue Canyon 7 Tony McCoy François Doumen
2006 My Way de Solzen 6 Robert Thornton Alan King
2007 United 6 Leighton Aspell Lucy Wadham
2008 Lough Derg 8 Tom Scudamore David Pipe
2009 Lough Derg 9 Tom Scudamore David Pipe
2010 Trenchant 5 Robert Thornton Alan King
2011 Celestial Halo 7 Harry Skelton Paul Nicholls
2012 Third Intention 5 Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard
2013 Prospect Wells 8 Daryl Jacob Paul Nicholls
2014 Kayf Moss 6 Rhys Flint John Flint
2015 Kilcooley 6 Noel Fehily Charlie Longsdon
2016 Lil Rockerfeller 5 Trevor Whelan Neil King

See also

References

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