The World Hurdle
The World Hurdle, sponsored by bookmakers Ladbrokes, is a Grade 1 event for four-year-olds and upwards, run over 3m of Cheltenham's New Course. It is effectively the championship race for staying hurdlers, and since the Cheltenham Festival was extended to four days it has been scheduled as the centrepiece of day three.
Cheltenham racecourse, home of the World Hurdle
Cheltenham Racecourse is regarded as the home of championship jump racing in Britain, mainly because of the four-day Cheltenham Festival in March, which is seen as the pinnacle of the jumps racing season. The main jumps track has two courses, known as the Old Course and New Course, and there is also a cross-country course.
The first organised Flat horse race meeting in Cheltenham took place in 1815, on Nottingham Hill, with the racecourse being moved to Prestbury Park, the current venue, in 1831. Jump racing started at the course in 1898 and nowadays Cheltenham hosts jump racing only, with its most famous race being the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the showpiece event of the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham is part of Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns and operates 14 of Britain's racecourses.
Cheltenham Racecourse is regarded as the home of championship jump racing in Britain, mainly because of the four-day Cheltenham Festival in March, which is seen as the pinnacle of the jumps racing season. The main jumps track has two courses, known as the Old Course and New Course, and there is also a cross-country course.
The first organised Flat horse race meeting in Cheltenham took place in 1815, on Nottingham Hill, with the racecourse being moved to Prestbury Park, the current venue, in 1831. Jump racing started at the course in 1898 and nowadays Cheltenham hosts jump racing only, with its most famous race being the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the showpiece event of the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham is part of Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns and operates 14 of Britain's racecourses.
World Hurdle history
The World Hurdle has been run under its current conditions since 1972, prior to which it was known as the Spa Hurdle. It was initially sponsored by Lloyds Bank, and then by Waterford Crystal and Bonusprint. Ladbrokes took over in 2005. Inglis Drever (2005, '07 & '08) was the first horse to win three times. There have been three dual winners: Crimson Embers (1982 & '86), Galmoy (1987 & '88) and Baracouda (2002 & '03), who took part in five successive renewals and was also second twice.
Inglis Dreven at the 2008 World Hurdle
World Hurdle facts
Anzum (1999) was the longest-priced winner at 40-1.
Inglis Drever (2008) was the shortest-priced winner at 11-8.
The biggest fields were 22 in 1985 and 1990.
The smallest field was eight in 1973.
Crimson Embers (1986) was the oldest winner of the race at 11.
No horse younger than six has been successful.
Rose Ravine (1985) and Shuil Ar Aghaidh (1993) are the only mares to have won.
The 2009 winner Big Buck's ended the season officially rated the best hurdler in training, ahead of contemporaries who ran in the Champion Hurdle.
The well-beaten 2009 odds-on favourite Kasbah Bliss went on to be narrowly beaten in two Group 1 Flat races the same year.
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