The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of about 2 miles and 1 furlong (2 miles and 190 yards, or 3,392 metres), and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
History The event was established in 1969, and the inaugural running was won by Mugatpura. Its title refers to the "Fighting Fifth", the nickname of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. In the year prior to the race's launch, the regiment (formerly known as the 5th Regiment of Foot) was amalgamated with three others to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
There were two triple winners of the Fighting Fifth Hurdle during the 1970s: Comedy of Errors and Bird's Nest. The latter also finished first in 1980 but after a stewards' inquiry he was relegated to second place behind Sea Pigeon.
The Fighting Fifth Hurdle was formerly classed at Grade 2 level, and for a brief spell in the 1990s it was run as a limited handicap. Its past sponsors have included Bellway Homes, Newcastle Building Society and Pertemps and the race has been sponsored by BetMGM since 2024. It was promoted to Grade 1 status in 2004, and it is now the first top-grade hurdle race of the British National Hunt season.
Records Most successful horse (3 wins): Comedy of Errors – 1972, 1973, 1974 Birds Nest – 1976, 1977, 1979
Leading jockey (3 wins): Barry Geraghty - Punjabi (2008), Buveur d'Air (2017, 2018)
Leading trainer (9 wins): Nicky Henderson - Landing Light (2001), Punjabi (2008), My Tent Or Yours (2013), Buveur d'Air (2017, 2018), Epatante (2020, 2021 (2021 a dead heat)), Constitution Hill (2022), Sir Gino (2024)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer 1969 Mugatpura 6 Willie Robinson Fulke Walwyn 1970 Inishmaan 4 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell 1971 Dondieu 6 Brian Fletcher Denys Smith 1972 Comedy of Errors 5 Bill Smith Fred Rimell 1973 Comedy of Errors 6 Bill Smith Fred Rimell 1974 Comedy of Errors 7 Ken White Fred Rimell 1975 Night Nurse 4 Paddy Broderick Peter Easterby 1976 Birds Nest 6 Steve Knight Bob Turnell 1977 Birds Nest 7 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell 1978 Sea Pigeon 8 Ian Watkinson Peter Easterby 1979 Birds Nest 9 Andrew Turnell Bob Turnell 1980 Sea Pigeon 10 Alan Brown Peter Easterby 1981 Ekbalco 5 David Goulding Roger Fisher 1982 Donegal Prince 6 Phil Tuck Paul Kelleway 1983 Gaye Brief 6 Sam Morshead Mercy Rimell 1984 Browne's Gazette 6 Dermot Browne Monica Dickinson 1985 Out of the Gloom 4 Jonjo O'Neill Reg Hollinshead 1986 Tom Sharp 6 Seamus O'Neill Walter Wharton 1987 Floyd 7 Colin Brown David Elsworth 1988 Floyd 8 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth 1989 Kribensis 5 Mark Dwyer Michael Stoute 1990 Beech Road 8 Richard Guest Toby Balding 1991 Royal Derbi 6 Chris Grant Neville Callaghan 1992 Halkopous 6 Steve Smith Eccles Mark Tompkins 1993 no race 1993 1994 Batabanoo 5 Peter Niven Mary Reveley 1995 Padre Mio 7 Richard Guest Charlie Brooks 1996 Space Trucker 5 John Shortt Jessica Harrington 1997 Star Rage 7 Dean Gallagher Mark Johnston 1998 Dato Star 7 Lorcan Wyer Malcolm Jefferson 1999 Dato Star 8 Lorcan Wyer Malcolm Jefferson 2000 Barton 7 Tony Dobbin Tim Easterby 2001 Landing Light 6 John Kavanagh Nicky Henderson 2002 Intersky Falcon 5 Liam Cooper Jonjo O'Neill 2003 The French Furze 9 Brian Harding Nicky Richards 2004 Harchibald 5 Paul Carberry Noel Meade 2005 Arcalis 5 Tony Dobbin Howard Johnson 2006 Straw Bear 5 Tony McCoy Nick Gifford 2007 Harchibald 8 Paul Carberry Noel Meade 2008 Punjabi 5 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson 2009 Go Native 6 Davy Condon Noel Meade 2010 Peddlers Cross 5 Jason Maguire Donald McCain Jr. 2011 Overturn 7 Jason Maguire Donald McCain Jr. 2012 Countrywide Flame 4 Denis O'Regan John Quinn 2013 My Tent Or Yours 6 Tony McCoy Nicky Henderson 2014 Irving 6 Nick Scholfield Paul Nicholls 2015 Identity Thief 5 Bryan Cooper Henry De Bromhead 2016 Irving 8 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2017 Buveur d'Air 6 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson 2018 Buveur d'Air 7 Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson 2019 Cornerstone Lad 5 Henry Brooke Micky Hammond 2020 Epatante 6 Aidan Coleman Nicky Henderson 2021(dh) EpatanteNot So Sleepy 79 Aidan ColemanJonathan Burke Nicky HendersonHughie Morrison 2022 Constitution Hill 5 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2023 Not So Sleepy 11 Sean Bowen Hughie Morrison 2024 Sir Gino 4 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2025 Golden Ace 7 Lorcan Williams Jeremy Scott
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
pedigreequery.com – Fighting Fifth Hurdle – Newcastle.
External links Race Recordings (1974-2011) youtube.com